The Intel Core i9-10850K is one of the best valued high-end CPUs from Intel in the past few years. Essentially, the 10850K is a worse binned 10900K, meaning that it may be a hundred or two megahertz slower than the 10900K and may not overclock as well as a standard 10900K. Otherwise, the 10850K is nearly identical to the 10900K. The 10850K is a very strong gaming and workstation CPU. With a sub-$400 price-tag, the 10850K has a similar pricing to the Ryzen 7 5800X. Gamers who want the faster overall gaming performance should go with the Ryzen 7 5800X, while users who want the best overclocking and a slightly better workstation/multi-core performance may want to stick with the 10850K. Note that Intel will be switching to a new chipset with their 12th generation Alder Lake processors, so the upgrade path is limited to Intel's 11th generation Rocket Lake processors, which is mostly not worth the upgrade. Also, as of Q1 of 2020, the 10900K remains $75-100 more expensive than the 10850K. There is just not enough performance gain for most users to justify the extra cost, so most users would be better off with a 10850K. At the end of the day, the 10850K is still a very solid choice for anyone who wants a high-performing intel processor that will last for a good few years before really needing a upgrade.  ^{[May '21 NorthStar]}

MORE DETAILS