Intel Core i5 9600K 6-core LGA1151
The 14nm Coffee Lake architecture delivers strong single-core performance with a 4.6GHz boost clock and an unlocked multiplier for overclocking headroom. Its 6-core, 6-thread design is paired with integrated UHD Graphics 630, providing a capable display output without a discrete GPU. This processor is best for budget-conscious gamers building on the Intel 300 Series platform who prioritize high clock speeds for lightly-threaded titles.
Cores 6
Threads 6
Boost Clock 4600 MHz
L3 Cache 9 MB
TDP 95 W
Socket LGA 1151
Integrated Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 630
62 Overall Score
Price £150
Snapshot
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong social proof (97th percentile) 97th
- Strong feature (83rd percentile) 83rd
- Strong single thread (77th percentile) 77th
- Strong platform (69th percentile) 69th
Cons
- Below average user sentiment (22nd 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.
72/100Our AI sentiment read▼3
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| Brand | Intel |
| Series | Core i5 |
| Model | 9600K |
| Codename | Coffee Lake |
| Class | desktop |
| Process | 14 |
Cores & Clocks
| Cores | 6 |
| Threads | 6 |
| Base Clock | 3700 |
| Boost Clock | 4600 |
Cache
| L2 Cache | 1.5 |
| L3 Cache | 9 MB |
Performance
| PassMark Multi | 10655 |
| PassMark Single | 2722 |
Memory
| Memory Type | DDR4 |
| Max Speed | 2666 |
| Channels | 2 |
| Max Memory | 128 |
| ECC | No |
Platform & Power
| Socket | LGA 1151 |
| PCIe | 3 |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 |
| TDP | 95 |
| Max Turbo Power | 95 |
| Unlocked | Yes |
Graphics & AI
| Integrated Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 630 |
vs Competition
| Spec | Intel Core i5 9600K | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | Dell Xeon E5-2637 V2 | G.Skill Trident Z Neo | WowWee Xeon Gold 5120 | be quiet! Ryzen 3 Dark Rock Pro 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cores | 6 | 8 | 32 | 6 | 14 | 4 |
| Threads | 6 | 16 | 64 | 12 | 28 | 4 |
| Boost Clock Mhz | 4600 | 5200 | 3500 | 4200 | 3200 | 3400 |
| L3 Cache Mb | 9 | 96 | 256 | 32 | 19.25 | 8 |
| Tdp W | 95 | 120 | 200 | 65 | 105 | 270 |
| Socket | LGA 1151 | AM5 | Socket A/Socket 462 (PGA 462) | AMD Socket AM4 | LGA 3647 | AM4 |
| Integrated Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | AMD Radeon Graphics | No | - | - | - |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | AI | Feature | Platform | User Sentiment | Efficiency | Multi Thread | Social Proof | Single Thread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i5 9600K | 66 | 83.3 | 68.5 | 21.8 | 59.6 | 63.5 | 96.6 | 77.4 |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Compare | 91.3 | 98.5 | 95.1 | 92.4 | 87.7 | 90 | 96.6 | 95.7 |
| Dell Xeon E5-2637 V2 Compare | 99.1 | 90.7 | 76.2 | 0 | 97.4 | 99.2 | 1.5 | 89.3 |
| G.Skill Trident Z Neo Compare | 72.5 | 87.1 | 78.2 | 0 | 83 | 73.5 | 1.5 | 72.4 |
| WowWee Xeon Gold 5120 Compare | 73.8 | 20.2 | 17.7 | 0 | 72.8 | 74.4 | 38.3 | 44.4 |
| be quiet! Ryzen 3 Dark Rock Pro 5 Compare | 47.9 | 62.3 | 60.7 | 0 | 32.8 | 44.4 | 90.7 | 50.5 |
Price
Value & Pricing
From £150
Amazon 1 offer From £150
Price History
Usage Scores
A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.
