Average Bench: 99.6% (91st of 1468)

Based on 107,269 user benchmarks.  Devices: BFEBFBFF000A0655, BFEBFBFF000A0654 Model: Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-10900K CPU @ 3.70GHz

Intel’s Comet Lake flagship, the i9-10900K, is the fastest gaming and desktop CPU currently available. This ten-core hyperthreaded processor can easily be overclocked so that all twenty threads run at an eye-watering 5.2 GHz. Whilst its stellar performance is second to none, it comes with a premium price tag of $488 USD. The 10900K also requires a new (Z490) LGA1200 motherboard, which Intel has indicated will remain compatible with Rocket Lake CPUs which are due later this year. Whilst AMD’s competing $420 USD Ryzen 3900X and $675 USD Ryzen 3950X do have a greater number of cores, their lower clock speeds and higher memory latency handicap them in non-rendering use cases. Overall, the 10900K has a 16% effective speed advantage over both the 3900X and 3950X. Users that do a lot of rendering should investigate dedicated hardware encoders such as NVENC and Quick Sync as these are far more efficient than CPU based rendering. Comparing the 10900K and 10700K shows that, when paired with a 2060S, the 10700K offers comparable gaming performance for 20% less money. [Jun '20 CPUPro]

Excellent average bench

The Intel Core i9-10900K averaged just 0.3% lower than the peak scores attained by the group leaders. This is an excellent result which ranks the Intel Core i9-10900K near the top of the comparison list.

Strengths

Avg. Multi Core Speed 1,888Pts
Avg. Quad Core Speed 579Pts

Very good consistency

The range of scores (95th - 5th percentile) for the Intel Core i9-10900K is just 16.8%. This is a relatively narrow range which indicates that the Intel Core i9-10900K performs reasonably consistently under varying real world conditions.

Weaknesses

Avg. Memory Latency 91.1Pts
Avg. Octa Core Speed 1,100Pts

Average Bench

(Based on 107,269 samples)
Min Avg Max
79.4 Memory 91.1 97.4
128 1-Core 149 158
255 2-Core 295 314
97.6% 178 Pts
Min Avg Max
501 4-Core 579 623
918 8-Core 1,100 1,222
100% 840 Pts
Min Avg Max
1,521 64-Core 1,888 2,033
117% 1,888 Pts
User Benchmarks BenchNormalHeavyServer
The fastest CPU (mainstream) averages a speed of 100%
LGA1200, 1 CPU, 10 cores, 20 threads
Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 4.9 GHz (avg)
Memory 95.8
1-Core 150
2-Core 289
99% 178 Pts
4-Core 583
8-Core 1,120
101% 851 Pts
64-Core 1,931
120% 1,931 Pts
U3E1, 1 CPU, 10 cores, 20 threads
Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 4.85 GHz (avg)
Memory 94.7
1-Core 152
2-Core 302
100% 183 Pts
4-Core 584
8-Core 1,055
98% 820 Pts
64-Core 1,848
114% 1,848 Pts
LGA1200, 1 CPU, 10 cores, 20 threads
Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 4.9 GHz (avg)
Memory 90.3
1-Core 153
2-Core 302
99% 182 Pts
4-Core 606
8-Core 1,140
104% 873 Pts
64-Core 1,975
122% 1,975 Pts
LGA1200, 1 CPU, 10 cores, 20 threads
Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 4.9 GHz (avg)
Memory 91.6
1-Core 152
2-Core 294
98% 179 Pts
4-Core 586
8-Core 1,081
100% 833 Pts
64-Core 1,992
123% 1,992 Pts
U3E1, 1 CPU, 10 cores, 20 threads
Base clock 3.6 GHz, turbo 1.9 GHz (avg)
Memory 78.6
1-Core 58.6
2-Core 147
56% 94.6 Pts
4-Core 224
8-Core 358
36% 291 Pts
64-Core 495
31% 495 Pts
107,269 MORE »

 Market Share (See Leaders)

The number of benchmark samples for this model as a percentage of all 68,991,956 CPUs tested

 Prices

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MSRP ≈ $488 @ launch in May '20
AmazonUS $45013 mins
EbayUS $49920 mins
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Typical Core i9-10900K Builds (Compare 10,975 builds) See popular component choices, score breakdowns and rankings
Gaming
Gaming 183%
UFO
Desktop
Desktop 103%
UFO
Workstation
Workstation 196%
UFO

Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX Z490-E GAMING - $452

EDIT WITH CUSTOM PC BUILDER Value: 79% - Very good Total price: $1,841

Popular Core i9-10900K compatible motherboards:

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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.

 Specifications

Essentials

DescriptionIntel® Core™ i9-10900K Processor
Launch DateQ2'20
Processor Numberi9-10900K
# of Cores10
# of Threads20
Cache20 MB Intel® Smart Cache
Instruction Set64-bit
Instruction Set ExtensionsIntel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
Embedded Options AvailableNo
Lithography14 nm
Clock Speed3.70 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency5.30 GHz
Bus Speed8 GT/s
Scalability1S Only
Max TDP125 W
Thermal Solution SpecificationPCG 2015D

Graphics

Processor GraphicsIntel® UHD Graphics 630
Graphics Base Frequency350 MHz
# of Displays Supported3
Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency1.20 GHz
Quick Sync VideoYes
InTru 3D TechYes
Clear Video HD TechYes
Clear Video Tech for MIDYes
Graphics Video Max Memory64 GB

Memory

Max Memory Size128 GB
Memory TypesDDR4-2933
Memory Channels2
Memory Bandwidth45.8 GB/s
ECC Memory SupportedNo

Expansion Options

PCI Express Revision3
PCI Express ConfigurationsUp to 1x16, 2x8, 1x8+2x4
Max # of PCI Express Lanes16

Data Protection

AES New InstructionsYes
Secure KeyYes

Advanced Technologies

Turbo Boost 3.0 TechYes
Virtualization Tech (VT-x)Yes
Intel 64Yes
Idle StatesYes
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® TechYes
Thermal Monitoring TechnologiesYes
Turbo Boost Tech2
Hyper-Threading TechYes
Virtualization for Directed I/O (VT-d)Yes
VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)Yes
Identity Protection TechYes
Stable Image Platform Program (SIPP)Yes

Package

Package Size37.5mm x 37.5mm
Max CPU Configuration1
Sockets SupportedFCLGA1200

Platform Protection

Execute Disable BitYes
OS GuardYes
Trusted Execution TechYes

 Comments

10th generation Comet Lake processor...

Added 4 years ago.

Disliked (edit your comment) Add link

16 days ago.

Comment 

10/10 Performs marginally better than my 5600x in EVERY game i've tried. Its ICE cold PEGGED at 5.3Ghz 30c idle. gets maaaaaaybe 45-50 during gameplay and i have a NZXT z73. I literally couldn't ask for a better CPU.—Nov '20


Disliked

12 days ago.

Comment 

The intel core i9-10900k is a lot cheaper than the amd ryzen 9 5950x and has almost the same performance—Mar '21


Excellent

16 months ago.

intel is god compared to the ass amd company


Excellent

3 years ago.

Is the best gaming procesor of the year


Excellent

10 months ago.

Super good for fortnite gaming, many framers for the pro games!


Liked

20 months ago.

Video Amusement  www.youtube.com/...

a nice video to cheer you up after you found out how bad this cpu is


Good

4 years ago.


Excellent

18 months ago.

Comment 

With a whopping 5.3 Ghz max turbo frequency and faster single core performance than the 9900K, this processor could be the world's fastest gaming CPU by a substantial amount. However, having 2 more cores might increase the ring bus latency. Surprisingly for multi-threaded workload, the 10900K is only 3% behind the 3900X even with 2 fewer physical cores.—May '20


Excellent

2 years ago.

i need this becuse my fps so bad


Excellent

4 years ago.

The current gaming king, the 10 core 20 thread i9-10900K comes with base clock of 3.7GHz and a boost clock of whopping 5.3GHz thanks to Intel's Thermal Velocity Boost. This CPU has all core boost of 4.9GHz and supports higher RAM clock natively. This CPU has TDP of 125W and requires beefy cooling such as bulky air cooler and 240mm AIO to avoid overheating, and when OC'ing this CPU, open loop liquid cooling to keep the CPU as warm as necessary. Essentially the most powerful sub $500 CPU you can buy if you're enthusiast that doesn't need moar threads to do heavy tasks such as heavy gaming and some content creation.


Good

4 years ago.

When it comes to Intel, speed is the name of the game. It's not as powerful as the 3900x, but it is much faster than it, or any other Ryzen cpu. It's like comparing a 16 wheeler to a rally car. Many people focused on productivity and cpu compute will benefit more from AMD's equivalent, but gamers should be looking at this for the fastest possible performance.


Good

2 years ago.

i have it with 9600 gt and its going ultra settings every game with 144 fps


Excellent

2 years ago.

The Intel Core i9-10900K has strong single-core and multi-core performance on sale for $390 via Amazon.com or available at other retailers. I would highly recommend picking up this chip if you're looking for strong, long-term performance at an affordable price.


Excellent

3 years ago.

Simply the best!


Your
opinion?
1468 Processors (Compared) Thousands of user benchmarks compiled into one comparison list

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