Intel Core i9-9900K
The 9th-gen Coffee Lake chip that was Intel's gaming king in 2019, with 8 cores, 16 threads, and a 5 GHz ceiling on the long-dead LGA1151 platform.
We may earn a commission on purchases via this link. It never affects our scores or rankings.
Why we rate it
- 8 cores with HyperThreading
- 5 GHz single-core ceiling
- Unlocked for overclocking
- Cheap used market pricing
- LGA1151 is completely dead
- Zen 3 matches it or better at similar prices
Where the Intel Core i9-9900K wins and loses
Specifications
General info
Cores and threads
Clocks and cache
Watch it in action
Intel Core i9-9900K vs Intel Intel Core i7-9700K
| IntelIntel Core i9-9900KThis page | IntelIntel Core i7-9700K | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 75 /100 | 75 /100 |
| Core count | 8 | 8 |
| Thread count | 16Better | 8 |
| Boost clock | 5 GHz | — |
| L3 cache | — | 12 MB |
Is the Intel Core i9-9900K right for you?
If you have a Z390 board and want Intel's best for it, the i9-9900K is the top of the LGA1151 lineup. At a very low used price it rounds out the platform's capability with good gaming performance.
Don't start a new build on LGA1151. And at similar used prices, Zen 3 on AM4 is faster. The 9900K only makes sense with a clear price advantage on an existing LGA1151 board.
Before you buy
For 1080p gaming at budget used prices, yes. Zen 3 chips at similar prices are measurably faster, but the 9900K remains playable. Only consider it if the price is clearly lower than Zen 3 alternatives.
Yes. Unlike the i7-9700K which dropped HyperThreading, the i9-9900K kept it. 8 cores with 16 threads is the spec, which is why it was preferred over the 9700K for streaming and mixed workloads.
LGA1151 with Intel 300-series boards. Z390 for full overclocking. B360 and H370 lock the multiplier.
At similar used prices, a Ryzen 5 5600X or 5700X on AM4 is usually the better buy. Better IPC, more versatile threads, and a better platform. The 9900K needs a significant price advantage.
Alternatives & similar cpus
