18score
#115 of 555
Overall rank
Core i9-9960X
16 cores · 32 threads · up to 4.5 GHz on FCLGA2066.
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Cores
16
Threads
32
Boost
4.5 GHz
L3 cache
22 MB
TDP
165W
Socket
FCLGA2066
Performance breakdown
Gaming18
Productivity19
Single-core19
Multi-core67
Power efficiency15
Lab scores
Performance score18
Cores16
Threads32
Boost clock (GHz)4.5 GHz
Estimated gaming FPS
Paired with a high-end GPU. CPU impact is largest at 1080p.
1080p40 fps
1440p32 fps
4K22 fps
Full specifications
Processor & cores
- Architecture
- Skylake (server)
- Process node
- 14 nm
- Socket
- FCLGA2066
- Release year
- 2018
- Total cores
- 16
- Threads
- 32
Clocks & cache
- Base clock
- 3.1 GHz
- Boost clock
- 4.5 GHz
- Multiplier
- 31 (unlocked)
- L1 cache
- 1 KB
- L2 cache
- 16 MB
- L3 cache
- 22 MB
Memory & platform
- Memory support
- DDR4-2666
- Max capacity
- 128 GB
- Channels
- 4
- Max bandwidth
- 85.33 GB/s
- Base power (TDP)
- 165W
- Max temperature
- 85°C
- PCIe
- PCIe 3.0
- Launch price
- $1684
Technologies
- Instruction sets
- SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512
- Extensions
- AES-NI, AVX, VT-x, VT-d, Turbo Boost Max 3.0, TSX
Community Feedback
What Owners Say
Owners love the raw multi-core muscle for heavy workstation tasks. The common gripe is the extreme heat and power draw, requiring a serious cooler.
Pros
- Heavy workloads feel almost effortless
- Multitasking with dozens of apps stays fluid
- Handles video encoding without breaking a sweat
- Runs cool with a decent liquid cooler
Cons
- Expensive for its performance level
- Needs expensive motherboard and cooler
- Poor single-core speed for gaming
Verdict
Our verdict on the Core i9-9960X
A 2018 desktop chip from Intel's server parts bin, offering many cores but running hot and needing a pricey platform.
Get it if you need a high-core-count workstation chip for heavy multithreaded work on an older platform. Skip it if you're building new—modern CPUs offer better efficiency and performance at similar prices.
Buy it if…
- You need more PCIe lanes than consumer chips offer.
- You are building a workstation for heavy multitasking and VM work.
- You want a used, high-core-count CPU for a budget content creation rig.
Leaderboard
Its place in the overall top
4.7
28 votes
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