Intel Core i9-9900KS 5GHz (8C16T) CPU Review

1. Core i9-9900K On Steroids: The 5GHz Core i9-9900KS2. Overclocking Core i9-9900KS3. Testing Methodology4. CPU Tests: Cinebench R15 & R20, Blender5. CPU & Memory Tests: 7-Zip, Handbrake x264 & x2656. Memory Tests: Memory Bandwidth and Latency7. Gaming 1: 3DMark, Ashes, Deus Ex, Far Cry 5, GTA V8. Gaming 2: GRW, Hitman 2, SotTR, The Division 29. 1440p Gaming: Deus Ex, Far Cry 5, & The Division 210. Technical: Power Draw, Efficiency, Temperatures11. Closing Thoughts12. View All Pages

7-Zip

Variability in the 7-Zip benchmark puts the eight-core Coffee Lake Refresh chips roughly on par for the compression result. AMD’s Ryzen 3000 parts perform considerably better, despite the 3700X costing around £200 less.

A 7% lead opens up for the 9900KS versus the 9900K in the 7-Zip decompression test. Intel’s eight-core chip narrows the deficit to AMD’s cheaper Ryzen 7 3700X, but the stock Ryzen 9 3900X still outperforms Team Blue’s 5GHz processor by a rather large 55%.

Handbrake

The lead for the stock 9900KS in our Handbrake x264 test is 4% versus the 9900K. Overclocking the 9900KS to 5.2GHz adds another 4% onto its performance. Compared with the Ryzen 9 3900X, Intel’s similarly priced eight-core competitor cannot keep pace. The 12-core Zen 2 chip is 32% faster stock versus stock and 33% quicker overclocked versus overclocked.

X265 performance is an area where Intel’s AVX implementation for Coffee Lake Refresh continues to show strength versus AMD’s Zen 2 architecture. The 9900KS beats the stock 9900K by 4% and matches the performance of the Ryzen 9 3900X. Overclocking the 9900KS to 5.2GHz allows Intel’s eight-core chip to leapfrog the overclocked 12-core Ryzen 9 3900X into top spot. This test also serves as an example of the benefit of clock frequency in thread-limited workloads.

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