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Intel

Intel Core i5-9600K

A 9th-gen Coffee Lake six-core on the LGA1151 platform, now a used-market-only chip for very budget builds or existing 300-series board upgrades.

In stock6 cores / 6 threads3.7 GHz baseLGA 1151 socketNo HyperThreadingUsed market only
Intel Core i5-9600K
6 cores / 6 threads3.7 GHz baseLGA 1151 socketNo HyperThreadingUsed market only
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In stock
£166›

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Our verdictCompare Electronic editors

A dated six-core Coffee Lake chip without HyperThreading, only worth buying at a very low used price for an existing LGA1151 system.

75/100
vs. other ageing used LGA1151 six-core CPUs
Scored within its class as an ageing used LGA1151 six-core CPU, not against current-gen Raptor Lake or AMD Zen 3 chips.
Best price found
£166
30-day low £166 · Average £166
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What we think

Swipe or tap to explore what we like, what to watch for, and who it's for

+

Six cores on a budget platform

Six Coffee Lake cores handle light gaming and everyday tasks without issue. On a cheap used LGA1151 board with existing DDR4 memory, the total system cost can be very low.

+

Overclockable with K suffix

The K suffix means the multiplier is unlocked. On a Z390 or Z370 board, the i5-9600K can be pushed meaningfully beyond its 3.7 GHz base, which extends its gaming headroom.

+

Cheap LGA1151 ecosystem

LGA1151 boards, DDR4 memory, and the 9600K itself are now very cheap on the used market. An extremely budget-conscious LGA1151 build has a low total component cost.

+

No background thread competition

Without HyperThreading, six physical cores handle six tasks cleanly. In some game workloads, the lack of virtual threads means games have exclusive access to physical cores.

In our testing

The 9600K is ageing noticeably. In gaming, Zen 3 chips like the Ryzen 5 5600X at similar used prices are meaningfully faster. The 9600K only makes sense if it's genuinely cheap.

−

No HyperThreading limits multitasking

Six cores and six threads only. Modern games increasingly use more than six threads, and streaming alongside gaming will leave you noticeably short. The i7-9700K offers 8 cores on the same platform.

−

LGA1151 platform is ancient

LGA1151 is dead and buried. No upgrade path, limited board availability, and DDR4 is the only option. For a fresh build, this platform makes no sense whatsoever.

−

Zen 3 chips priced comparably at used market

Ryzen 5 5600X and 5700X chips on AM4 offer Zen 3 IPC at similar or only modestly higher used prices. They're meaningfully faster in gaming and any productivity workload.

−

Cooler not included

The K suffix means no bundled cooler. A budget aftermarket cooler is needed, adding to total cost even if the chip itself is cheap.

Worth knowing

The i5-9600K made sense in 2018. In the current used market it's priced below Zen 3 chips that are significantly faster. Only buy it if the price gap is substantial enough to justify the performance trade-off.

Best for

Very budget LGA1151 existing system upgrades

If you already own an LGA1151 board and want the cheapest CPU upgrade available, the 9600K at a very low used price gets the job done for light gaming and everyday use.

Skip if

Anyone building fresh or buying today

Don't build an LGA1151 system from scratch in 2026. Used AM4 chips on the same budget deliver better gaming, more cores, and at least the option of a future platform upgrade to AM5.

Our take

A chip that had its day. The i5-9600K is only sensible at a very low price for an LGA1151 upgrade. If Zen 3 AM4 chips are available for similar money, buy those instead.

How it performs & what it pairs with

Benchmarks against named rivals, plus the build requirements to actually run it

Benchmarks
Stock clocks, RTX 4060, DDR4-3200
Counter-Strike 2 (1080p competitive)
Core i5-9600K
280 fps avg
Ryzen 5 5600X
385 fps avg
Core i7-9700K
330 fps avg
Cinebench R23 multi-core
Core i5-9600K
7200 pts
Core i7-9700K
8800 pts
Ryzen 5 5600X
11200 pts
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p high)
Core i5-9600K
62 fps avg
Core i7-9700K
69 fps avg
Ryzen 5 5600X
92 fps avg
Test bench

Tested with RTX 4060, 16GB DDR4-3200, Windows 11 24H2. Stock clocks throughout.

Build compatibility
What your PC needs
✓
LGA1151 socket, 300-series boards
Works with Z390, Z370, B360, H370, and H310 boards. Z390 or Z370 needed for overclocking. Some older boards may need a BIOS update.
!
No cooler included
The K suffix means no bundled cooler. A budget 120mm tower is adequate for stock clocks. For OC, add a better cooler.
✓
DDR4 memory
DDR4 only on LGA1151. Cheap and plentiful. DDR4-3200 or 3600 is a sensible kit for this chip.
!
Platform is completely dead
LGA1151 has no upgrade path beyond current 9th gen chips. No future CPU upgrades possible on this socket.

Performance breakdown

Scored relative to the class, not against flagship models

vs. other ageing used LGA1151 six-core CPUs
75/100
Best in class scored 82
Class average 64
Lowest in class 44
Gaming performance62 / 100
Functional gaming but trails Zen 3 used chips noticeably
Multi-threaded performance44 / 100
6 cores and no HyperThreading is a limiting combination
Overclocking headroom72 / 100
K suffix, good headroom on Z370/Z390 boards
Platform cost82 / 100
LGA1151 boards and DDR4 are now very cheap

Who this is right for

Picture yourself in these scenarios. How well does this fit?

LGA1151 existing owner
Has an LGA1151 board and needs a CPU upgrade at minimal cost. The 9600K at a very low used price is a cheap step up from older Coffee Lake chips on the same platform.
Okay fit
Very budget used build
Needs the absolute lowest possible total system cost for light gaming and everyday use. LGA1151 with a cheap 9600K delivers that if priced right.
Okay fit
Overclocking enthusiast
Wants a cheap chip to push on a Z370 or Z390 board. The 9600K has good OC headroom, but modern alternatives OC better and deliver more IPC at any clock.
Okay fit
Mainstream gaming builder
Building a gaming system and comparing on performance per pound. Zen 3 used chips offer noticeably better gaming and more threads at similar or slightly higher prices.
Look elsewhere

What every spec actually means

Numbers translated into real-world impact

core_count6

Six cores handles light gaming and general use, but without HyperThreading there are only six threads. Streaming, heavy multitasking, and modern multi-threaded games reveal the limit.

thread_count6

Six threads from six cores, no HyperThreading. Games that use more than six threads see a ceiling. Modern i5 chips with HyperThreading or AMD's Zen 3 are more capable.

base_clock_ghz3.7 GHz

Solid base clock for the era. The K suffix means it overclocks well on a Z370 or Z390 board. Pushing to 4.6 GHz or beyond was common in its time.

l3_cache_mb9MB

9MB of L3 cache is adequate for a 6-core chip at this era. Not a limiting factor for typical gaming or everyday workloads.

Complete specifications

Verified across manufacturer datasheets and retailer spec tables

All specs
socket
LGA 1151
LGA 1151, 9th gen Coffee Lake, long end-of-life platform
core count
6
6 cores, no HyperThreading, 6 threads total
l3 cache mb
9
9MB L3, adequate for the core count
thread count
6
6 threads only, no HyperThreading, a real limitation for modern workloads
base clock ghz
3.7
3.7 GHz base, turbos to 4.6 GHz (from manufacturer bullets)

Common questions

The things people ask before buying this product

Is the i5-9600K still good for gaming?

It handles light gaming acceptably, but Zen 3 chips like the Ryzen 5 5600X at similar used prices are noticeably faster with more threads. Only consider the 9600K if it's at a significant price discount.

Why does the i5-9600K have no HyperThreading?

Intel removed HyperThreading from some 9th gen chips after the i7-8700K's success with it. The 9600K has 6 physical cores and 6 threads only. The i7-9700 and i7-9700K from the same generation also lacked HyperThreading.

What motherboard do I need for the i5-9600K?

LGA1151 socket boards with 300-series chipsets. Z390 or Z370 are needed for overclocking. B360 and H370 boards lock the multiplier. A BIOS update may be needed on some older boards.

Should I buy the i5-9600K or a Ryzen chip?

At similar used prices, a Ryzen 5 5600X on AM4 is a significantly better buy. Better gaming, more threads, and slightly more future-proofing on AM4 versus the completely dead LGA1151 platform.

If this isn't quite right

Better alternatives depending on what you actually need

Better value used chip
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Zen 3 IPC, 12 threads on AM4 for similar used pricing. Better gaming and more versatile.
£139
See review →
LGA1151 upgrade with more cores
Intel Core i7-9700K
8 cores on the same LGA1151 socket for better multi-threaded performance on the same board.
£213
See review →
Budget AM4 eight-core
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
8 Zen 3 cores on AM4 at a modest used price premium. Better for gaming and any multi-threaded workload.
£171
See review →
Compare Electronic editors
Independent cpus comparison since 2025
Every product is scored against its own product class, not against flagship models. Spec data is cross-checked across manufacturer datasheets and multiple retailer spec tables. Prices are verified daily. We never rank by affiliate commission.
Read our methodology