The Intel Core i9-9900T processor was tested multiple times yesterday with the popular Geekbench 4 benchmark software.
Intel has done a good job of covering all its bases with its Core i9-9900K Coffee Lake Refresh (CFL-R) chip. In addition to the flagship part, the chipmaker has also launched the Core i9-9900KF, which lacks integrated graphics, and the Core i9-9900 and Core i9-9900T that adhere to a 65W and 35W TDP (thermal design power), respectively. Intel even went a launched the special edition Core i9-9900KS that arrives with a 4 GHz base clock and 5 GHz all-core boost clock.
| Model | Cores / Threads | Base Clock | Boost Clock | Memory Support | Processor Graphics | Cache | TDP | MSRP |
| Core i9-9900KS | 8 / 16 | 4.0 GHz | 5 GHz | Dual DDR4-2666 | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | 16MB | ? | ? |
| Core i9-9900K | 8 / 16 | 3.6 GHz | 5 GHz | Dual DDR4-2666 | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | 16MB | 95W | $488 - $499 |
| Core i9-9900KF | 8 / 16 | 3.6 GHz | 5 GHz | Dual DDR4-2666 | N/A | 16MB | 95W | $488 - $499 |
| Core i9-9900 | 8 / 16 | 3.1 GHz | 5 GHz | Dual DDR4-2666 | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | 16MB | 65W | $439 - $449 |
| Core i9-9900T | 8 / 16 | 2.1 GHz | 4.4 GHz | Dual DDR4-2666 | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | 16MB | 35W | $439 |
If you prioritize energy efficiency over raw processing power, the Core i9-9900T is actually a pretty solid processor. You still get the eight cores, 16 threads, 16MB of cache and Intel UHD Graphics 630 as the full-grown part. The Core i9-9900T's only setback is the lower operating clocks, which are to be expected considering that the chip is trapped inside a 35W envelope. The Core i9-9900T has a 2.1 GHz base clock and a 4.4 GHz boost clock.
Geekbench 4 might not be the de facto benchmarking tool for PC enthusiasts. However, it does have a pretty vast database of hardware for comparison. For example, there are a few entries for the Core i9-9900KS, which should be an excellent point of reference considering it's the top dog in Intel's Coffee Lake Refresh family. Nevertheless, approach the results with caution as the testing was obviously performed under different environments.
When it comes to single-core workloads, the Core i9-9900T is seemingly up to 15.86% slower than the Core i9-9900KS. As for multi-core workloads, the Core i9-9900T falls behind the Core i9-9900KS by around 32.56%. The difference in performance between both parts looks credible given the disparity in operating clocks.
Intel's Recommended Customer Price (RCP) for the Core i9-9900T is $439 and falls right in line with the Core i9-9900 that comes with slightly better specifications. However, the Core i9-9900 does have a 30W higher TDP.
