
Intel Core i5-9600K Review
A Closer Look »Introduction

The Intel Core i5-9600K is a mid-range 6-core desktop processor targeted at gamer enthusiasts, a user segment that mainly games on their PC, but has an understanding of hardware tweaking with the want to eke out a little more performance over time. The 2017 introduction of AMD Ryzen kicked Intel out of its decade-long slumber, forcing it to increase CPU core-counts across the board as advancements in silicon fabrication technology grounded to a halt and with it, the introduction of new core designs that could have brought about clock-speed improvements. Not only did the first-generation Ryzen processors force 50–100 percent core-count increases across the board with Intel's 8th generation Core processors, but the second-generation Ryzen chips also packed enough of an improvement to trigger a second round with the 9th generation Core "Coffee Lake Refresh" family.
Interestingly, while the $350-ish Core i7 and new $500 Core i9 LGA1151 segments received 8 cores, the Core i5 extension has been left largely untouched by Intel in terms of core counts. This is probably because the company either feels its 6-core/6-thread setup is sufficient to compete with AMD Ryzen 5 series 6-core/12-thread SKUs or doesn't see the cost benefit in investing a large 177 mm² 8-core silicon for their $190–$260 segment. The 9th generation Core i5 series hence only has a 6-core/6-thread configuration based on a die that physically just has 6 cores and an unchanged 9 MB of shared L3 cache. What's on offer are minor increments to clock speeds, support for up to 128 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory, and hardware fixes against certain CPU vulnerabilities that haunted computing for the bulk of 2018. In theory, a hardware fix inflicts less of a performance penalty than a firmware fix, which 8th generation Core processors have to make do with.

The Core i5-9600K is clocked at 3.70 GHz with a maximum Turbo Boost frequency of 4.60 GHz, compared to the 3.60 GHz nominal and 4.40 GHz max Turbo speeds of the previous generation i5-8600K. It comes with an unlocked multiplier, making it easy to overclock. AMD's Ryzen 5 2600X is highly competitive with the i5-8600K, to where we had to hand the Ryzen a performance and value edge over the Intel chip. The minor clock-speed bump of the i5-9600K is an exercise in tilting the edge in favor of Intel. Unfortunately, Intel didn't back that effort by pricing this chip aggressively. It still has an MSRP of $259.99, continues to lack a stock cooling solution, and supply issues to the DIY retail channel continue to bludgeon the product's value proposition even as the 2600X can be had for $220 in many places.
In this review, we examine the performance of the Core i5-9600K across our entire suite of CPU-specific and gaming-specific benchmarks to test a hunch we have. Given today's AAA PC games are just beginning to utilize 6 cores, and given this chip's high clock speeds, could gamers potentially save a lot of money over pricier options, such as the i7-9700K or even 2700X, by choosing this chip instead?
Price | Cores / Threads | Base Clock | Max. Boost | L3 Cache | TDP | Architecture | Process | Socket | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Core i5-7500 | $245 | 4 / 4 | 3.4 GHz | 3.8 GHz | 6 MB | 65 W | Kaby Lake | 14 nm | LGA 1151 |
Ryzen 5 1600 | $160 | 6 / 12 | 3.2 GHz | 3.6 GHz | 16 MB | 65 W | Zen | 14 nm | AM4 |
Core i5-8500 | $225 | 6 / 6 | 3.0 GHz | 4.1 GHz | 9 MB | 65 W | Coffee Lake | 14 nm | LGA 1151 |
Core i5-7600K | $270 | 4 / 4 | 3.8 GHz | 4.2 GHz | 6 MB | 91 W | Kaby Lake | 14 nm | LGA 1151 |
Core i5-6600K | $225 | 4 / 4 | 3.5 GHz | 3.9 GHz | 8 MB | 91 W | Skylake | 14 nm | LGA 1151 |
Core i5-8600 | $245 | 6 / 6 | 3.1 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 9 MB | 65 W | Coffee Lake | 14 nm | LGA 1151 |
Ryzen 5 1600X | $220 | 6 / 12 | 3.6 GHz | 4.0 GHz | 16 MB | 95 W | Zen | 14 nm | AM4 |
Core i5-8600K | $260 | 6 / 6 | 3.6 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 9 MB | 95 W | Coffee Lake | 14 nm | LGA 1151 |
Ryzen 5 2600 | $170 | 6 / 12 | 3.4 GHz | 3.9 GHz | 16 MB | 65 W | Zen | 12 nm | AM4 |
Ryzen 7 1700 | $200 | 8 / 16 | 3.0 GHz | 3.7 GHz | 16 MB | 65 W | Zen | 14 nm | AM4 |
Core i5-9600K | $280 | 6 / 6 | 3.7 GHz | 4.6 GHz | 9 MB | 95 W | Coffee Lake | 14 nm | LGA 1151 |
Core i7-6700K | $320 | 4 / 8 | 4.0 GHz | 4.2 GHz | 8 MB | 91 W | Skylake | 14 nm | LGA 1151 |
Core i7-7700K | $430 | 4 / 8 | 4.2 GHz | 4.5 GHz | 8 MB | 91 W | Kaby Lake | 14 nm | LGA 1151 |
Core i7-8700 | $330 | 6 / 12 | 3.2 GHz | 4.6 GHz | 12 MB | 65 W | Coffee Lake | 14 nm | LGA 1151 |
Ryzen 5 2600X | $220 | 6 / 12 | 3.6 GHz | 4.2 GHz | 16 MB | 95 W | Zen | 12 nm | AM4 |
Ryzen 7 1700X | $230 | 8 / 16 | 3.4 GHz | 3.8 GHz | 16 MB | 95 W | Zen | 14 nm | AM4 |
Ryzen 7 2700 | $270 | 8 / 16 | 3.2 GHz | 4.1 GHz | 16 MB | 65 W | Zen | 12 nm | AM4 |
Core i7-8700K | $370 | 6 / 12 | 3.7 GHz | 4.7 GHz | 12 MB | 95 W | Coffee Lake | 14 nm | LGA 1151 |
Core i7-9700K | $400 | 8 / 8 | 3.6 GHz | 4.9 GHz | 12 MB | 95 W | Coffee Lake | 14 nm | LGA 1151 |
Ryzen 7 2700X | $305 | 8 / 16 | 3.7 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 16 MB | 105 W | Zen | 12 nm | AM4 |
Ryzen 7 1800X | $250 | 8 / 16 | 3.6 GHz | 4.0 GHz | 16 MB | 95 W | Zen | 14 nm | AM4 |
Core i9-9900K | $550 | 8 / 16 | 3.6 GHz | 5.0 GHz | 16 MB | 95 W | Coffee Lake | 14 nm | LGA 1151 |