Intel Core i9 9900K 8-core LGA1151
The 8-core, 16-thread design with a 5.0 GHz boost clock delivers strong single and multi-threaded performance for its generation. Its unlocked multiplier on the LGA1151 socket provides accessible overclocking headroom for enthusiasts using 300-series motherboards. This processor is best for users upgrading an existing Coffee Lake system who need high clock speeds for gaming and moderate content creation.
Cores 8
Threads 16
Boost Clock 5000 MHz
L3 Cache 16 MB
TDP 95 W
Socket LGA1151
Integrated Graphics UHD Graphics 630
55 Overall Score
No current retailer price
Snapshot
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong feature (84th percentile) 84th
- Strong single thread (80th percentile) 80th
- Strong efficiency (76th percentile) 76th
- Strong ai (74th percentile) 74th
Cons
- Below average social proof (3rd percentile)
- Below average affordability (29th percentile)
What owners think
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.
Owner sentiment has cooled since launch
Based on 3 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| Brand | Intel |
| Series | Core i9 |
| Model | 9900K |
| Codename | Coffee Lake |
| Class | desktop |
| Process | 14 |
Cores & Clocks
| Cores | 8 |
| P-cores | 8 |
| Threads | 16 |
| Base Clock | 3600 |
| Boost Clock | 5000 |
Cache
| L2 Cache | 2 |
| L3 Cache | 16 MB |
Performance
| PassMark Multi | 18017 |
| PassMark Single | 2907 |
Memory
| Memory Type | DDR4 |
| Max Speed | 2666 |
| Max Memory | 128 |
| ECC | No |
Platform & Power
| Socket | LGA1151 |
| PCIe | 3 |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 |
| TDP | 95 |
| Max Turbo Power | 119 |
| Unlocked | Yes |
Graphics & AI
| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 630 |
vs Competition
| Spec | Intel Core i9 9900K | AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D | SMC EPYC 9555P | HP Xeon 6526Y | CG CHIPS GATE EPYC 6GK7443-1EX30-0XE0 1PC New 6GK7443-1EX30-0XE0 Communications Processor | MICRO CENTER 9950X3DMAGX870ETMKWF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cores | 8 | 16 | 64 | 16 | 24 | - |
| Threads | 16 | 32 | 128 | 32 | 48 | - |
| Boost Clock Mhz | 5000 | 5700 | 4400 | 3900 | 4000 | - |
| L3 Cache Mb | 16 | 128 | 256 | 37 | 128 | - |
| Tdp W | 95 | 120 | 360 | 195 | 200 | - |
| Socket | LGA1151 | AM5 | AMD Socket SP5 | LGA 4677 | AMD Socket SP3 | - |
| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 630 | AMD Radeon Graphics | - | No | - | - |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | AI | Feature | Platform | Efficiency | Multi Thread | Social Proof | Affordability | Single Thread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i9 9900K | 74.3 | 83.6 | 56.5 | 76.1 | 72.6 | 3.1 | 29 | 80 |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D Compare | 96 | 98.6 | 92.4 | 97 | 95.7 | 84.4 | 14.5 | 92.9 |
| SMC EPYC 9555P Compare | 99.3 | 77.2 | 96.8 | 89.6 | 99.4 | 0 | 0.4 | 85.9 |
| HP Xeon 6526Y Compare | 92.1 | 77.2 | 90.8 | 79.3 | 89.9 | 0 | 2.7 | 80.5 |
| CG CHIPS GATE EPYC 6GK7443-1EX30-0XE0 1PC New 6GK7443-1EX30-0XE0 Communications Processor Compare | 94.8 | 77.2 | 84.5 | 85.1 | 93.9 | 36.3 | 5.1 | 80.4 |
| MICRO CENTER 9950X3DMAGX870ETMKWF Compare | 85.8 | 20.6 | 17.4 | 66.5 | 97.1 | 0 | 6.3 | 98.4 |
Usage Scores
- Overall55.3
- AI/LLM49.5
- Budget55.8
- Gaming52.4
- Server46.1
- Efficiency59.9
- Productivity59.4
A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.
