Intel Core i5-9600K

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Intel Core i5-9600K
The Core i5-9600K is an iterative update over the previous-gen model. But if you're shopping for a new processor, it does provide enough of a performance improvement to merit attention. The processor clearly provides the best performance for gaming at its price point, though AMD alternatives are enticing if you're more interested in productivity applications.
- As reviewed by TomsHardware on Dec 2018
6
Cores
6
Threads
3.7 GHz
Base Clock
4.6 GHz
Boost Clock
Socket LGA 1151
Socket
95 W
TDP
Intel UHD Graphics 630
Integrated Graphics
$148
Price
Release date:Oct 19, 2018Price at Launch:$262
Cores:6Threads:6
Base Clock:3.7 GHzBoost Clock:4.6 GHz
Type:DesktopMultithreading:No
L2 Cache:1.5 MBL3 Cache:9 MB
Box Cooler:NoTDP:95 W
Socket:Socket LGA 1151Memory Support:DDR4‑2666
Codename:Coffee Lake‑RProcess Size:14 nm
Integrated Graphics:YesiGPU Model:Intel UHD Graphics 630
NPU:NoPCIe Support:PCIe 3.0, 16 Lanes
Intel Core i5-14600K
A newer model is available:
Intel Core i5-14600K

Performance Benchmarks

All benchmark data reflects aggregated results from dozens of tests conducted in TechSpot’s labs and compiled from our full library of CPU reviews. Single-core productivity scores are based primarily on Cinebench and Adobe Photoshop workloads. Multi-core results draw from Cinebench, Blender, Corona Benchmark, 7-Zip, Adobe Premiere Pro, and shader compilation tests. CPU gaming benchmarks are all 1080p runs (explainer) as published on TechSpot.

Single-Core Productivity

Multi-Core Productivity

Gaming Performance

Price History

Intel Core i5-9600K pricing

Last 6 months
Price Date
Current $148 Dec 16, 2025
Highest* $220 Jan 1, 2025
Lowest* $110 Jun 9, 2025
Average $143
* Prices are based on listings from Newegg and other major retailers over the past 12+ months.
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Reviews and Ratings

83

Average Score

Based on 5 reviews

9.6

User Score

Based on 8,117 reviews

Reviewers Liked

  • Single-threaded performance

Reviewers Didn't Like

  • No bundled cooler

Battlefield V is playable on quad-cores but you can expect frequent frame dips, resulting in less consistent frame rates. For the most part, we've found that the older Core i5-7600K has been hanging in there pretty well with AAA titles released in...

By TechSpot on
70

The Core i5-9600K is an iterative update over the previous-gen model. But if you're shopping for a new processor, it does provide enough of a performance improvement to merit attention. The processor clearly provides the best performance for gaming at...

By Tom's Hardware on
100

While testing the Core i5 9600K the multi-threaded performance was a bit lack-luster, this proc really could have used SMT (Hyper-threading). However, Intel carefully examined the Achilles heel of Ryzen processors and realized that with (and only) very...

By Guru of 3D on

Legit Reviews has been using Blender in our benchmarks for years and hopefully you've found the results worthwhile and interesting. Blender, for those that might not know, is the free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D...

By Legit Reviews on

Geekbench 5 was officially released by Primate Labs today and Legit Reviews has been taking a look at this benchmark in the lab. The release of Geekbench 5 brings new machine learning, augmented reality, and computational photography workloads to the...

By Legit Reviews on

At the end of the day the Intel Core i5-9600K is a good choice for gamers on a budget. It’s performance is solid across the board and it overclocks like a champ. The only downside of this processor is that is doesn’t come bundled with a CPU cooler. So, you will factor in the price of HSF or AIO liquid cooler when you go to pick one of these processors up for a new system build.

By LegitReviews on

The battle for the hexa-core crown The Intel Core i5-9600K is the latest Coffee Lake desktop processor that we have in for review. The hexa-core CPU offers almost the same specifications as its predecessor but with a ramped-up clock speed. Read on to...

By NotebookCheck on

The Intel Core i5-9600K is available for $279.99. Practically same gaming performance as i7-9700K and i9-9900K at any resolution High performance in less-parallelized or single-threaded workloads Reasonably high multi-threaded performance Unlocked...

By techPowerUp! on

There are so many processors on the market these days that how suitable a particular model is to your setup depends upon your requirements. In fact, it's vital that you're honest with yourself as to your usage so as to ensure maximum enjoyment. It would...

By Overclock3D on

With a lack of multi-threaded grunt and slim gains over Intel's existing quad-core CPUs in most games, the Core i5-9600K doesn't really find any traction or get us drooling, much like the Core i5-8600K last year. If you have £250 to spend on a CPU,...

By Bit-tech.net on

These days there are basically two different groups of customers who demand lots of processing power: content creators and gamers, while this 2D performance comparison is targeting content creators. After having had a look at the following pages you'll...

By Ocaholic on

Intel's recent launch of the Core i9-9900K has a lot of people asking what it means to have the best gaming CPU around. The answer to that question is complicated, and we wanted to take a break from our usual System Guide format to dive deep into this...

By The Tech Report on
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