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#295 of 555
Overall rank
Core i7-9700K
8 cores · 8 threads · up to 4.9 GHz on LGA-1151.
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Cores
8
Threads
8
Boost
4.9 GHz
L3 cache
12 MB
TDP
95W
Socket
LGA-1151
Performance breakdown
Gaming9
Productivity9
Single-core9
Multi-core33
Power efficiency8
Lab scores
Performance score9
Cores8
Threads8
Boost clock (GHz)4.9 GHz
Estimated gaming FPS
Paired with a high-end GPU. CPU impact is largest at 1080p.
1080p20 fps
1440p16 fps
4K11 fps
Full specifications
Processor & cores
- Architecture
- Coffee Lake-R
- Process node
- 14 nm
- Socket
- LGA-1151
- Release year
- 2018
- Total cores
- 8
- Threads
- 8
- Integrated graphics
- Intel UHD Graphics 630
Clocks & cache
- Base clock
- 3.6 GHz
- Boost clock
- 4.9 GHz
- Multiplier
- 36 (unlocked)
- L1 cache
- 512 KB
- L2 cache
- 2 MB
- L3 cache
- 12 MB
Memory & platform
- Memory support
- DDR4
- Max capacity
- 128 GB
- Channels
- 2
- Max bandwidth
- 42.671 GB/s
- Base power (TDP)
- 95W
- Max temperature
- 100°C
- PCIe
- PCIe 3.0
- Launch price
- $374
Technologies
- Instruction sets
- SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
- Extensions
- AES-NI, AVX, AMD-V, VT-x, VT-d, TXT, TSX
Community Feedback
What Owners Say
Gamers love its strong gaming performance for its era. The common gripe is that it lacks hyper-threading, making it feel dated for modern multitasking.
Pros
- Sips power, stays whisper quiet
- Tames heavy multitasking with ease
- Gaming feels fluid and responsive
- Handles creative apps without breaking a sweat
Cons
- No multithreading in games
- Runs hot under heavy load
- Requires new motherboard for upgrade
Verdict
Our verdict on the Core i7-9700K
The Intel Core i7-9700K is a solid eight-core gaming CPU from 2018, but it lacks hyper-threading, which holds it back in heavy multitasking.
Get it if you need strong gaming performance from a reliable eight-core chip that overclocks well and runs cool on a Z390 board. Skip it if you multitask heavily or stream, as the lack of hyperthreading hurts compared to newer or AMD options.
Buy it if…
- You want high single-core speed for gaming without worrying about hyperthreading.
- You're building a pure gaming rig and don't stream or edit video.
- You need a solid overclocker on a Z390 board for older Windows 10 games.
Leaderboard
Its place in the overall top
3.7
253 votes
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