The i9 and i7 chips also have a new feature Intel calls “Thermal Velocity Boost,” which helps Intel reach those 5.0GHz-plus speeds by automatically boosting clock frequency by up to 200MHz when the processor’s temperature measures 149 degrees Fahrenheit / 65 degrees Celsius or lower (assuming there’s power available). It’s a big leap forward, one that Intel promises should offer up to 44 percent better overall performance compared to a three-year-old laptop with a Core i7-7820HK. But Intel will be offering multiple chips that can reach maximum boost speeds of 5.0GHz or more between its i9 and i7 lineup (the two i5 chips max out at a paltry 4.6GHz and 4.5GHz). The star of the show is the new Core i9 model, the Core i9-10980K, with eight cores, 16 threads, and a base clock speed of 2.3GHz that can boost all the way up to 5.3GHz. The new chips have a TDP of 45W, with clock speeds that can boost past 5.0GHz, a first for Intel’s processors. They’re Intel’s beefiest, most powerful, and most demanding chips, designed to go in high-end gaming laptops and creative machines for users who need the most power. Intel is announcing the next wave of its Core processors, and it’s finally bringing out the big guns, with its first 10th Gen Comet Lake H-series processors for laptops.