COMPARE
Today's hottest
Amazon Ebay
deals
CPU
RANKINGS
TEST
YOUR CPU
ADD TO PC
BUILD
IntelBX80684I59600K
Intel
▲ 9230,283 ▼

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

VS
▲ 52158 ▼

4 Cores, 4 Threads @3.4 GHz, Sandy Bridge.
Release date ≤ Q1 2014.

Effective Speed 
+26%
Real World Speed
Performance profile from 324,119 user samples
Benchmark your CPU here
321,194 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 103% Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 5.15 GHz (avg)
Worst Bench: 82% Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 4.3 GHz (avg)
Poor: 82% Great: 103%
SPEED RANK: 138th / 1468
Gaming
Gaming 93%
Nuclear submarine
Desktop
Desktop 95%
Nuclear submarine
Workstation
Workstation 77%
Battleship
2,925 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 85% Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 4.9 GHz (avg)
Worst Bench: 60% Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 2.2 GHz (avg)
Poor: 60% Great: 85%
SPEED RANK: 343rd / 1468
Gaming
Gaming 74%
Battleship
Desktop
Desktop 78%
Battleship
Workstation
Workstation 55%
Gunboat
Effective Speed
Effective CPU Speed 		93.2 % Faster effective speed.
+26% 		73.9 %
Average Score 
+47%
Memory
Avg. Memory Latency 		91 Pts +4% 87.4 Pts
1-Core
Avg. Single Core Speed 		135 Pts Much faster single-core speed.
+42% 		94.9 Pts
2-Core
Avg. Dual Core Speed 		268 Pts Much faster dual-core speed.
+43% 		188 Pts
4-Core
Avg. Quad Core Speed 		525 Pts Much faster quad-core speed.
+50% 		349 Pts
8-Core
Avg. Octa Core Speed 		688 Pts Hugely faster octa-core speed.
+94% 		355 Pts
Overclocked Score 
+35%
Memory
OC Memory Latency 		96.5 Pts +1% 95.5 Pts
1-Core
OC Single Core Speed 		153 Pts Much faster OC single-core speed.
+31% 		117 Pts
2-Core
OC Dual Core Speed 		306 Pts Much faster OC dual-core speed.
+31% 		234 Pts
4-Core
OC Quad Core Speed 		604 Pts Much faster OC quad-core speed.
+34% 		451 Pts
8-Core
OC Octa Core Speed 		822 Pts Hugely faster OC octa-core speed.
+80% 		456 Pts
Value & Sentiment 
+2,723%
Market Share
Based on 68,930,399 CPUs tested
See market share leaders
Market Share
Market Share (trailing 30 days) 		1.09 % Insanely higher market share.
+10,800% 		0.01 %
Value
Value For Money 		115 % Better value.
+23% 		93.3 %
User Rating
UBM User Rating 		92 % Much more popular.
+77% 		52 %
Price
Price (score) 		$130 $119 Slightly cheaper.
+8%
Nice To Haves 
+77%
Age
Newest 		72 Months Much more recent.
+44% 		128+ Months
64-Core
OC Multi Core Speed 		848 Pts Hugely faster OC 64-core speed.
+84% 		460 Pts
64-Core
Avg. Multi Core Speed 		717 Pts Hugely faster 64-core speed.
+101% 		356 Pts
Specifications 
Launch Date
Launch Date 		Q4'18 Q1'12
Cache
Cache 		9 MB SmartCache 6 MB SmartCache
Instruction Set Extensions
Instruction Set Extensions 		Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 SSE4.1/4.2, AVX
Lithography
Lithography 		14 nm 32 nm
Recommended Price
Recommended Customer Price 		$262.00 - $263.00 $235.00
Max Turbo Frequency
Max Turbo Frequency 		4.60 GHz 3.8 GHz
Bus Speed
Bus Speed 		8 GT/s DMI3 5 GT/s DMI
Max Memory Size
Max Memory Size (dependent on memory type) 		64 GB 32 GB
Memory Types
Memory Types 		DDR4-2666 DDR3 1066/1333
Memory Bandwidth
Max Memory Bandwidth 		41.6 GB/s 21 GB/s
InTru 3D Tech
Intel® InTru™ 3D Technology 		Yes No
Clear Video HD Tech
Intel® Clear Video HD Technology 		Yes No
Virtualization for Directed I/O (VT-d)
Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) ‡ 		Yes No
Trusted Execution Tech
Intel® Trusted Execution Technology ‡ 		Yes No
PCI Express Revision
PCI Express Revision 		3.0 2.0

More specs » More specs »
Conclusion 
Average Bench 93.2%
Average Bench 73.9%

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]

MORE DETAILS

I have been running an i5-2550k since 2012. With modest overclocking it is only 20% slower in single core processing than the 8th Gen i5's, giving me no reason, even 5 years later, to upgrade. [Oct '17 usbserial]

MORE DETAILS

User Builds 
321,194
2,925
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
Processor Rankings (Price vs Performance) November 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]

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.
How Fast Is Your CPU? (Bench your build) Size up your PC in less than a minute

Welcome to our PC speed test tool. UserBenchmark will test your PC and compare the results to other users with the same components. You can quickly size up your PC, identify hardware problems and explore the best value for money upgrades.

UserBenchmark of the month

Gaming Desktop ProGaming

How it works

  • - Download and run UserBenchmark
  • - CPU tests include: integer, floating and string
  • - GPU tests include: six 3D game simulations
  • - Drive tests include: read, write, sustained write and mixed IO
  • - RAM tests include: single/multi core bandwidth and latency
  • - SkillBench (space shooter) tests user input accuracy
  • - Reports are generated and presented on userbenchmark.com
  • - Identify the strongest components in your PC
  • - See speed test results from other users
  • - Compare your components to the current market leaders
  • - Explore your best upgrade options with a virtual PC build
  • - Compare your in-game FPS to other users with your hardware

 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
Why does UserBenchmark have a bad reputation on reddit?
Marketers operate thousands of reddit accounts. Our benchmarks expose their spiel so they attack our reputation.
Why don’t PC brands endorse UserBenchmark?
Brands make boatloads on flagships like the 4090 and 14900KS. We help users get similar real-world performance for less money.
Why don’t youtubers promote UserBenchmark?
We don't pay youtubers, so they don't praise us. Moreover, our data obstructs youtubers who promote overpriced or inferior products.
Why does UserBenchmark have negative trustpilot reviews?
The 200+ trustpilot reviews are mostly written by virgin marketing accounts. Real users don't give a monkey's about big brands.
Why is UserBenchmark the gold standard for users?
Instead of pursuing brands for sponsorship, we've spent 13 years publishing real-world data for users.
The Best
CPUGPUSSD
Intel Core i5-12600K $169Nvidia RTX 4060 $298WD Black SN850X M.2 2TB $135
Intel Core i5-12400F $111Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $345WD Black SN850X M.2 1TB $80
Intel Core i5-13600K $225Nvidia RTX 4070 $500Crucial T700 M.2 4TB $350
Today's hottest
Amazon Ebay
deals
If you buy something via a price link, UserBenchmark may earn a commission
Build Test EFps
Can You Run It?
►
YouTube
*NEW*
About  •  User Guide  •  FAQs  •  Email  •  Privacy  •  Developer  •  YouTube Feedback