Intel Core i9-9900K

The Intel Core i9-9900K is a high end desktop processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. At the time of announcement in late 2018, the 9900K is the fastest Coffee Lake CPU and offers an open multiplicator for easy overclocking. The CPU integrates 8 cores (16 threads) clocked at 3.6 - 5 GHz and it needs a new Z390 based mainboard.

Thanks to the two additional cores, the performance in multi-threaded applications is up to 25 % faster than the older Core i7-8700K. The single thread performance is only slightly faster due to the higher clock speeds. As a high end desktop CPU, the i9-9900K is suited even for very demanding applications and perfect for 3D gaming.

The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 graphics card is clocked at up to 1.2 GHz and offers no advantage compared to previous generations. As it is a very low end GPU, only some low demanding games like Hearthstone can be played with it (see GPU page for benchmarks).

Intel specifies the TDP at 95 Watt, so if the CPU is used in laptops a big and chunky cooling system is needed to avoid throttling and lower clock speeds under sustained loads. When overclocking the CPU, the power consumption can easily rise up to 200 Watt and higher.

Series	Intel Coffee Lake
Codename	Coffee Lake-R
Series: Coffee Lake Coffee Lake-R Intel Core i9-9900KS 4 - 5 GHz 8 / 16  16 MB L3 Intel Core i9-9900K « 3.6 - 5 GHz 8 / 16  16 MB L3 Intel Core i7-9700K 3.6 - 4.9 GHz 8 / 8  12 MB L3 Intel Core i7-9700 3 - 4.7 GHz 8 / 8  12 MB L3 Intel Core i5-9600K 3.7 - 4.6 GHz 6 / 6  9 MB L3 Intel Core i9-9900T 2.1 - 4.4 GHz 8 / 16  16 MB L3 Intel Core i5-9400F 2.9 - 4.1 GHz 6 / 6  9 MB L3 Intel Core i3-9100F 3.6 - 4.2 GHz 4 / 4  6 MB L3
Clock Rate	3600 - 5000 MHz
Level 1 Cache	512 KB
Level 2 Cache	2 MB
Level 3 Cache	16 MB
Number of Cores / Threads	8 / 16
Power Consumption (TDP = Thermal Design Power)	95 Watt
Manufacturing Technology	14++ nm
Die Size	178 mm2
Max. Temperature	100 °C
Socket	FCLGA1151
Features	Dual-Channel DDR4-2666 Memory Controller, HyperThreading, AVX, AVX2, AES-NI, TSX-NI, Quick Sync, Virtualization, vPro
GPU	Intel UHD Graphics 630 (350 - 1200 MHz)
64 Bit	64 Bit support
Architecture	x86
Starting Price	$488 U.S.
Announcement Date	10/08/2018
Product Link (external)	www.intel.de

Benchmarks