Today's hottest deals
IntelBX80684I59600K
IntelBX80646I74790

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

4 Cores, 8 Threads @3.6GHz, Haswell.
Release date: Q2 2014.

Real World Speed
Performance profile from 576,221 user samples
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
255,027 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 80% Base clock 3.6 GHz, turbo 4 GHz (avg)
Worst Bench: 58% Base clock 3.6 GHz, turbo 1.5 GHz (avg)
Poor: 58% Great: 80%
SPEED RANK: 391st / 1468
Gaming
Gaming 71%
Battleship
Desktop
Desktop 75%
Battleship
Workstation
Workstation 58%
Gunboat
Effective Speed
Effective CPU Speed
93.2 % Much faster effective speed.
+31%
71.4 %
Memory
Avg. Memory Latency
91 Pts Lower memory latency.
+10%
82.6 Pts
1-Core
Avg. Single Core Speed
135 Pts Much faster single-core speed.
+37%
98.4 Pts
2-Core
Avg. Dual Core Speed
268 Pts Much faster dual-core speed.
+43%
187 Pts
4-Core
Avg. Quad Core Speed
525 Pts Much faster quad-core speed.
+61%
327 Pts
8-Core
Avg. Octa Core Speed
688 Pts Much faster octa-core speed.
+43%
482 Pts
Memory
OC Memory Latency
96.5 Pts +3% 93.6 Pts
1-Core
OC Single Core Speed
153 Pts Much faster OC single-core speed.
+40%
109 Pts
2-Core
OC Dual Core Speed
306 Pts Much faster OC dual-core speed.
+43%
214 Pts
4-Core
OC Quad Core Speed
604 Pts Much faster OC quad-core speed.
+60%
377 Pts
8-Core
OC Octa Core Speed
822 Pts Much faster OC octa-core speed.
+49%
551 Pts
Market Share
Based on 69,042,412 CPUs tested
Market Share
Market Share (trailing 30 days)
1.17 % Hugely higher market share.
+92%
0.61 %
Value
Value For Money
115 % Better value.
+23%
93.6 %
User Rating
UBM User Rating
92 % Much more popular.
+51%
61 %
Price
Price (score)
$130 $104 Cheaper.
+20%
Age
Newest
73 Months Much more recent.
+42%
126 Months
TDP
Thermal Design Power (TDP)
95 Watts 84 Watts More energy efficient.
+12%
Cores
CPU Processing Cores
6 cores Much higher core count.
+50%
4 cores
Threads
CPU Processing Threads
6 threads 8 threads Much higher thread count.
+33%
Lithography
Manufacturing process
14 nm Much newer manufacturing.
+36%
22 nm
Base Clock
Base Clock Speed
3.7 GHz +3% 3.6 GHz
Turbo Clock
Turbo Clock Speed
4.6 GHz Faster turbo frequency.
+15%
4 GHz
64-Core
OC Multi Core Speed
848 Pts Much faster OC 64-core speed.
+53%
556 Pts
64-Core
Avg. Multi Core Speed
717 Pts Much faster 64-core speed.
+45%
495 Pts
Series
CPU Architecture
Coffee Lake Haswell
Socket
Motherboard Socket
FCLGA1151 FCLGA1150
Graphics
Integrated Graphics
UHD 630 HD 4600
Launch Date
Launch Date
Q4'18 Q2'14
Cache
Cache
9 MB SmartCache 8 MB SmartCache
Instruction Set Extensions
Instruction Set Extensions
Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 SSE4.1/4.2, AVX 2.0
Lithography
Lithography
14 nm 22 nm
Recommended Price
Recommended Customer Price
$262.00 - $263.00 $303.00 - $312.00
Max Turbo Frequency
Max Turbo Frequency
4.60 GHz 4 GHz
Bus Speed
Bus Speed
8 GT/s DMI3 5 GT/s DMI2
Thermal Solution Specification
Thermal Solution Specification
PCG 2015D (130W) PCG 2013D
Max Memory Size
Max Memory Size (dependent on memory type)
64 GB 32 GB
Memory Types
Memory Types
DDR4-2666 DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.5V
Memory Bandwidth
Max Memory Bandwidth
41.6 GB/s 25.6 GB/s
Processor Graphics
Processor Graphics ‡
Intel® UHD Graphics 630 Intel® HD Graphics 4600
Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency
Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency
1.15 GHz 1.2 GHz
Graphics Video Max Memory
Graphics Video Max Memory
64 GB 2 GB
Hyper-Threading Tech
Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology ‡
No Yes
TSX-NI
Intel® TSX-NI
Yes No
PCI Express Revision
PCI Express Revision
3.0 Up to 3.0

More specs » More specs »

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

The Core i7-4790 is the third upgrade to Intel's flagship quad core hyper-threaded CPU. This version, like its predecessor the i7-4771, gets a 100 MHz bump in stock frequency and additionally the i7-4790 also gets a 100 MHz turbo frequency bump. These improvements (~4%) are marginal and practically impossible to discern in day to day use. Looking at a benchmark comparison between the 4771 and 4790 verifies that there is little difference between the two CPUs. Although the i7-4790 isn't much of a step forward, it's still one of the best (locked) mainstream processors on the market. AMD hasn't been able to compete with Intel on single threaded performance for several years, consequently Intel have no need to push the envelope. Overclockers should wait for the 4790K which is rumoured to be released shortly. [May '14 CPUPro]

MORE DETAILS

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

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

 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 i5-13600K $210Nvidia RTX 4060 $290WD Black SN850X M.2 2TB $130
Intel Core i5-12400F $111Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $389WD Black SN850X M.2 1TB $80
Intel Core i5-12600K $164Nvidia RTX 4070 $500Crucial T700 M.2 4TB $389
Today's hottest deals
If you buy something via a price link, UserBenchmark may earn a commission
About  •  User Guide  •  FAQs  •  Email  •  Privacy  •  Developer  •  YouTube Feedback