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Intel Core i9-9900KS with 5 GHz All-Core-Boost Review

5 GHz at any cost! AMD has put a lot of pressure on Intel in the desktop segment. In order to avoid abandoning the market to the competitor completely, the Intel Core i9-9900K has now been updated as the 9900KS. Intel advertises a stable 5 GHz on all cores in Turbo under load. We evaluate in detail whether this is also true in practical operation, since AMD had some problems with its Ryzen 3000 series to achieve the specified clock speeds in some cases.

Intel Core i9-9900KS With 4 GHz Base Clock Speed

CPU-Z
CPU-Z

With the introduction of the 9th generation of Intel Core desktop processors, the manufacturer addresses mainly gamers. This does not change with the release of the Intel Core i9-9900KS. The Core i9-9900KS is based on the Core i9-9900K, also offering 8 cores with 16 threads. With this, Intel will be unable to go against the new Ryzen 9 processors, since those offer significantly higher multithread performance with 12 or 16 cores, respectively. This makes the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and AMD Ryzen 7 2700X the real competitors. 

Intel has continued to release the Core i9-9900KS as an octa-core CPU. The significant performance advantage compared to the Intel Core i7-8700K could already be seen last year due to the two additional computing cores. Now Intel has raised the Turbo to 5 GHz for all the cores in the Core i9-9900KS, resulting in an additional performance increase. However, this turns out very small in the comparison with the Intel Core i9-9900K.

The Core i9-9900KS is manufactured in the 14 nm++ process and uses a soldered-on heat spreader that is supposed to dissipate the heat fast and reliably. According to Intel, the Core i9-9900KS is specified with a TDP of 127 watts, which is a significant increase compared to the Core i9-9900K (95 watts). However, there was already a lively discussion last year that this was only a theoretical value. The Core i9-9900KS will also need significantly more power under load when the TDP limitations are lifted in the UEFI. We can already tell you that much here.

On the other hand, this also means that sufficient cooling must be used. Our recommendation to cool the processor reliably is an AiO 280.

Overview of the 8th and 9th Generation

Model Cores - Threads Base Clock Speed Turbo 1/2/4/6/8 Cores L3 Cache Graphics TDP Launch Price
Intel Core i9-9900KS 8-16 4.0 GHz 5.0/5.0/5.0/5.0/5.0 GHz 16 MB UHD 630 127 Watt 513 USD
Intel Core i9-9900K 8-16 3.6 GHz 5.0/5.0/4.8/4.7/4.7 GHz 16 MB UHD 630 95 Watt 488 USD
Intel Core i7-9700K 8-8 3.6 GHz 4.9/4.8/4.7/4.6/4.6 GHz 12 MB UHD 630 95 Watt 374 USD
Intel Core i5-9600K 6-6 3.7 GHz 4.6/4.5/4.4/4.3/- GHz 9 MB UHD 630 95 Watt 262 USD
Intel Core i7-8700K 6-12 3.7 GHz 4.7/4.6/4.4/4.3/- GHz 12 MB UHD 630 95 Watt 359 USD
Intel Core i5-8600K 6-6 3.6 GHz 4.3/4.2/4.2/4.1/- GHz 9 MB UHD 630 95 Watt 257 USD

Price and Availability

The limitations in the availability of the Core i9-9900KS processors are not quite as dramatic as last year. However, the inventory is still very low in parts, and often long wait times are also specified. Those who want to buy an Intel Core i9-9900KS have to part with 599 Euros (~$666; starting from $524 in the US) at least, and the prices are often higher than 600 Euros (~$667). 

Intel Core i9-9900KS
Intel Core i9-9900KS
Intel Core i9-9900KS
Intel Core i9-9900KS
Intel Core i9-9900KS
Intel Core i9-9900KS
Intel Core i9-9900KS
Intel Core i9-9900KS

The Test System

As our test platform, we are using a Gigabyte Z390 M with 16 GB of DDR4-RAM from Corsair. This has a clock speed of 3000 MHz and was loaded as XMP profile in the BIOS. In addition, we deactivated the TDP restrictions of the processor in the BIOS. For cooling, the Alphacool Eisbaer 280 is used. We received this from Alphacool for testing. The case is a Raijintek Paean Benchtable, which comes from Caseking.

The following hardware was provided by Intel, Alphacool, and Caseking for the benchmarks and testing below:

  • Intel Core i9-9900KS
  • Gigabyte Z390 M (BIOS F5, default settings, XMP profile DDR4-3000)
  • Corsair Vengeance DDR4-3000 storage kit 2x 8GB
  • Alphacool Eisbaer 280 (AIO)
  • Case: Raijintek PAEAN Benchtable

Additional hardware used for our test system:

  • Nvidia Titan RTX
  • LC Power 1200-watt power supply
  • Intel Optane SSD (480 GB)

Processor Benchmarks - Intel with the faster eight cores

The Intel Core i9-9900KS wins by a small margin in the direct comparison with the Intel Core i9-9900K, but the performance increase is only 2 to 6%. The single-core as well as the multi-core performance were increased, even though last year's model already achieved 5.0 GHz during boost. Our test unit also wins the comparison with the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X by a small margin. However, the comparison with the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, which lags far behind at the lower places, shows that AMD already made some significant improvements. This also shows that Intel cannot rest on its accomplishments, since there are already rumors about the next Ryzen generation. If that will again be able to achieve a similar performance jump similar to Zen+ to Zen 2, things will start to become very tight for Intel.

If we look closer at the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X in the same price segment, it offers significantly more performance than the Intel Core i9-9900KS. In addition, there is also the support of PCIe 4.0, but this does not offer a real advantage at this point yet. 

CPU-Z
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CPU-Z
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CPU-Z
CPU-Z
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
514 Points 0%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
514 Points
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
506 Points -2%
CPU (Multi Core)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
6910 Points +34%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
5176 Points
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4782 Points -8%
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
217 Points
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
213 Points -2%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
209 Points -4%
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
204 Points -6%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
199 Points -8%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
176 Points -19%
CPU Multi 64Bit
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
3049 Points +42%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
2154 Points
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2092 Points -3%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2040 Points -5%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1801 Points -16%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
1405 (1375.04min - 1405.28max) Points -35%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
33.44 Points +39%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
23.98 Points
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
23.19 Points -3%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
21.63 Points -10%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
18.68 Points -22%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
15.64 Points -35%
CPU Single 64Bit
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
2.46 Points
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2.44 Points -1%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2.36 Points -4%
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2.3 Points -7%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
2.27 Points -8%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.95 Points -21%
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
264 Seconds * -29%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
219.2 Seconds * -7%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
205.1 Seconds *
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
181.4 Seconds * +12%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
162.3 Seconds * +21%
wPrime 2.10
32m
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5.203 s * -31%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
4 s * -1%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
3.969 s *
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
3.707 s * +7%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
3.484 s * +12%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2.564 s * +35%
1024m
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
118.6 s * -45%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
96.6 s * -18%
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
86.7 s * -6%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
85.6 s * -4%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
82 s *
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
57.5 s * +30%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
20.9 fps +22%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
17.2 fps
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
16.3 fps -5%
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
15.4 fps -10%
X264 HD Benchmark 4.0
Pass 1
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
281.5 (281min - 284max) fps
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
270 (265min - 272max) fps -4%
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
269.5 (268min - 270max) fps -4%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
267.5 (266min - 268max) fps -5%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
232 (229min - 233max) fps -18%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
226.7 fps -19%
Pass 2
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
147 (147min - 148max) fps +14%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
129 (129min - 129max) fps
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
120.5 (116min - 121max) fps -7%
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
115 (115min - 115max) fps -11%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
104.5 fps -19%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
87.4 fps -32%
WinRAR - Result
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
8550 KB/s
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8518 KB/s 0%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7529 KB/s -12%
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7503 KB/s -12%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
7120 KB/s -17%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4779 KB/s -44%
TrueCrypt
AES Mean 100MB
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
12.2 GB/s
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
11.5 GB/s -6%
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
11.4 GB/s -7%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
10.9 GB/s -11%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
10.6 GB/s -13%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
8 GB/s -34%
Twofish Mean 100MB
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2.9 GB/s +38%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
2.1 GB/s
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2 GB/s -5%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.9 GB/s -10%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.6 GB/s -24%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
1.4 GB/s -33%
Serpent Mean 100MB
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.7 GB/s +42%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.2 GB/s 0%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
1.2 GB/s
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.1 GB/s -8%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1 GB/s -17%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
0.793 GB/s -34%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
6339 Points 0%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
6308 Points
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
5937 Points -6%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5880 Points -7%
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5799 Points -8%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4999 Points -21%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3800 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
43978 Points +24%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
4000 MHz, NVIDIA Titan RTX
35586 Points
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
34757 Points -2%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
34233 Points -4%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
25919 Points -27%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
25223 Points -29%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 Multi Loop

Intel Core i9-9900KS during the test
Intel Core i9-9900KS during the test

We evaluate the performance of the processor during constant load with the Cinebench-R15 multi loop. During stock operation, there are no difficulties in the beginning. However, after about 20 runs, the processor reaches critical temperatures, so that the clock frequency has to be throttled. With an average of 1952 points, the Core i9-9900KS is only barely able to save itself from the Core i9-9900K, which runs more stable. With 2075 points, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is clearly better. 

01102203304405506607708809901100121013201430154016501760187019802090Tooltip
Intel Core i9-9900KS, Nvidia Titan RTX Intel Core i9-9900KS, Intel Core i9-9900KS: Ø1952 (1736.19-2159.71)
Intel Core i9-9900K, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i9-9900K, Intel Core i9-9900K: Ø1944 (1919.48-1969.76)
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, AMD Ryzen 7 3700X: Ø2075 (2056.77-2091.61)

Gaming Performance - Continuing to be the measure of all things

After we have now retired the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 and replaced it with the Nvidia Titan RTX, the results are on a very high level as expected. However, our gaming tests revealed that the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is unable to keep up with the Intel Core i9-9900KS. While with lower resolutions, our test unit is able to move ahead by up to 16% (Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019), with increasing resolutions and quality levels, the results are closer, so that the two processors have almost the same speed in this example. 

Since most games are unable to optimally make use of the many cores of the AMD processors, the 12-core Ryzen 9 3900X is unable to move ahead here. Currently 8 cores are still the optimum if you want to create a gaming system. In addition, Intel also scores here with the high IPC, which still makes the difference in games. However, with the Ryzen on the Zen2 base, AMD has caught up considerably and is not necessarily a worse alternative.

3DMark
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
14686 Points +1%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
14604 Points
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
7221 Points -51%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900KS
7218 Points -51%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
7183 Points -51%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
7089 Points -51%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
7078 Points -52%
2560x1440 Time Spy CPU
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
11880 Points +4%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
11700 Points +3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900KS
11683 Points +3%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
11375 Points
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
11298 Points -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
9909 Points -13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
8954 Points -21%
3840x2160 Fire Strike Ultra Graphics
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
8726 Points 0%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
8720 Points
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
5441 Points -38%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
5440 Points -38%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900KS
5404 Points -38%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
5378 Points -38%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
5356 Points -39%
3840x2160 Fire Strike Ultra Physics
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
28865 Points +9%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
27656 Points +5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900KS
26612 Points +1%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
26419 Points
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
24477 Points -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
24279 Points -8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
21110 Points -20%
Fire Strike Extreme Graphics
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
17314 Points
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
17288 Points 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
10767 Points -38%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
10758 Points -38%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900KS
10634 Points -39%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
10564 Points -39%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
10501 Points -39%
Fire Strike Extreme Physics
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
28803 Points +10%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
28520 Points +9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900KS
26629 Points +1%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
26249 Points
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
24291 Points -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
24174 Points -8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
21064 Points -20%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Physics
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
28747 Points +10%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
28453 Points +9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900KS
26191 Points +1%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
26016 Points
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
24559 Points -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
23423 Points -10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
21099 Points -19%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i7-8700K
19358 Points -26%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
36036 Points
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
34757 Points -4%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i7-8700K
26515 Points -26%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
23117 Points -36%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
22724 Points -37%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900KS
22652 Points -37%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
22350 Points -38%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
22338 Points -38%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
49961 Points
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
44917 Points -10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900KS
31989 Points -36%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
31877 Points -36%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
31252 Points -37%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
29285 Points -41%
1280x720 Performance Physics
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900KS
18694 Points +1%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
18585 Points 0%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
18531 Points
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
18270 Points -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
18222 Points -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
15025 Points -19%
The Witcher 3
1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
426 (398min - 477max) fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-9900K
415 (370min - 463max) fps -3%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
388 (341min - 450max) fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
321 (297min - 343max) fps -25%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
300 (268min - 333max) fps -30%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
138 (125min - 151max) fps +6%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-9900K
131 (110min - 147max) fps +1%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
130 (111min - 140max) fps
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
128 (111min - 142max) fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
76 (67min - 84max) fps -42%
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark
1280x720 Lite Quality
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
219 (138min - 247max) fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-9900K
210 (120min - 247max) fps -4%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
179 fps -18%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
155 (81min - 192max) fps -29%
1920x1080 High Quality
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
127 (70min - 206max) fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-9900K
124 (67min - 197max) fps -2%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
120 fps -6%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
112 (65min - 172max) fps -12%
Far Cry 5
1280x720 Low Preset AA:T
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
184 (145min - 244max) fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-9900K
166 (89min - 225max) fps -10%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
154 (120min - 201max) fps -16%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
137 (111min - 176max) fps -26%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
129 (102min - 173max) fps -30%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-9900K
131 (98min - 174max) fps 0%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
131 (97min - 172max) fps
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
120 (94min - 159max) fps -8%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
103 (77min - 137max) fps -21%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
103 (85min - 118max) fps -21%
Forza Horizon 4
1280x720 Very Low Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
238 fps +3%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
232 fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-9900K
223 fps -4%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
190 fps -18%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
173 fps -25%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:2xMS
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
185 fps
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
158 fps -15%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-9900K
153 fps -17%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
132 fps -29%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
125 fps -32%
Far Cry New Dawn
1280x720 Low Preset
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
147 (112min - 209max) fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-9900K
142 (105min - 205max) fps -3%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
135 (103min - 194max) fps -8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
123 (95min - 176max) fps -16%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
116 (82min - 183max) fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-9900K
108 (77min - 169max) fps -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
94 (69min - 143max) fps -19%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
92 (64min - 140max) fps -21%
Need for Speed Heat
1280x720 Low Preset
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
133 (113min - 153max) fps
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
114 (100min - 139max) fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
108 (90min - 134max) fps -19%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
107 (88min - 124max) fps
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
93 (79min - 106max) fps -13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
84 (75min - 95max) fps -21%
Anno 1800
1280x720 Low Graphics Quality (DX11)
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
131 (121min - 146max) fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-9900K
123 (112min - 138max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
111 (104min - 126max) fps -15%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics Quality (DX11)
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
54.5 (45min - 72max) fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-9900K
51.7 (44min - 66max) fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
42.5 (38min - 47max) fps -22%
Control
1280x720 Low Quality Preset (DX11)
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
240 (235min - 242max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
231 (181min - 242max) fps -4%
1920x1080 High Quality Preset (DX11)
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
135 (117min - 153max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
67 (57min - 77max) fps -50%
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order
1920x1080 Medium Preset
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
127 (86min - 145max) fps
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
126 (75min - 145max) fps -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
116 (71min - 145max) fps -9%
1920x1080 Epic Preset
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
123 (78min - 145max) fps
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
122 (75min - 145max) fps -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
89 (64min - 105max) fps -28%
Borderlands 3
1280x720 Very Low Overall Quality (DX11)
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
164 fps
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
159 fps -3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
140.3 fps -14%
1920x1080 Badass Overall Quality (DX11)
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
112 fps
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
109 fps -3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
58.1 fps -48%
Ghost Recon Breakpoint
1280x720 Low Preset
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
170 (59min - 255max) fps
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
160 (8min - 268max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
70 (11min - 145max) fps -59%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
104 (48min - 156max) fps
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
99 (31min - 148max) fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
54 (7min - 96max) fps -48%
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019
1280x720 Minimum Settings
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
241 (172.4P1) fps
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
207 (172.4P1) fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
192 (129.9P1) fps -20%
1920x1080 Maximum Settings AA:T2X Filmic SM
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
170 (125P1) fps
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
169 (119P1) fps -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
106 (78.1P1) fps -38%
Metro Exodus
1280x720 Low Quality AF:4x
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
180.9 (102min - 280max) fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-9900K
174.9 (280min - 94max) fps -3%
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
159 (93.09min - 238.27max) fps -12%
1920x1080 Ultra Quality AF:16x
NVIDIA Titan RTX
Intel Core i9-9900KS
101.8 (54min - 161max) fps
NVIDIA Titan RTX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
98.8 (49.5min - 151.52max) fps -3%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-9900K
98.6 (165min - 52max) fps -3%

The Intel Core i9-9900KS together with the Nvidia Titan RTX

low med. high ultraQHD4K
The Witcher 3 (2015) 426 362 249 130 98
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 183 167.8 163 154.5 153.1
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 219 172 127 59.9
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 148 133 109 94
Far Cry 5 (2018) 184 148 140 131 120 78
Forza Horizon 4 (2018) 232 204 204 185 160 110
Far Cry New Dawn (2019) 147 135 129 116 103 79
Metro Exodus (2019) 180.9 150.2 120.8 101.8 81.5 52.5
Anno 1800 (2019) 131 125 96 54.5 50.9 40.4
Control (2019) 240 176 135 89 45.2
Borderlands 3 (2019) 164 148 132 112 84 46
Ghost Recon Breakpoint (2019) 170 146 135 104 80 49
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019 (2019) 241 220 189 170 129 78
Need for Speed Heat (2019) 133 128 118 107 105 68
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order (2019) 127 127 123 118 73

Application Performance

In PCMark 10, the Intel Core i9-9900KS is able to clearly move ahead. In addition, Intel is now able to place ahead of AMD again, thus showing that it is not only a pure gaming CPU. Our test unit is able to achieve a fat 11% advantage ahead of the Ryzen 9 3900X. The new Intel CPU masters all kinds of applications and even high-resolution videos can be processed without any problems by the new processor.  

In everyday operation, the test system does not show any larger weaknesses. The disadvantage to an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X with 12 cores and 24 threads is not noticeable in everyday operation.

PCMark 10 - Score
Intel Core i9-9900KS
NVIDIA Titan RTX
8112 Points
Intel Core i9-9900KS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7632 Points -6%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
NVIDIA Titan RTX
7309 Points -10%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7298 Points -10%
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7178 Points -12%
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7035 Points -13%
Intel Core i7-8700K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
6150 Points -24%
PCMark 8
Work Score Accelerated v2
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5975 Points +12%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5442 Points +2%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
NVIDIA Titan RTX
5349 Points
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5248 Points -2%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
NVIDIA Titan RTX
5240 Points -2%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5177 Points -3%
Intel Core i7-8700K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
4821 Points -10%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Intel Core i9-9900KS
NVIDIA Titan RTX
10910 Points
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
NVIDIA Titan RTX
10383 Points -5%
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8729 Points -20%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8712 Points -20%
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8604 Points -21%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8494 Points -22%
Intel Core i7-8700K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
8110 Points -26%
Home Score Accelerated v2
Intel Core i9-9900KS
NVIDIA Titan RTX
5820 Points
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5523 Points -5%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
NVIDIA Titan RTX
5345 Points -8%
Intel Core i9-9900KS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5023 Points -14%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4866 Points -16%
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4789 Points -18%
Intel Core i7-8700K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
4648 Points -20%

Emissions - Close to the limit

The Intel Core i9-9900KS during the stress test
The Intel Core i9-9900KS during the stress test

Intel specifies a TDP of 127 watts for the Intel Core i9-9900KS. For the Core i9-9900K it still was 95 watts at that time. However, our first tests quickly showed that this value only exists on paper. The same goes for our test unit, although the system is pleasantly efficient with only 48 watts during idle operation. During the hour-long load test, the power consumption of the processor is 149 watts on average, according to HWiNFO. During some peaks, it was even 185 watts. At almost 260 watts, the whole system uses significantly more power than our comparison systems.

During the Cinebench R15 multi test, the power consumption even increased up to 295 watts, and during gaming we reached an average value of 387 watts. However, we should also mention that the graphics card contributes to a significant part of this. 

During the stress test (Prime 95 v28.10), the temperatures are high but not yet critical. We measure a maximum of 92 °C (198 °F) during the test. Here, even the AiO from Alphacool hits its limits, and it would be better to use an AiO with a 360-mm radiator (~14.2 in). Taking the head off, as was still possible without any problems with the Core i7-8700K, is connected with a significantly higher risk in the i9-9900KS. Intel solders the heat spreader tightly onto the 9-er series.

Power Consumption of Our Test System

During idle operation
During idle operation
During the hour-long stress test
During the hour-long stress test
While gaming (The Witcher 3 - 1080p Ultra Preset)
While gaming (The Witcher 3 - 1080p Ultra Preset)
During the Cinebench R15 multi test
During the Cinebench R15 multi test
During the Cinebench R15 multi loop
During the Cinebench R15 multi loop
 
Power Consumption
1920x1080 The Witcher 3 ultra (external Monitor)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (Idle: 81.56 W)
392.1 (329min - 466max) Watt * -1%
Intel Core i9-9900KS, NVIDIA Titan RTX (Idle: 48.6 W)
387.6 (381min - 461max) Watt *
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (Idle: 79.2 W)
378 (316min - 411max) Watt * +2%
Intel Core i9-9900KS, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (Idle: 49.5 W)
368.1 (310min - 387max) Watt * +5%
Intel Core i9-9900K, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (80 fps)
366.1 Watt * +6%
Cinebench R15 Multi (external Monitor)
Intel Core i9-9900KS, NVIDIA Titan RTX (Idle: 48.6 W)
295.4 (291min - 298max) Watt *
Intel Core i9-9900KS, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (Idle: 49.5 W)
292.7 (287min - 296max) Watt * +1%
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (Idle: 81.56 W)
229.2 (228min - 230max) Watt * +22%
Intel Core i9-9900K, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
203.2 (197min - 205max) Watt * +31%
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (Idle: 79.2 W)
171.6 (171min - 173max) Watt * +42%
Prime95 V2810 Stress (external Monitor)
Intel Core i9-9900KS, NVIDIA Titan RTX (Idle: 48.6 W)
259.6 (231min - 317max) Watt *
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (Idle: 81.56 W)
210.6 (195min - 256max) Watt * +19%
Intel Core i9-9900K, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
202 Watt * +22%
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (Idle: 79.2 W)
170.3 (161min - 187max) Watt * +34%

* ... smaller is better

Overclocking - Not recommended

Intel Core i9-9900KS @ 5.2 GHz
Intel Core i9-9900KS @ 5.2 GHz
Power consumption @ 5.2 GHz during the Cinebench R15 multi test
Power consumption @ 5.2 GHz during the Cinebench R15 multi test

Those for whom the 5 GHz on all eight cores is not sufficient might try to squeeze even slightly more performance from the processor. We dared the attempt and overclocked our test unit. Since it possesses a free multiplier, this is really easy, provided the cooling is sized sufficiently large. However, since the Alphacool Eisbaer AiO 280 already came close to its limits during the test, we were only able to overclock our test unit by an additional 200 MHz. Unfortunately, a stable operation was not possible anymore at 5.3 GHz.

In Cinebench R15, we were able to slightly increase the results some more. However, the power consumption also increased by an additional 50 watts. In conclusion, we do not recommend constant overclocking, since the performance gains are very small compared to the higher power consumption.

Pros

+ 5 GHz on all cores
+ high gaming performance
+ high application performance
+ low power consumption during idle operation

Cons

- high power consumption under load
- very good cooling is required
- too expensive

Verdict - 5 GHz at any cost

In review: Intel Core i9-9900KS. Test unit provided by Intel Germany.
In review: Intel Core i9-9900KS. Test unit provided by Intel Germany.

After AMD raised the bar with the new Ryzen processors, Intel now had to follow suit. Unfortunately, it is no more than a small upgrade of the Intel Core i9-9900K. We continue to wait for a completely new architecture, and the move to 10nm is also getting delayed further and further. While on one hand, Intel was able to increase the performance with the Core i9-9900KS, on the other hand, the power consumption became worse. There continue to be 8 cores and 16 threads, even though with up to 16 cores and 32 threads, AMD has moved ahead of the Core i9-9900KS in multithread performance. However in actuality, games do not benefit from having more than 8 cores, but this could change in the future. 

Overall, the Intel Core i9-9900KS delivers a very good performance. The processor masters games as well as applications without any trouble. For gaming, the processor is still the first choice, if you only consider the performance comparison. However, compared to AMD, Intel has clearly lost some ground this year. In order to avoid getting left behind, there must be a larger performance jump next year, since sooner or later Zen 3 will come next year.

An upgrade to the Intel Core i9-9900KS is only worthwhile if you already have the corresponding support for it.

In the direct comparison, the Intel chip has to go against the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, which also offers 8 cores and 16 threads but currently costs about 150 Euros (~$167) less than the top model from Intel. So we can only say that the price-performance ratio is not right here, and that the Intel Core i9-9900KS costs at least 100 Euros (~$111) too much.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Intel Core i9-9900KS with 5 GHz All-Core-Boost Review
Sebastian Bade, 2019-12-15 (Update: 2019-12-16)