Final Thoughts
So Intel’s newest flagship mainstream processor is here and as you saw from the past few pages it tops the results in almost all of the tests that we ran. So let’s talk about what Intel has done with the 9th generation Core processors and specifically the Core i9-9900K.
The Core i9-9900K is Intel’s first 8-core, 16-thread mainstream processor. So compared to the i7-8700K you are getting two more cores. Can you believe that only two generations ago we were still on quad-core mainstream chips? What AMD did with Ryzen and its core counts definitely helped out a little bit in Intel’s decision to increase CPU cores. The is also Intel’s first 5.0 GHz processor, so with the increased speeds and increased core counts you are going to get some impressive performance, which we saw in our tests. The Core i9-9900K is the best performing mainstream processor we’ve tested not only in multi-core, but in single-core tests as well.
Another thing Intel has added with their 9th generation Core series processors is solder thermal interface material (STIM). This allowed for better temperatures overall and allowed us to reach an overclock of 5.1 GHz across all eight cores. This is definitely a processor you can overclock quite well, especially if you have a good cooling solution. High-end air coolers like the Noctua D15 and AIO’s like the Kraken X52 should allow for at least 5.0 GHz across all eight cores.
Of course the Core i9-9900K is made to directly compete with AMD’s Ryzen 7 2700X, so how much faster is the Core i9-9900K?
Looking at the results from 5 of our tests the Core i9-9900K is anywhere from 15-22% faster, being an average of 17.42% faster. Right now the Ryzen 7 2700X is selling for $304.99 and as we mentioned the Core i9-9900K is $529.99. So you are looking at a $225 difference or a 53.89% difference. If you are building a new system $225 can go a long way into a better graphics card, more memory, an NVMe drive, etc so that is definitely something to think about.
Would we recommend the Core i9-9900K? Of course we would! It is the best performing mainstream processor currently available and the best gaming processor too. Its price compared to the competition is definitely something you need to consider though.
Pros:
– 8-core, 16-threads
– Best performing mainstream processor we’ve reviewed
– Great gaming performance
– Solder thermal interface material (STIM)
– Can easily reach 5.0 GHz or above when overclocking
Cons:
– Price compared to competition
