PC World - USA (2020-05)

16 PCWorld MAY 2020

NEWS INTEL’S 5.3GHZ COMET LAKE-H CHIP

As always, Intel’s

processor matrix hides

a few quirks. First, only

the Core i9-10980HK

is truly unlocked; the

Core i7-10750H is

“partially” unlocked,

meaning that it can be

pushed upward by four

speed bins—probably

maxing out at 5.5GHz,

though Intel didn’t

specify.

The single-core turbo frequency reflects

what Intel calls Intel Thermal Velocity Boost

(TVB), which typically provides two “speed

bins” worth of overclocking ability—200MHz,

in real-world terms. Intel has improved

Thermal Velocity Boost in this generation to

allow overclocking the chip to 65W, far

higher than its 45W rating. Thermal Velocity

Boost works hand in hand with on-die and

Lake-H chips do not include integrated

graphics. “We think about catering to the end

user with a Comet Lake-H focus on frequency

and best performance...with a big pipeline to

the discrete graphics,” Hamberger said.

Intel has launched six chips in the

category, ranging from the Intel Core

i5-10300H (2.5GHz base, 4.5GHz turbo) at

the low end, all the way up to the Core

i9-10980HK at the

high end. As Intel’s

screenshot above

indicates, all of the

chips support

Optane Memory,

an Intel storage

innovation that

hasn’t quite

received the

attention Intel

would like. A summary of the new and showcase features within Intel’s Comet Lake-H.

Intel’s new Comet Lake-H lineup.