In an ideal world, a product that lacks a feature should cost less than one that does. However, that doesn't seem to be the case with the upcoming Intel Core i9-9900KF, which lacks integrated graphics but is priced higher than the Intel Core i9-9900K.
B&H Photo Video is currently selling the Intel Core i9-9900K for $529.99 (~£402.65). However, it recently released the i9-9900KF iGPU-disabled chip for pre-order, at $582.50 (~£442.57), which is about 10 percent more expensive. Both processors are based on the Coffee Lake.
In terms of performance, the Core i9-9900K and Core i9-9900KF should have the same specs, at 95W. Both are equipped with eight cores, 16 threads, and 16MB of L3 cache. Each processor operates at a clock speed of 3.6GHz. For both, when one or two cores are used, the processor boosts to 5GHz and gradually decreases to 4.8GHz when four cores are enabled, or 4.7GHz when all eight cores are enabled.
The i9-9900KF, which is set to launch this quarter, is aimed primarily at hardcore high-end system builders who use one or more graphics cards. However, at this price point, there's no reason to choose the Core i9-9900KF over the Core i9-9900K. And many would argue that having integrated graphics on a processor is incredibly useful for troubleshooting system glitches.
Then there's the upcoming Core i9-9900T, which recently made a brief appearance on Yahoo! Auctions. But at 35W with a possible all-core boost to 3.3GHz, the Core i9-9900T shouldn't pose a threat to the "K" and "KF" models.
Knowing Intel, there's a good chance the Core i9-9900 will launch at 65W at some point in the future.
