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Intel BX80684I59600K

Core i5-9600K

▲ 9229,942 ▼

6 Cores, 6 Threads @3.7GHz, Coffee Lake.
Release date: Q4 2018.

Average Bench: 93.2% (120th of 1442)

Based on 321,194 user benchmarks.  Devices: BFEBFBFF000906EC, BFEBFBFF000906ED Model: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-9600K CPU @ 3.70GHz

The hex-core i5-9600K is third in Intel’s line-up of 9th generation Coffee Lake CPUs. It has a TDP of 95W and requires an aftermarket cooler (such as the $20 GAMMAXX 400). The 9600K was designed to be overclocked. Once this is enabled in the BIOS (requires a Z-series motherboard), the 9600K runs 10% faster. In terms of performance, the i5-9600K is almost unbeatable for desktop users and it has sufficient multi-core performance to handle all but the most demanding workstation tasks. For CPU encoding (Cinebench, Blender, Handbrake etc.) the Ryzen 3000 series offers great 64-core performance. For example the overclocked Ryzen 3600 is approximately 13% worse for gaming, desktop and normal consumer workloads but it is 27% faster for 64-core processing. CPU encoding is akin to using hair clippers on a lawn, encoding tasks are far better performed by dedicated hardware such an NVENC or QuickSync. At stock clocks the i5-9600K is around 8% slower than Intel’s flagship i9-9900K but when both are overclocked, the 9600K closes the gaming gap to within two or three percent. Considering that the 9900K is the fastest gaming processor available, and almost twice the price of the 9600K, this is no small feat. The i5-9600K is aimed squarely at gamers who are not willing to compromise on performance but don't want to pay more than they need to. [Oct '18 CPUPro]

Poor: 82%Average: 93.2% Great: 103%
Gaming
Gaming 93%
Nuclear submarine
Desktop
Desktop 95%
Nuclear submarine
Workstation
Workstation 77%
Battleship

Popular builds with this CPU

Excellent average bench

The Intel Core i5-9600K averaged just 6.7% lower than the peak scores attained by the group leaders. This is an excellent result which ranks the Intel Core i5-9600K near the top of the comparison list.

Strengths

Avg. Quad Core Speed 525Pts
Avg. Single Core Speed 135Pts

Good consistency

The range of scores (95th - 5th percentile) for the Intel Core i5-9600K is 20.8%. This is a relatively narrow range which indicates that the Intel Core i5-9600K performs reasonably consistently under varying real world conditions.

Weaknesses

Avg. Multi Core Speed 717Pts
Avg. Octa Core Speed 688Pts
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Average Bench

(Based on 321,194 samples)
Rank 12093.2%
Min Avg Max
79.5 Memory 91 96.5
114 1-Core 135 153
232 2-Core 268 306
91.3% 165 Pts
Min Avg Max
437 4-Core 525 604
542 8-Core 688 822
77.2% 606 Pts
Min Avg Max
570 64-Core 717 848
44.3% 717 Pts
User Benchmarks BenchNormalHeavyServer
The fastest CPU (mainstream) averages a speed of 100%
U3E1, 1 CPU, 6 cores, 6 threads
Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 4.75 GHz (avg)
93.9% Outstanding
Memory 90.1
1-Core 149
2-Core 297
97% 179 Pts
4-Core 524
8-Core 857
84% 691 Pts
64-Core 831
52% 831 Pts
U3E1, 1 CPU, 6 cores, 6 threads
Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 4.3 GHz (avg)
90.4% Outstanding
Memory 82.8
1-Core 138
2-Core 266
89% 162 Pts
4-Core 527
8-Core 765
81% 646 Pts
64-Core 769
48% 769 Pts
U3E1, 1 CPU, 6 cores, 6 threads
Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 4.4 GHz (avg)
90.4% Outstanding
Memory 83.3
1-Core 134
2-Core 266
88% 161 Pts
4-Core 526
8-Core 741
80% 633 Pts
64-Core 761
47% 761 Pts
LGA1151, 1 CPU, 6 cores, 6 threads
Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 4.3 GHz (avg)
86.4% Excellent
Memory 74.8
1-Core 136
2-Core 270
86% 160 Pts
4-Core 527
8-Core 760
81% 644 Pts
64-Core 768
48% 768 Pts
LGA1151, 1 CPU, 6 cores, 6 threads
Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 1.4 GHz (avg)
51.3% Above average
Memory 72.4
1-Core 53.3
2-Core 94.2
47% 73.3 Pts
4-Core 172
8-Core 199
24% 185 Pts
64-Core 211
13% 211 Pts
321,194 MORE »

 Market Share (See Leaders)

The number of benchmark samples for this model as a percentage of all 67,830,331 CPUs tested

 Prices

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MSRP ≈ $260 @ launch in Oct '18
AmazonUS $13715 mins
BHPhotoUS $3803 years
Send price feedback
Custom PC Builder (Start a new build) Build your perfect PC: compare component prices, popularity, speed and value for money

CHOOSE A COMPONENT:

CPU GPU SSD HDD RAM MBD
Typical Core i5-9600K Builds (Compare 32,201 builds) See popular component choices, score breakdowns and rankings
Gaming
Gaming 109%
UFO
Desktop
Desktop 95%
Nuclear submarine
Workstation
Workstation 91%
Nuclear submarine

Motherboard: MSI Z390-A PRO (MS-7B98) - $241

CPU
Core i5-9600KIntel  $137Bench 93%, 321,194 samples7,889x
GPU
RTX 2070S (Super)Nvidia  $210Bench 115%, 663,603 samples2,428x
RTX 2060Nvidia  $296Bench 90%, 645,160 samples2,345x
RTX 2070Nvidia  $200Bench 104%, 478,117 samples2,157x
SSD
860 Evo 500GBSamsung  $75Bench 105%, 762,998 samples1,224x
860 Evo 1TBSamsung  $139Bench 112%, 602,853 samples1,049x
970 Evo Plus NVMe PCIe M.2 1TBSamsung  $95Bench 310%, 455,997 samples1,003x
RAM
Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200 C16 2x8GBCorsair  $45Bench 85%, 653,654 samples1,988x
Vengeance LPX DDR4 3000 C15 2x8GBCorsair  $48Bench 82%, 606,405 samples1,460x
Vengeance RGB PRO DDR4 3200 C16 2x8GBCorsair  $55Bench 85%, 346,786 samples968x
EDIT WITH CUSTOM PC BUILDER Value: 111% - Outstanding Total price: $708

Popular Core i5-9600K compatible motherboards:

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Processor Rankings (Price vs Performance) May 2024 CPU Rankings

We calculate effective speed which measures real world performance for typical users. Effective speed is adjusted by current prices to yield a value for money rating. Our calculated values are checked against thousands of individual user ratings. The customizable table below combines these factors to bring you the definitive list of top CPUs. [CPUPro]

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Group Test Results

  • Best user rated - User sentiment trumps benchmarks for this comparison.
  • Best value for money - Value for money is based on real world performance.
  • Fastest real world speed - Real World Speed measures performance for typical consumers.

 Specifications

Essentials

DescriptionIntel® Core™ i5-9600K Processor (9M Cache, up to 4.60 GHz)
Code NameCoffee Lake
Launch DateQ4'18
Processor Numberi5-9600K
# of Cores6
# of Threads6
Cache9 MB SmartCache
Instruction Set64-bit
Instruction Set ExtensionsIntel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
Embedded Options AvailableNo
Lithography14 nm
Recommended Price$262.00 - $263.00
Clock Speed3.70 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency4.60 GHz
Bus Speed8 GT/s DMI3
Scalability1S Only
Max TDP95 W
Thermal Solution SpecificationPCG 2015D (130W)

Graphics

Processor GraphicsIntel® UHD Graphics 630
Graphics Base Frequency350 MHz
# of Displays Supported3
Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency1.15 GHz
Quick Sync VideoYes
InTru 3D TechYes
Clear Video HD TechYes
Clear Video Tech for MIDYes
Graphics Video Max Memory64 GB

Memory

Max Memory Size64 GB
Memory TypesDDR4-2666
Memory Channels2
Memory Bandwidth41.6 GB/s
ECC Memory SupportedNo

Expansion Options

PCI Express Revision3.0
PCI Express ConfigurationsUp to 1x16, 2x8, 1x8+2x4
Max # of PCI Express Lanes16

Data Protection

AES New InstructionsYes
Secure KeyYes

Advanced Technologies

Virtualization Tech (VT-x)Yes
Intel 64Yes
Idle StatesYes
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® TechYes
Thermal Monitoring TechnologiesYes
Turbo Boost Tech2.0
Hyper-Threading TechNo
Virtualization for Directed I/O (VT-d)Yes
TSX-NIYes
Identity Protection TechYes
Stable Image Platform Program (SIPP)Yes

Package

Package Size37.5mm x 37.5mm
Max CPU Configuration1
Sockets SupportedFCLGA1151

Platform Protection

Execute Disable BitYes
OS GuardYes
Trusted Execution TechYes

 Comments

CPUPro
Avatar level
2,072

Official site ark.intel.com/...

9th generation Coffee Lake processor...

Added 5 years ago.
USA-User
Avatar level
9,842

Disliked (edit your comment) Add link

1 day ago.

Comment 

Great CPU if you can find it for less than $200. Overclocks well and stays cool under load, provided a capable cooling solution is used. Gaming is what this CPU is designed for, and it does well at 1080p or 1440p, but 4K definitely squeezes all the performance possible out of this processor. I recommend DDR4-3600 C16 memory with this CPU. —Dec '20

Comment 

I got this for 10$ cheaper than I would’ve paid for an i5 8600k and this thing outdoes itself in every department. 10/10—Dec '20

Comment 

Beats the new consoles hands down.—Dec '20

DEU-User
Avatar level
5,747

Excellent

5 days ago.

Comment 

die cpu kostet 160 euro neu aktuell und hat 6 schnelle kerne mit 6 threads die auf 5 , 3 ghz kommen können pro kern pro kern mindestens 4 ,6 ghz —Jul '21

TUR-User
Avatar level
5,526

Disliked

10 days ago.

Comment 

Easy to O.C 5Ghz, TDP 95W = low Degrees Celcius on CPU —Mar '20

RUS-User
Avatar level
4,784

Liked

27 days ago.

Comment 

High performance, minimal price!—Nov '20

ROU-User
Avatar level
4,617

Good

3 days ago.

its pretty good when overclocked

FRA-User
Avatar level
4,575

Liked

1 month ago.

Comment 

nearly same perf in game as 5600x but literaly more than twice cheaper—Mar '21

Comment 

cheap and insane performance—Mar '21

AUS-User
Avatar level
3,958

Good

4 days ago.

had it for years done me well with my gtx 1060

Comment 

Best CPU for price/performance—Nov '20

ESP-User
Avatar level
3,741

Liked

4 months ago.

Comment 

Awesome performance por the price and reaches easely 5ghz—Mar '20

UKR-User
Avatar level
3,597

Terrible

11 months ago.

Best ever since 2018 for overall rate

NLD-User
Avatar level
3,512

Disliked

5 months ago.

Comment 

Love it's 5ghz oc really beats out most of the I gang. I really look forward buying this from what i see—Nov '20

ARG-User
Avatar level
3,234

Poor

8 days ago.

For gaming with RTX 3090 is perfect. Cheap and super fast

BEL-User
Avatar level
2,534

Good

2 months ago.

Great processor for gaming and game development. Especially with and great cooler and Overclock at 5Ghz

HRV-User
Avatar level
2,322

Good

2 months ago.

for more price better everything

DNK-User
Avatar level
2,216

Excellent

1 month ago.

it has worked perfectly for me with no issues

CPUPro
Avatar level
2,072

Good

5 years ago.

LKA-User
Avatar level
1,908

Liked

1 month ago.

Comment 

Crazy OC can be done for that cheap price, and it is sooo great for 2019 PC gamers!!—Nov '20

PSE-User
Avatar level
994

Poor

2 months ago.

Better than i7 4770k and i7 4790k :D

RavenBailiff
Avatar level
314

Terrible

2 years ago.

cope

0306
Avatar level
216

Average

3 years ago.

Great in performance but the price is not very good, especially that this is a 6 core 6 threaded CPU

karma713
Avatar level
44

Terrible

4 years ago.

overpriced

rai7
Avatar level
42

Good

5 years ago.

for the price it looks like it would do good in a desktop build

GTX645
Avatar level
32

Good

2 years ago.

Great processor for price but struggle in 1080p on cyberpunk 2077

Kanade
Avatar level
30

Excellent

4 years ago.

Easily overclocks to 5Ghz and is just good enough.

Allik
Avatar level
24

Excellent

4 years ago.

Overclocked at 4.6Ghz is very nice

Arguelles
Avatar level
22

Terrible

3 years ago.

in my opinion too slow for gaming

Seidowas
Avatar level
20

Excellent

4 years ago.

i have the 9600KF but it's the same If you have it for the same price take the 9600k, i got mine way cheaper sot i took the 9600KF With a 350$ RTX 2060s it's a bang for the buck at 1080p Full Ultra 144hz

GuyOnTheBlox
Avatar level
18

Excellent

4 years ago.

wow i5 9600k oc to 5.4 ghz

Bigboyiy
Avatar level
16

Excellent

5 years ago.

Very nice for the price

KoolKazooKid
Avatar level
14

Excellent

5 years ago.

gREAT

Pascalfreak
Avatar level
10

Excellent

5 years ago.

Wath a good gaming cpu. The secret gaming chip! Nearly as good as a 9900K for half the price.

wywrhell
Avatar level
10

Excellent

4 years ago.

Good price / performance ratio

svasilo1hotmail
Avatar level
10

Excellent

3 years ago.

Don't listen to the nay-sayers, this thing will deliver all the gaming goodness you will need. For Gaming, clock speed is best and intel always has the highest clocks, lowest System latency in games and highest overclocking headroom, for all your components. If you want to render a monkey head then buy a higher end intel chip and you can game on it for years to come as well as render that image, although maybe 30 seconds slower maybe. There are many ways to overclock zintel boards, and all core is popular to hit 5.0-5.1 ghz with safe voltages, but also use per core overclock where you can set 5.4 /5.3 to 1 or 2 cores, and 5.1 to the rest or some combination. Use included fans for vrm (the things around the cpu) cooling, or add your own for cheap, $10. If you have asus, increase the cooler score as much as possible by adding push pull fan configs to your radiator etc, and increase the ai optimism scale as high as it goes, this will drop your voltages, if its not stable, add more cooling, or decrease the core ratios. Note: overclocking is safe and fun, I have gone through thousands of blue screens of death and many benchmarks and never had any issues.

bellcomp
Avatar level
10

Excellent

3 years ago.

Easy OCing to 5.0GHz

kavaltiia
Avatar level
8

Good

4 years ago.

I'm on board with this its suits my middle needs

DeviousSnow
Avatar level
8

Excellent

4 years ago.

Good value for gaming, overclocked to a solid 4.9GHz without any effort or temperature problems.

Veggissss
Avatar level
4

Excellent

3 years ago.

Good for overclocking

hektorahm
Avatar level
4

Excellent

3 years ago.

cheap cpu and runs amazing!..

beratozdemir
Avatar level
4

Excellent

19 months ago.

best cpu all time :))

No5oMo
Avatar level
2

Excellent

5 years ago.

Great CPU -- My 123% and 124% Benches aren't showing, see bench /12697701/

mannythomas202
Avatar level
2

Excellent

5 years ago.

Best CPU I've ever had. Absolutely blows away any of my other machines when installing new software or booting or loading into a game or even just running them. This thing is GNARLY for the price!!!

Chevzilla
Avatar level
2

Excellent

5 years ago.

Faster than my 7700k I replaced.

Jsid03
Avatar level
2

Excellent

5 years ago.

Overclocks to 5GHz at 1.35V easily

Kelvan
Avatar level
2

Excellent

4 years ago.

Great gaming CPU and powerful to handle every game with high FPS and allowing to play games with high and competitive framerates, being able to utilize your GPU to its maximum.

Mr7oraNi
Avatar level
2

Excellent

4 years ago.

NICE

IzeCube
Avatar level
2

Excellent

4 years ago.

Very nice CPU for Gaming!! Air Cooled OC up to 4,9Ghz, AIO up to 5,2Ghz..

fwhaendel
Avatar level
2

Excellent

2 years ago.

good

SpelledIcup
Avatar level
2

Excellent

16 months ago.

Cheap and effective, still kicks ass to this day

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Speed Comparisons

vs Intel Core i5-13600K
vs Intel Core i5-12400F
vs Intel Core i5-12600K
vs Intel Core i3-12100F
vs Intel Core i7-13700K
vs Intel Core i9-13900K
vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600
vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
vs Intel Core i7-11700K

1442 Processors (Compared) Thousands of user benchmarks compiled into one comparison list

See how consistently different CPUs perform with varying real world conditions. The charts also illustrate overall performance, popularity and rank.

 Frequently Asked Questions

Processors FAQ
AMD vs Intel: Gaming performance 2012-2021
How does IPC compare between AMD's Ryzen and Intel's Kaby Lake?
What is multi core mixed speed?
What is multi core integer speed?
What is multi core floating point speed?
What is single core mixed CPU speed?
What is quad core mixed CPU speed?
What is quad core floating point speed?
What is quad core integer speed?
What is single core floating point speed?
What is single core integer speed?
What is the GeekBench single core score?
What is a CPU?
What is the effective CPU speed index?
What is overclocking?
What is thermal design power (TDP)?
ALL FAQs »

 Best User Rated
The Best.
CPUGPUSSD
Intel Core i5-13600K $260Nvidia RTX 4060 $300Crucial MX500 250GB $39
Intel Core i5-12400F $133Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $385Samsung 850 Evo 120GB $80
Intel Core i5-12600K $175Nvidia RTX 4070 $539Samsung 860 Evo 250GB $52
HDDRAMUSB
Seagate Barracuda 1TB (2016) $39Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200 C16 2x8GB $45SanDisk Extreme 64GB $72
WD Blue 1TB (2012) $32Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3000 C15 2x8GB $48SanDisk Extreme 32GB $28
Seagate Barracuda 2TB (2016) $51G.SKILL Trident Z DDR4 3200 C14 4x16GB $351SanDisk Ultra Fit 32GB $16
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