Intel Core i7 Coffee Lake Refresh i7-9700F BOX (BX80684I79700F)

Practically a flagship

The Core i7-9700K should be taken as a ninth generation sub-flagship, which is actually not that much different from its older brother, the Core i9-9900K. It has 8 physical cores without multithreading support, operating frequencies of 3.6 — 4.9 GHz and 12 MB of third-level cache. That is, it differs from the flagship model by disabled HyperThreading, a slightly smaller cache and only 100 MHz lower clock speed.

Tempting price

But the most important thing here is the official price of $374, which allows us to consider the novelty as a logical replacement for the Core i7-8700K and Core i7-7700K, which had fewer cores. As for the other popular “octa-core” Ryzen 7 2700X with multithreading support, not everything is clear: multitasking drags mainly in easily parallelized tasks like rendering 3D models or calculating chess positions. In games, on the contrary, it can interfere. Plus, Ryzen has lower operating frequencies and weaker overall gaming performance. However, the money factor plays into his hands: since the announcement, their prices have dropped dramatically and now such a “stone” can be bought for $250. In general, the confrontation between AMD and Intel, as usual, comes down to price versus performance.

The Brain for the Optimal Work or Gaming PC

Another important innovation of the Core i7-9700K is the use of a new thermal interface material, which, in comparison with conventional polymer thermal paste, has a higher thermal conductivity. Thanks to him, the cooling efficiency of the core has increased and the ceiling of frequencies that can be obtained in overclocking has risen. Well, the conclusion here is this: if you plan to build a powerful gaming or work computer, but are willing to pay within reason, then the new i7-9700K looks like an excellent candidate for the role of the brain of the system.