Intel Core i7-2600K vs Intel Core i5-9600K

Intel Core i7-2600K

The Intel Core i7-2600K is a high-end quad-core desktop processor of the Sandy Bridge generation. It was announced at the beginning of 2011 and was the fastest CPU of this series at that time. However it does not offer all Sandy Bridge features, as vPro, VT-d and Trusted-Execution features are deactivated.

The four processor cores are able to handle 8 threads in parallel (due to Hyperthreading) and offer a base clock rate of 3.4 GHz. Under load, the cores can be overclocked automatically to up to 3.8 GHz with sufficient cooling:

• 3.8 GHz - 1 core load
• 3.7 GHz - 2 cores load
• 3.6 GHz - 3 cores load
• 3.5 GHz - 4 cores load

As a member of the "K-familiy" the i7-2600K is easily overclockable due to the open multiplicator.

The Die also includes an graphics card called Intel HD Graphics 3000 that clocks with 850 to 1350 MHz (also due to Turbo Boost). Furthermore, an integrated dual channel memory controller is able to handle up to 32 GB of DDR3-1333.

Intel Core i5-9600K

The Intel Core i5-9600K is a high end desktop processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. It offers an open multiplicator for easy overclocking and integrates 6 cores (no Hyperthreading therefore also 6 threads) clocked at 3.7 - 4.6 GHz and it needs a new Z390 based mainboard. It is manufactured in the second iteration of the improved 14nm process (14nm++).

Compared to the older Core i5-8600K, the 9600K offers about 10 to 15% higher performance. As the CPU still offers 6 cores and threads, the improvements are mostly due to the higher clock speeds. As a fast mid range desktop CPU, the i5-9600K 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 1.15 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 150 Watt and higher.