In an ideal world, a product lacking a certain feature should cost less than a full-fledged version that comes with all the bells and whistles. However, that doesn't seem to be the case with the upcoming Intel Core i9-9900KF processor, which lacks integrated graphics yet has been priced higher than the Intel Core i9-9900K.
B&H Photo Video currently sells the Intel Core i9-9900K for $529.99 (~ £402.65). It recently listed the i9-9900KF iGPU-disabled chip for preorder for $582.50 (~ £442.57), which is roughly 10 percent more expensive. Both processors are based on the Coffee Lake processor microarchitecture and came out of Intel's 14nm++ process node.
In terms of performance, the Core i9-9900K and Core i9-9900KF should perform equally at 95W. Both are equipped with eight cores, 16 threads and 16MB of L3 cache. Each processor runs at a base clock speed of 3.6GHz. For both, when one or two cores are in use, the processor boosts to 5GHz and slowly drops down to 4.8GHz when four cores are active or 4.7GHz when all eight cores are loaded.
Intel Core i9-9900KF vs i9-9900K vs i9-9900 vs i9-9900T Specs
| Model | Cores / Threads | Base Frequency | Boost Frequency | Memory Support | Processor Graphics | Cache | TDP | MSRP |
| Core i9-9900K | 8 / 16 | 3.6 GHz | 5 GHz (1 / 2 Core)4.8 GHz (4 Core)4.7 GHz (6 / 8 Core) | DDR4-2666 | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | 16MB | 95W | $488 - $499 |
| Core i9-9900KF | 8 / 16 | 3.6 GHz | 5 GHz (1 / 2 Core)4.8 GHz (4 Core)4.7 GHz (6 / 8 Core) | DDR4-2666 | N/A | 16MB | 95W | $499 |
| Core i9-9900 | 8 / 16 | ? | ? | DDR4-2666 | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | 16MB | 65W | ? |
| Core i9-9900T | 8 / 16 | 1.7 GHz | 3.8 GHz GHz (1 / 2 Core)? GHz (4 Core)3.3 GHz (6 / 8 Core) | DDR4-2666 | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | 16MB | 35W | ? |
The i9-9900KF, set to debut this quarter, targets hardcore enthusiasts building very high-end systems employing one or multiple discrete graphics cards. However, at this price, there is little reason to pick up an Core i9-9900KF over the Core i9-9900K. And many would point out that having integrated graphics on a processor is extremely useful for diagnosing system malfunctions.
Then there's the upcoming Core i9-9900T, which recently made a short appearance on Yahoo! Auctions. But at 35W with a potential 3.3GHz all-core boost, the Core i9-9900T shouldn't be a threat to the "K" and "KF" models.
Knowing Intel, there's a high possibility it will launch the Core i9-9900 at 65W at some point.
