Intel Core i9 9900K processor review

There's no denying it, the Core i9 9900K is a little gem. It ticks all the right boxes in performance both on the threaded application and gaming end. It has hyper-threading with sixteen threads and then the very high turbo bins to go along with that.

Intel Core i9-9900K

Today, Intel released their new flagship processor for the LGA 1151 platform. The Core i9-9900K finally comes with eight core and 16 threads, reaching parity with AMD's Ryzen offerings. Maximum Boost Clock has been increased as well, now to a staggering 5 GHz.

8 cores and 16 threads; 5 GHz boost; Trades blows with more expensive Core i9-7900X; Unlocked multiplier; Soldered IHS; Works on existing LGA1151 platform; even with Z370 motherboards; Integrated graphics; Supports up to 128 GB memory

High price; Held back by power limits; Only small gaming performance improvements; No heatsink included; Weak integrated graphics

Intel Core i9-9900K Processor Review

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

– 8core; 16threads; – 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

– Price compared to competition

Since the inception of the Core Series of processors, the i7 was the flagship of Intel's line of desktop processors. Since the first generation, the top tier i7 was always a quad core chip with hyper-threading.