The Intel 9th Gen Review: Core i9-9900K, Core i7-9700K and Core i5-9600K Tested
by Ian Cutress on October 19, 2018 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- CPUs
- Intel
- Coffee Lake
- 14++
- Core 9th Gen
- Core-S
- i9-9900K
- i7-9700K
- i5-9600K
Gaming: Final Fantasy XV
Upon arriving to PC earlier this, Final Fantasy XV: Windows Edition was given a graphical overhaul as it was ported over from console, fruits of their successful partnership with NVIDIA, with hardly any hint of the troubles during Final Fantasy XV's original production and development.
In preparation for the launch, Square Enix opted to release a standalone benchmark that they have since updated. Using the Final Fantasy XV standalone benchmark gives us a lengthy standardized sequence to record, although it should be noted that its heavy use of NVIDIA technology means that the Maximum setting has problems - it renders items off screen. To get around this, we use the standard preset which does not have these issues.
Square Enix has patched the benchmark with custom graphics settings and bugfixes to be much more accurate in profiling in-game performance and graphical options. For our testing, we run the standard benchmark with a FRAPs overlay, taking a 6 minute recording of the test.
| AnandTech CPU Gaming 2019 Game List | ||||||||
| Game | Genre | Release Date | API | IGP | Low | Med | High | |
| Final Fantasy XV | JRPG | Mar 2018 |
DX11 | 720p Standard |
1080p Standard |
4K Standard |
8K Standard |
|
All of our benchmark results can also be found in our benchmark engine, Bench.
| Final Fantasy XV | IGP | Low | Medium | High |
| Average FPS |  |
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 |
 |
| 95th Percentile |  |
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Unlike World of Tanks, Final Fantasy is never entirely CPU limited at any one point. Even on its Low settings, our entire collection of CPUs is within a 7% range. Only once we drop down to IGP-level settings – which are really meant more for IGP comparisons – do we tease out any kind of CPU difference. Still, in that scenario the 9900K does at least eek out a few more frames than prior Intel CPUs, with the 9700K taking up second place. Past that, this is very clearly a game that is GPU limited in almost all scenarios.
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deil - Friday, October 19, 2018 - link
Very nice. All I wanted to know. 220 W on 95 TDP LOL.AutomaticTaco - Friday, October 19, 2018 - link
Note the revised table. The need for the revision was due to the first motherboard they tested with being severely over-voltage. Not only is it lower the better news, to me at least, is the Overclock at 4.7GHz and 4.8GHz actual reduce the power consumption and operating temperature.Spunjji - Monday, October 22, 2018 - link
Good to see it's "only" 166W on a 95W TDP instead :DCellar Door - Friday, October 19, 2018 - link
Ryan what is your opinion on the 9700k vs 8700k?Icehawk - Saturday, October 20, 2018 - link
I was “worried” I would be bummed that I bought an 8700 but the price:perf and delta between them ileaves me feeling just fine.I too would like to see the 9900 run w/o HT - it *should* perform like a 9700 but would be interesting to see if there are any oddities.
SaturnusDK - Friday, October 19, 2018 - link
Good review. Too bad the subject is pretty lackluster.To sum up the 9900K in one word: Meh!
eva02langley - Friday, October 19, 2018 - link
The CPU is going for 540$+ and the motherboard Toms used is a 600$ motherboard.Performance are awesome, handown, but this is not a 2700x competitor. The only these thing are having in common are the number of cores/threads and their platform.
At this price, I would get a 2950x, hand downs.
eva02langley - Friday, October 19, 2018 - link
Performance are awesome, hand down, but this is not a 2700x competitor. The only things these two are having in common, are the number of cores/threads and their mainstream platform... however the Z390 is more expensive than the X499 which offer way better specs.mapesdhs - Sunday, October 21, 2018 - link
In the UK is 9900K is closer to the equivalent of $800. Outside the US the absolute cost levels are often a lot worse. Where I am, the 2700X is half the price of a 9900K, the saving being more than enough to afford a much better GPU.Total Meltdowner - Sunday, October 21, 2018 - link
Good, F U foreigners wanted out superior tech.