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

The market for people buying an expensive CPU and using it for gaming at 1080p is likely to be limited. What 1080p does is give a good indication of the CPU's raw gaming performance as GPU power is sufficient to push frame rates to a level where the CPU and memory limitations can be observed.

We supplement the 1080p gaming results with three games tested at 2560×1440 resolution. We chose Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Far Cry 5, and The Division 2. Deus Ex and The Division 2 are particularly GPU heavy at higher resolutions and Far Cry 5 is a (relatively) computationally-heavy, open-world game.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

We run the built-in benchmark using a 2560×1440 resolution and the same settings as the 1080p test (Ultra preset).

Far Cry 5

We run the built-in benchmark using a 2560×1440 resolution and the same settings as the 1080p test (Ultra preset).

The Division 2

We run the built-in benchmark using a 2560×1440 resolution and the same settings as the 1080p test (Ultra preset).

Moving quickly through the 1440P gaming results, we see Intel’s Core i9-9900KS continuing to sit at top or joint-top spot in our performance charts. The margins of difference are significantly constricted as more onus is put on the GPU.

That brings AMD’s Ryzen 3000 competitors right into the performance picture with their results in Deus Ex and The Division 2. However, Far Cry 5 still shows preference for Intel hardware and can run at high enough frame rates at 1440P to highlight those differences.

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