Intel’s 14nm+++ desktop CPUs are making a comeback — chipmaker inexplicably resurrects Comet Lake from five years ago with ‘new’ Core i5-110

It appears that Intel is experiencing a sense of nostalgia, as the chipmaker (via momomo_us) has introduced the Core i5-110 processor, based on Comet Lake. Comet Lake is a stroll down memory lane for many of us, as these 14nm+++ chips were introduced around half a decade ago.

While the Core i5-110 is clearly a Comet Lake part, Intel markets the new chip under the Core Series 1 moniker. The Core Series 1 mainly comprises mobile and embedded Raptor Lake chips. However, Intel has used the series to mask some of its rebadged processors, such as the Core 5 120, which the chipmaker also silently launched. Therefore, the Core i5-110 is the second desktop chip (that we know of) that Intel has added to the Core Series 1 family.

The Core i5-110, launched in the third quarter of this year, features a six-core, 12-thread configuration with a maximum of 12MB of L3 cache. It features a base clock speed of 2.9 GHz, with a turbo boost clock speed that reaches up to 4.3 GHz. Comet Lake is built on the Skylake microarchitecture, and these processors are produced using Intel’s 14nm+++ process technology.

Intel Core i5-110 Specifications

The Core i5-110 is a rebadge of the previous Core i5-10400, launched in 2020. The specifications are identical for the two 14nm+++ chips in every way. Both are 65W processors with an Intel UHD Graphics 630 engine that operates between 350 MHz and 1.1 GHz, supporting up to 128GB of DDR4-2666 memory.

The Core i5-110 is a desktop processor, meaning it is compatible with an LGA1200 socket and either an Intel 400-series or 500-series motherboard. However, Intel has introduced two new sockets since LGA1200, so it’s a mystery just how many consumers still have a LGA1200 motherboard that can accommodate the Core i5-110.

Despite the Core i5-110 being a blatant rebrand, Intel is still charging the same price for the chip as it was when it launched five years ago. The RCP (Recommended Customer Price) for the Core i5-110 is $200, which falls within the same range as the Core i5-10400’s $200 to $210. It’s an insane price considering that 14nm+++ chips should be dirt cheap to produce by now.

At $200, the Core i5-110 is supposed to be a value processor, but it’s hard to see the value in it.