Intel Core i9-10900X & i9-10940X Processor Review

How Much Does it Cost?

All of the CPUs are around half the price of the previous 9th Gen X299 CPUs. That’s a big win for consumers, and at $784 and $590 the i9-10940X and 10900X are very appealing options for workstation and enthusiast setups. Check out the up to date pricing in the UK here and US here.

Overview

Intel has had a tougher season than they’ve had in many years with the last few launches. AMD had gone from competing on the budget market only to becoming a serious competitor in the budget, mid-consumer, and enthusiast markets. The end result is a big win for consumers, as Intel and AMD are locking in an arms race and a price war. Intel slashed the prices of these new CPUs and that’s obviously a huge win for us all. It’s certainly going to make the choice between X299 and AMD’s X399 even harder though.

Plus, there’s a cheeky advantage for Intel this time around, as while the latest Threadrippers will require a new motherboard, the 10th-Gen CPUs from Intel will still work on the now two-year-old X299 chipset motherboards.

Performance

They’re certainly no slouch when it comes to delivering big performance figures. However, it’s really about what you need them for. For gaming, you’re still better off with an i9-9900K or the AMD 3800X for the most part. However, for content creators, the extra core count can pull in other advantages. You can have a few cores for your gaming, and reserve the others for your video pipelines and rendering. Of course, let’s not forget that modern GPUs can offload the streaming and encoding a lot these days too.

The real strengths are with heavy-duty computational workloads. Intel prides themselves on their advancements in AI, simulation tech, game development, video rendering, etc. A consumer CPU might get the job done now and then, but the X299 hardware is built to run hard around the clock and may prove the better choice in more intense workflows.

Should I Buy One

It’s really quite subjective this time. If you’re just a gamer, then it’s not really for you. However, if you’re needing a rig that’s capable of heavy-duty calculations and rendering, but can still get your Twitch streaming done on an evening too, then the 10th Gen CPUs can certainly hold their own.