Review: Intel Core i9-9900K

Conclusion

There are plenty of points to consider, but let's start by getting the inevitable out of the way: the Intel Core i9-9900K is a very fast CPU.

First-class IPC, eight cores, 16 threads, 5GHz on up to two cores, 4.7GHz on every core, and all delivered in a 95W LGA1151 package with a vast choice of supporting Z390 boards. The essential ingredients for an excellent all-rounder are all there.

Recent releases have suggested that many-core HEDT processors will fulfil the needs of content creators, while mainstream parts continue to better serve the gamer, but the 9th Gen Core i9 blurs those lines. Delivering superlative gaming performance in an eight-core, 16-thread package, this will be viewed by many enthusiasts as the best of both worlds.

Such accolades would historically warrant an out-and-out recommendation, but today's CPU landscape is increasingly competitive, and the Core i9-9900K isn't a clear-cut choice. Gamers using last year's Core i7-8700K shouldn't feel the urge to upgrade, content creators who crave memory bandwidth and PCIe lanes may continue to prefer HEDT platforms, and heck, if you're just after solid multi-threaded credentials, the equivalent AMD Ryzen is half the price.

Bottom line: Core i9-9900K isn't the 10nm showstopper we had hoped to see in late-2018, but while 14nm lives on, it's a highly capable stopgap for those with deep wallets.

Intel Core i9-9900K

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The Intel Core i9-9900K processor is available to purchase from Scan Computers.

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