Intel quietly launches Core i7-10870H CPUs to counter the i7-10875H supply issues, also adds i5-10200H entry-level option

The new 8-core i7-10870H and the 4-core i5-10200H Comet Lake CPUs were launched without fanfare and their specs suddenly popped up in the Intel Ark database. According to a Reddit post published by German laptop OEM Schenker/XMG, the i7-10870H was introduced due to upcoming supply problems with the Core i7-10875H, which is the fastest i7 Comet Lake processor on the market and a very popular CPU option for most custom-made high-end gaming laptops. These supply issues seem to be similar to the shortages happening with the Core i9-10900K desktop CPUs that are now replaced with the Core i9-10850K models.

Taking a quick look on Intel’s Ark site, we can see that the Core i7-10870H only has a 100 MHz slower base clock compared to the i7-10875H model and the rest of the specs seem the same, so the performance impact should be minimal. Moreover, the Core i5-10200H is the new entry-level model that comes with a 100 MHz lower base clock and 400 MHz lower boost clock compared to the i5-10300H. Apparently, Intel needed a more affordable entry-level CPU to compete with the low-end AMD Renoirs.

Schenker/XMG also mentions that its Neo 15 / 17 gaming laptop models should not be affected by the supply problems, as the company managed to secure enough Core i7-10875H CPUs to equip custom-made systems for the next 2-3 months. A new announcement will probably be made thereafter.