Intel Core i5-9600K Processor

The Intel Core i5-9600K Processor — 6 cores and 6 threads, 3.7 GHz base rising to 4.6 GHz with Turbo Boost, 9 MB Intel Smart Cache, 95 W processor base power, LGA1151. Supplied from stock with a 1-year warranty.

The unlocked six-core, 4.6 GHz Turbo

The i5-9600K is the enthusiast Coffee Lake Refresh i5: six cores at 3.70 GHz with a 4.60 GHz Turbo, an unlocked multiplier, a soldered heat spreader and a 95 W envelope. Launched Q4 2018, it was the last great unlocked six-core — good samples held 5.0–5.1 GHz on quality air cooling.

Out of the box it is already the fastest 9th Generation i5; overclocking requires a Z390 or Z370 board — H310, B360, H370 and Q370 run it at stock. Intel UHD Graphics 630 is on package, though most builds paired it with a discrete card.

Technical specifications

Instruction set extensions: Intel SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX and AVX2. Security and virtualisation: AES-NI, Intel VT-x with EPT and VT-d, Intel Boot Guard.

Which systems take this processor

Anything on the FCLGA1151 socket with an Intel 300 series chipset: H310, B360, B365, H370, Q370, Z370 and Z390, plus C246 server boards. 9th Generation parts need a BIOS from late 2018 or later on 300 series boards; boards built for 9th Generation support both generations.

• Business desktops and SFF machines — Dell OptiPlex 3070 / 5070 / 7070, HP EliteDesk 800 G5 / ProDesk 600 G5, Lenovo ThinkCentre M720 / M920 (late BIOS). The 9th Generation refresh was the last major corporate platform on this socket.
• Entry workstations — HP Z2 G4/G5, Dell Precision 3630, Lenovo ThinkStation P330 (Gen 2), where six cores cover office, light CAD and rendering duty.
• Micro-server and NAS builds — C246 boards such as Supermicro X11SCH and ASUS P11C accept Core i5 parts with ECC UDIMMs; the F-variants pair well with a low-profile discrete card for transcoding appliances.

One caveat when buying a board separately: 9th Generation parts need a BIOS from late 2018 or later, and C246 boards were sold mainly for Xeon E — Core support may only be listed from a specific revision. Tell us the board or the machine model when you enquire and we will check it.

How it compares across the i5 line

The 9600KF is the same part with the iGPU disabled at a lower price — the pick when a discrete card is certain. The 10600K is the next generation: twelve threads from Hyper-Threading and a 4.80 GHz Turbo on a new socket.

How each processor is tested before it ships

1. Visual inspection of the integrated heat spreader, substrate and contact pads; the sSpec laser marking (SRELU/SRG11 on our i5-9600K stock) is verified against the Intel specification sheet.
2. Burn-in on a matched diagnostic board with a pair of memory modules of the correct type for this platform.
3. All populated memory channels and the primary PCIe lanes are validated, then the processor is identified in the BIOS and in the operating system.
4. A sustained multi-threaded load test at full core count, with the clock and thermal readings recorded.
5. Thermal paste cleaned off, final inspection, then packaging in an anti-static tray with foam — which is how it arrives to you.

Warranty and lead time

Every processor is covered by a 1-year warranty against defects in workmanship and function. If a part fails within the period we replace it or refund it, and we cover return shipping on a verified fault. Stock is held in our own warehouse and normally dispatches within three to seven working days; tracking is issued at dispatch.

Purchasing and volume enquiries

The minimum order quantity for this processor is 2 units. Price is quotation-based rather than listed, because CPU pricing moves with each incoming batch — send us the quantity you need and we will come back with a firm quote and the current lead time. Larger quantities ship from the same production batch so the sSpec and the stepping stay consistent across your order.