Intel Core i5-8600K Review

Get to know the Core i5-8600K! This Desktop processor is a beast in Intel's mid-range series. Launched in 2017, it's armed with 6 cores and 6 threads. It runs at a base frequency of 3.6GHz, can boost up to 4.3GHz, and has a power requirement of 95W, ready to power up your gaming rig. The Core i5-8600K is a product of the Coffee Lake 14nm process and is a part of the acclaimed Core i5 series.

And guess what? The Core i5-8600K is the ultimate successor to Intel's previous-gen gaming champion, the Core i5-7600K. The Core i5-7600K was based on the legendary Kaby Lake-S and 14nm process, and it made its grand entrance into the gaming scene back in 2017. But now, it's time for the Core i5-8600K to take the throne and conquer the gaming world!

The best CPUs are the ones that slay frames at a price that won't make you ragequit. The Core i5-8600K totally wins this game.

Oof, the single-core performance isn't quite as impressive, even though Intel is closer than ever to matching AMD core for core. In our single-core GeekBench and Cinebench tests, the Core i5-8600K scored a 4561 and 183 respectively. This is a massive leap from the Core i5-7600K, but it still falls behind the Ryzen 5 2600X, which scored a 4823 and 176 in the same tests. Don't worry though, the multi-core gains usually outweigh the single-core difference.

Introducing the Core i5-8600K, the high-performance counterpart to the award-winning Core i5-8500. Both are built on the same 14nm Coffee Lake platform, but the Core i5-8600K cranks the power up to a toasty 95W for those extra cores and threads. We're expecting big things from this one, just like its lower-powered sibling! 'sChoiceHype

Heads up, with a simple overclock, the Core i5-8500 can actually perform almost as well as the Core i5-8600K, even when the Core i5-8600K is overclocked too. But the Core i5-8500 is $70 cheaper! Don't get us wrong, the Core i5-8600K is still a beast and offers more overall performance than AMD's Ryzen 5 2400G, but if you're on a budget, the cheaper sibling might be the better call.

The Core i5-8600K is the more expensive version of the Core i5-8500, and it shows with its higher base and boost clock speeds: 3.6 GHz and 4.3 GHz, respectively. That's a nice boost in speed, but the real game changer is the higher power delivery (PPT). This lets the motherboard pump more juice (up to 142W) to the Core i5-8600K compared to the Core i5-8500's limit of 65W. This extra power allows the Core i5-8600K to crank up the boost clocks even more aggressively, on both single and multiple cores. That means the performance gap between these two CPUs might be bigger than what the specs on paper suggest.

The Intel Core i5-8600K launched on Oct 2017 for $257, which is pretty much the same price as the last-generation Core i5-7600K. At least there's no crazy price hike this generation!

The Intel Core i5-8600K is another impressive addition to Intel's 8 Gen of Core i5 processors. It boasts 6 cores and 6 threads, with a boost clock of up to 4.3 GHz. While the specs might not look super top-of-the-line on paper, the real-world performance you get for your $257 is fantastic.

Heads up! If you already have a Core i5-7600K, this new generation doesn't offer a huge jump in performance. You might be better off waiting a year to upgrade or spending more on a higher-end CPU.

Alright, buying advice time! Before this review, we recommended the Ryzen 5 2600X because it comes with a better stock cooler, can be overclocked, and the platform allows for easier future upgrades.

For things other than gaming, the Ryzen 5 2600X is the clear winner. With all those extra threads, it can crush the Core i5-8600K on demanding applications. Think of it this way: the Core i5-8600K is only slightly faster than the Core i5-7600K, so you can use that as a benchmark. For rendering videos and encoding stuff, the Ryzen 5 2600X can be up to 33% faster.

But beyond gaming, the Ryzen 5 2600X is the future-proof option. The Ryzen 5 platform on A320, B350, B450, X370, X470, X570 motherboards supports upcoming Zen+ processors. So, if you buy a good A320, B350, B450, X370, X470, X570 board with the Ryzen 5 2600X now, you can easily upgrade to a newer Coffee Lake CPU later on.

For a 6-core CPU, the Intel Core i5-8600K is a steal at $257! It seems crazy cheap compared to its main competitor, the 6-core AMD Ryzen 5 2600X which costs $229. Basically, you get extra cores for almost nothing.

If you don't care too much about overclocking and max boost speeds, then the Intel Core i5-8500 is a good option for $202. It also has 6 cores and 6 threads, but with slightly lower clock speeds (3GHz base and 4.1GHz boost).

Can you game on Intel's Core i5 CPU? Absolutely! We got a solid 88% score in our gaming benchmarks.

Building on the success of mainstream Core i5 CPUs, Intel is now attacking the mid-range market with the Core i5-8600K processors, available since Oct 2017.