Intel Core i7-10700K Desktop Processor 8 Cores up to 5.1 GHz Unlocked LGA1200 (Intel 400 Series Chipset) 125W (BX8070110700K)

Don’t let the 125w TDP fool ya because this chip runs WAY cooler than previous gens. Tested temps using OCCT stress test for about 3 hours, alongside my Noctua NH-D15 cooler. The highest I’ve seen the temp spike up to was 71c. Note that OCCT is a heavy synthetic test that pushes the CPU to the limit. Regular gaming temps will never reach that high. I’ve had the chip for almost two months now and accumulated quite a bit of gaming hours during that time. The games I played included a mix of intensive AAA titles like CoD Warzone and AC: Odyssey to light eSport ones such as Rocket League and Rainbow Six Siege. Highest temps are always in the 50s to mid 60s range. That is a huge difference compared to my old i5 6600k that spiked to over 80c at times! My brother who bought a 9900k last year was also amazed by how much cooler 10th gen runs and even said that he wished he waited a bit longer before upgrading. Note that both the 9900k and 6600k have lower TDPs than the 10700k yet still run warmer. The reason as to why 10th gen runs cooler is because intel made modifications to the IHS of the cpu and upgraded their Thermal Interface Material. Other then the improvement in the temperature department, I’ve also noticed a big difference in gaming performance. Despite having a 2080 super, my PC used to struggle to reach and stay at a consistent 100+fps at 1080p. CPU intensive games like AC Odyssey often dropped to like 50fps. This is a clear indication that there was bottleneck on the CPU side. With this new 10700k, My PC now has no problems reaching and maintaining that sweet consistent 144+ FPS on light competitive eSport titles and 100+FPS on demanding CPU intensive AAA titles. Also, note that I am running the CPU at stock settings right out the box and have not messed with overclocking yet. Nonetheless, I am very satisfied with this CPU and I highly recommend it.

While a good idea anyway, with many processors now utilizing stock overclocks, you can benefit a performance boost by choosing a better CPU cooler. I went the cheap route, actually, I thought it was middle of the road since the Thermaltake Contac Silent 12 is rated for 150w. I thought I could get away with a $30 cooler since I am not planning on overclocking. That cooler could not even keep up with stock CPU settings. In benchmarks the CPU hit 80-Celsius in seconds and gradually up to 90 where I had it set to throttle. In more practical testing, under basic workloads the temps are more reasonable but the Contac Silent 12 has to ramp up to %100 fan speed frequently to keep that way and it is not quiet at that speed. I know somebody is going to say that's because the default settings on the motherboard are overclocking the CPU beyond Intel's recommended settings. Well, that was one of the first things I checked and that's not the case here. Despite what somebody on YouTube said or didn't say, not all motherboards do that. It is a great processor and complements my workload nicely (no games here). The new cooler is a Reeven Justice, $45 right now. I has the same size 120mm fan however it has six heat pipes instead of four and the tower is about %50 thicker and fins stacked closer together. Temps, while still pretty hot, have come down 8-10 degrees on Cinebench R-20. It still gets up to 80-82 Celsius but instead of hitting 80 right away as it did before, it takes until the render is almost complete and seems to level off there. I feel better about the temps now that It's not riding on the ceiling, especially since all core full load is not a typical workload for me. The fan is much quieter during typical use. I would recommend that cooler for those who are looking for a good compatible cooler.

Yeah I know, Ryzens are cheaper, and out perform the Intel chips in everything... except clocks. As a gamer, I want the highest single core speed possible, 16 threads instead of 32? Whatever, I don't need that many for my uses, lol.I don't upgrade often, and until now I was still running my trusty 4790k, which still can hold it's own pretty well, but now with the 10700k, the 1080 isn't bottlenecked by my CPU any more, and it's VERY noticeable in certain games I normally saw slight issues.Should you upgrade 9th gen, or even 8th gen to 10th gen? Honestly, probably not. But if you're say, a few of more generations behind now, it's a worthy upgrade. Yes it's an upgraded 9900k, but that's still really good for ~$400!(pic included just because I find it hilarious how absurdly big the Noctua D15 cooler is)1 MONTH UPDATE:So yeah it's just shy of a month using it and it's been a beast. I haven't messed with clocks at all since the built in boosts do the job fine, especially paired with the D15 keeping it nice and cool. Haven't gone above 60c in full load yet.8 MONTH UPDATE:Still going strong! Was able to snag a 3080 from MicroCenter in September, so my build is now complete, and the 3080/10700k combo is beasting through anything I put in front of it.PC Build:CPU: i7-10700kCPUC: Noctua NH-D15 ChromaxMOBO: MSI Z490-A PRORAM: 32GB (4x8GB) HyperX Fury DDR4 3200GPU: EVGA RTX 3080 XC3 UltraPSU: Seasonic Focus Plus Gold 750wDRIVES: 250GB Samsung 970 EVO Plus M.2, 1TB Seagate SSHD, 2TB Samsung 860 Evo SSD, 4TB WD Black HDD