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#191 of 555
Overall rank
Core i9-10900KF
10 cores · 20 threads · up to 5.2 GHz on FCLGA1200.
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Cores
10
Threads
20
Boost
5.2 GHz
L3 cache
20 MB
TDP
125W
Socket
FCLGA1200
Performance breakdown
Gaming13
Productivity12
Single-core13
Multi-core42
Power efficiency11
Lab scores
Performance score13
Cores10
Threads20
Boost clock (GHz)5.2 GHz
Estimated gaming FPS
Paired with a high-end GPU. CPU impact is largest at 1080p.
1080p29 fps
1440p23 fps
4K16 fps
Full specifications
Processor & cores
- Architecture
- Comet Lake
- Process node
- 14 nm
- Socket
- FCLGA1200
- Release year
- 2020
- Total cores
- 10
- Threads
- 20
Clocks & cache
- Base clock
- 3.7 GHz
- Boost clock
- 5.2 GHz
- L1 cache
- 640 KB
- L2 cache
- 2.5 MB
- L3 cache
- 20 MB
Memory & platform
- Memory support
- DDR4-2933
- Max capacity
- 128 GB
- Channels
- 2
- Max bandwidth
- 45.8 GB/s
- Base power (TDP)
- 125W
- Max temperature
- 100°C
- PCIe
- PCIe 3.0
- Launch price
- $509
Technologies
- Instruction sets
- SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
- Extensions
- AES-NI, AVX, VT-x, VT-d, Turbo Boost Max 3.0, TXT
Community Feedback
What Owners Say
Owners love the raw gaming speed and overclocking headroom. The common gripe is that it runs hot and needs a serious cooler to stay happy.
Pros
- Sips power under moderate loads
- Stays cool with a decent cooler
- Handles heavy multitasking without stutter
- Gives excellent single-core responsiveness
Cons
- No integrated graphics for troubleshooting
- Runs hot under heavy load
- Limited upgrade path without new motherboard
Verdict
Our verdict on the Core i9-10900KF
Ten-core chip with a high all-core boost clock but runs hot and needs a thick cooler to stay happy.
Get it if you need top-tier single-core speed for gaming or light workstation tasks on an older LGA1200 board. Skip it if you want modern efficiency or plan to multitask heavily, as newer chips run cooler and handle workloads better.
Buy it if…
- Buy it if you need top single-core speed for older games and apps.
- Buy it if you already have an LGA1200 board and want maximum performance.
- Buy it if you run heavily threaded tasks where raw frequency beats modern efficiency.
Leaderboard
Its place in the overall top
4.0
49 votes
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