Intel Core i9-9900K Processor

The Intel Core i9-9900K Processor — 8 cores and 16 threads, 3.6 GHz base rising to 5.0 GHz with Turbo Boost, 16 MB Intel Smart Cache, 95 W processor base power, LGA1151. Supplied from stock with a 1-year warranty.

The eight-core Coffee Lake flagship

The i9-9900K is the flagship of the 9th Generation: eight cores with Hyper-Threading at 3.60 GHz with a 5.00 GHz Turbo, an unlocked multiplier, a soldered heat spreader and a 95 W envelope, launched Q4 2018. It was the gaming and workstation CPU of its generation and remains one of the most recognised desktop processors ever shipped.

The solder TIM (STIM) between die and heat spreader improved heat transfer over the paste used on earlier Coffee Lake parts, and the eight-core layout made it the first mainstream i9. UHD 630 handles display output, and the 300-series platform it lives on is mature and inexpensive.

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 9900 was the eight-core top of the corporate refresh.

Entry workstations — HP Z2 G4/G5, Dell Precision 3630, Lenovo ThinkStation P330 (Gen 2), where eight cores with Hyper-Threading cover office, light CAD and rendering duty.

Micro-server and NAS builds — C246 boards such as Supermicro X11SCH and ASUS P11C accept Core i9 parts with ECC UDIMMs; the KF-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 i9 line

The 9900KF is the same chip with the graphics engine disabled, the 9900 is the 65 W locked office variant, and the ten-core 10900K is the Comet Lake successor.

How each processor is tested before it ships

1. Visual inspection of the integrated heat spreader, substrate and contact pads; the sSpec laser marking (SRELS/SRG19 on our i9-9900K 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.