Core i9-10900K vs Core i9-10900KF

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i9-10900K

2020

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $10 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $509 MSRP).
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Core i9-10900KF needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10900KF across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Core i9-10900KF

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.9% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,231 vs 22,382).
❌
2% HIGHER MSRP
$509 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-10900K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i9-10900K

2020

Core i9-10900KF

2020

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $10 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $509 MSRP).
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Core i9-10900KF needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.9% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10900KF across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,231 vs 22,382).
❌
2% HIGHER MSRP
$509 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-10900K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-10900K better than Core i9-10900KF?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-10900KF is ahead with a 3.9% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-10900K pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-10900K is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 20 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i9-10900K is the smarter buy today. Core i9-10900K is $10 cheaper on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $509 MSRP, and it gives you 0.7% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i9-10900KF is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 3.9% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 2.7% better value on MSRP (44.9 vs 43.7 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i9-10900K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 20 threads instead of 10/20. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i9-10900K Benchmark Check

Core i9-10900KF Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-10900K	Core i9-10900KF
1080p
low	263 FPS	280 FPS
medium	242 FPS	247 FPS
high	202 FPS	207 FPS
ultra	174 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	227 FPS	241 FPS
medium	189 FPS	190 FPS
high	154 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	157 FPS	167 FPS
medium	131 FPS	133 FPS
high	102 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i9-10900K Open Core i9-10900KF

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-10900K	Core i9-10900KF
1080p
low	560 FPS	556 FPS
medium	487 FPS	523 FPS
high	411 FPS	429 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	497 FPS	556 FPS
medium	436 FPS	475 FPS
high	369 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	321 FPS	335 FPS
4K
low	291 FPS	338 FPS
medium	259 FPS	285 FPS
high	247 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	215 FPS	229 FPS

Open Core i9-10900K Open Core i9-10900KF

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-10900K	Core i9-10900KF
1080p
low	560 FPS	556 FPS
medium	560 FPS	556 FPS
high	517 FPS	556 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	556 FPS
1440p
low	560 FPS	556 FPS
medium	546 FPS	556 FPS
high	464 FPS	556 FPS
ultra	387 FPS	492 FPS
4K
low	473 FPS	556 FPS
medium	407 FPS	496 FPS
high	363 FPS	445 FPS
ultra	299 FPS	374 FPS

Open Core i9-10900K Open Core i9-10900KF

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-10900K	Core i9-10900KF
1080p
low	560 FPS	556 FPS
medium	560 FPS	556 FPS
high	560 FPS	556 FPS
ultra	560 FPS	556 FPS
1440p
low	560 FPS	556 FPS
medium	560 FPS	556 FPS
high	560 FPS	556 FPS
ultra	540 FPS	556 FPS
4K
low	539 FPS	556 FPS
medium	490 FPS	556 FPS
high	438 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	383 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i9-10900K Open Core i9-10900KF

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10900K and Core i9-10900KF

Core i9-10900K

The Core i9-10900K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 22,382 points. Launch price was $488.

Core i9-10900KF

The Core i9-10900KF is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 22,231 points. Launch price was $509.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i9-10900K and Core i9-10900KF share an identical 10-core/20-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5.2 GHz on the Core i9-10900K versus 5.2 GHz on the Core i9-10900KF — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). Both are built on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture using a 14 nm process. In PassMark, the Core i9-10900K scores 22,382 against the Core i9-10900KF's 22,231 — a 0.7% lead for the Core i9-10900K. Both processors carry 20 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i9-10900K	Core i9-10900KF
Cores / Threads	10 / 20	10 / 20
Boost Clock	5.2 GHz	5.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz	3.7 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	20 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Comet Lake (2020−2025)
PassMark	22,382	22,231
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,767
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	9,261

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1200 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Intel 400 series (Core i9-10900K) and LGA1200 (Core i9-10900KF).

Feature	Core i9-10900K	Core i9-10900KF
Socket	LGA1200	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i9-10900K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Core i9-10900KF requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-10900K targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i9-10900K	Core i9-10900KF
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	—
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Desktop	—

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Value Analysis

The Core i9-10900K launched at $499 MSRP, while the Core i9-10900KF debuted at $509. On MSRP ($499 vs $509), the Core i9-10900K is $10 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-10900K delivers 44.9 pts/$ vs 43.7 pts/$ for the Core i9-10900KF — making the Core i9-10900K the 2.7% better value option.