Intel announced the 9th Gen Core series of processors at a launch event in New York today. The new processors are built on the 14nm++ process node and feature the same unified cache hierarchy that the previous generations have utilised. The new 9th gen lineup is lead by the Intel Core i9 9900K processor which is an 8-core / 16-thread CPU that has a Turbo Frequency of 5.0GHz making this the first high-volume mainstream processor to do so.
The launch lineup of the 9th Gen Core i9 series of processors consists of three CPUs. Here’s the launch table along with all the specs.
| Processor | Core i9-9900K | Core i7-9700K | Core i5-9600K |
| Base Clock | 3.6 GHz | 3.6 GHz | 3.7 GHz |
| Turbo Boost | 5.0 GHz | 4.9 GHz | 4.6 GHz |
| Cores | 8 | 8 | 6 |
| Threads | 16 | 8 | 6 |
| TDP | 95W | 95W | 95W |
| Smart Cache | 16 MB | 12 MB | 9 MB |
| Unlocked | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PCIe Lanes | Up to 40 | Up to 40 | Up to 40 |
| Max Memory Freq. | DDR4-2666 | DDR4-2666 | DDR4-2666 |
| Memory Support | Dual Channel | Dual Channel | Dual Channel |
| Price | $488 | $374 | $262 |
The Core i9-9900K is the first 8-core, 16-thread CPU to be shipped in the mainstream segment. Intel has had 8-core CPUs in the HEDT segment for quite a while but never was there a SKU in the mainstream segment. Given how the race to add more cores to CPUs has had both AMD and Intel stepping up their game, we’ve seen some ridiculous core counts on CPUs of late. The disappointing thing here is that the Core i7 9700K does not feature hyper-threading. The Core i7 series have always been defined by the presence of the hyperthreading technology and this marks a change in that philosophy. However, the pricing of the CPUs seems to be more in line with Intel’s traditional pricing strategies.