According to Intel, “the i9-10850K is based on immediate feedback we’ve received from customers, including to further expand options and different price points.” Critics, however, have said that it’s possible that Intel is having trouble with chips that can’t quite reach the 10900K’s clock speeds, and is thus selling them in this slower, cheaper model. 

The company has had troubles elsewhere too. Recently, it announced that its plans for 7nm chips have fallen behind by another six months, and there’s even a possibility that production could be delayed until 2022 due to a “defect mode” in the process. Until then, it will have to rely on 10nm processes for now, which has its own issues with delays and production.