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Intel Core i9-10900T

Intel Core i9-10900T: Energy-Efficient Power in an Outdated Package

April 2025

Key Features: Comet Lake Architecture and Its Benefits

The Intel Core i9-10900T processor, released in 2020, is based on the Comet Lake architecture and a 14nm manufacturing process—a technology that appears archaic by 2025 standards, given the 5nm chips from AMD and Intel's new generation. However, its 10 cores and 20 threads (thanks to Hyper-Threading) remain relevant for specific tasks. The base clock speed is 1.9 GHz, with Turbo Boost up to 4.6 GHz, which provides a balance between power consumption (TDP 35W) and performance.

Key Features:

- Energy Efficiency: With a TDP of 35W, it is perfect for compact systems and servers.

- Integrated Intel UHD 630 Graphics: Suitable for office tasks and 4K video playback, but not for gaming.

- Support for DDR4-2933 Memory: Up to 128GB of RAM.

Performance:

According to Geekbench 6 (Single-Core: 1408, Multi-Core: 6447), the i9-10900T falls short of modern processors in single-threaded tasks (e.g., Ryzen 5 7600 scores around 2200), but remains competitive in multi-threaded scenarios.

Compatible Motherboards: LGA 1200 Socket and Chipsets

The i9-10900T uses the LGA 1200 socket, compatible with 400 and 500 series chipsets:

- Z490/Z590: For enthusiasts—overclocking support (albeit the processor has a locked multiplier), PCIe 3.0, and up to 4 M.2 slots. Example: ASUS ROG Strix Z590-E (~$250).

- B460/B560: Budget boards with limited features (e.g., no RAM overclocking on B460). A popular option is the MSI B560M PRO-VDH (~$120).

- H410/H510: For office PCs. Minimum ports, but low price (Gigabyte H510M-H — ~$80).

Note: By 2025, new LGA 1200 motherboards are no longer being manufactured, but they can still be found as leftover stock.

Supported Memory: DDR4-2933

The processor works only with DDR4 (up to 2933 MHz). DDR5 and LPDDR5 are not supported. For optimal performance, low-latency modules (CL16) are recommended, such as Crucial Ballistix 32GB (2×16GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 (~$90).

Limitation: The memory bandwidth is lower than that of DDR5, impacting tasks sensitive to RAM speed (rendering, modeling).

Recommendations for Power Supplies

The processor itself consumes up to 35W, but when using a discrete graphics card (e.g., NVIDIA RTX 4060), a power supply with some headroom is needed:

- Integrated Graphics: 300–400W is sufficient (Be Quiet! Pure Power 11 400W — ~$60).

- Mid-range Graphics Card (RTX 4060): 500–600W (Corsair CX650M — ~$80).

- High-end Build (RTX 4080): 750W or more (Seasonic Focus GX-750 — ~$130).

Tip: Even for the i9-10900T, choose a power supply with an 80+ Bronze certification or higher.

Pros and Cons of Intel Core i9-10900T

Pros:

- Low power consumption—ideal for NAS and media centers.

- 10 cores/20 threads—effective for rendering and virtualization.

- Affordable price (~$300–$350 for new units).

Cons:

- Outdated 14nm technology—high temperatures under load.

- No PCIe 4.0—limits speed for SSDs and graphics cards.

- Weak single-core performance—loses to the Ryzen 5 7600.

Use Cases: Where the i9-10900T is Still Relevant

1. Home Server/NAS: Low TDP and ECC memory support (with a compatible motherboard) make it ideal for data storage.

2. Workstation: Video editing in DaVinci Resolve, 3D modeling in Blender.

3. Media Center: 4K streaming through Plex, HTPC build in a Mini-ITX case.

4. Office PC: Multitasking for browsing and Excel work.

But Not for Gaming: Integrated graphics will struggle with modern titles, and when paired with a discrete card, the processor may become a "bottleneck" in 144Hz gaming.

Comparison with Competitors

- AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (12 cores/24 threads, ~$330): Better for multi-threaded tasks (+15% in Cinebench R23), but with a higher TDP (65W).

- Intel Core i5-13400 (10 cores/16 threads, ~$250): Newer, better IPC, but more expensive motherboards (LGA 1700).

- Apple M2 Pro (12 cores, ~$1200): More energy efficient but locked into the macOS ecosystem.

Conclusion: The i9-10900T is advantageous only in the niche of budget-friendly multi-threaded systems.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. Cooling: Even with a TDP of 35W, consider using a tower cooler (Noctua NH-U12S — ~$70) for reduced noise.

2. Motherboard: For stability in multi-threaded tasks, choose models with reinforced VRMs (e.g., MSI Z590-A PRO).

3. Storage: Install an NVMe SSD (Samsung 980 Pro 1TB — ~$120) to compensate for the lack of PCIe 4.0.

4. Case: The Fractal Design Node 304 (~$90) is suitable for mini PCs.

Final Conclusion: Who is the i9-10900T for in 2025?

This processor is worth considering if:

- You need an energy-efficient system for a server or media center.

- You require many cores for rendering but have a limited budget.

- You are upgrading an old LGA 1200 PC.

Why You Shouldn't Take It: For gaming, AI tasks, or working with PCIe 4.0/5.0 components, the i9-10900T is already morally outdated. However, its price and specific advantages maintain its niche demand.

Note: All prices are current as of April 2025 and are for new devices.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

April 2020

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i9-10900T

Code Name

Comet Lake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

1.90 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

4.60 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

4.50 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Frequency

Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 identifies the best performing core(s) on a processor and provides increased performance on those cores through increasing frequency as needed by taking advantage of power and thermal headroom. Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 frequency is the clock frequency of the CPU when running in this mode.

4.60 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0

Yes

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCLGA1200

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

14 nm

TDP

35 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100°C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

3.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

Up to 1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8+2x4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR4-2933

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

128 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

8 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

45.8 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® UHD Graphics 630

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

350 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.20 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

64 GB

4K Support

Yes | at 60Hz

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096 x 2160@30Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096 x 2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

4096 x 2304@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

20 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel Clear Video Technology

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel InTru 3D Technology

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.5

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

1408

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

6447

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

1183

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

8082

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2752

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

16914

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i5-1130G7

1510 +7.2%

Xeon W-3225

1453 +3.2%

Core i9-10900T

1408

Xeon Gold 6238R

1366 -3%

Xeon W-2191B

1324 -6%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX

7322 +13.6%

Core i3-13100TE

6909 +7.2%

Core i9-10900T

6447

Core i5-1335U

6115 -5.1%

Ryzen 5 3500X

5711 -11.4%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i5-1135G7

1261 +6.6%

Xeon W-1250P

1215 +2.7%

Core i9-10900T

1183

Core i5-4690K

1154 -2.5%

Xeon Platinum 8358

1121 -5.2%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Xeon E5-4667 v3

9163 +13.4%

Core i7-7820X

8504 +5.2%

Core i9-10900T

8082

Ryzen 5 PRO 7640HS

7709 -4.6%

Core i7-9700K

7326 -9.4%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i5-11600T

2887 +4.9%

Ryzen 7 3800XT

2809 +2.1%

Core i9-10900T

2752

Ryzen 7 4700GE

2707 -1.6%

Core i7-1160G7

2679 -2.7%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Xeon W-1270P

18553 +9.7%

Xeon E5-2680

17951 +6.1%

Core i9-10900T

16914

Xeon E5-2689

16319 -3.5%

Xeon Gold 5215

15624 -7.6%