Intel released several of its 14 nm+ processors without iGPU, like the Intel Core i5-9400F or the Core i9-9900KF, and “flirted” without GPU. Although the i9-9900KF has no integrated graphics, it costs the same or more than an i9-9900. Now we see in the SiSoft Sandra database a curious i9-9900F, which is an even more modest variant than the two pieces mentioned above.
The Core i9-9900F, as seen in SiSoft’s Sandra, is probably a version that is locked with the multiplier and shipped without integrated graphics. Many speculate that Intel is trying to sell processors in stock that were broken by simply disabling the failed iGPU or blocking operating frequencies.
The Intel Core i9-9900F should have the same design of eight cores, 16 threads and 16 MB L3 cache, but with a blocked multiplier. As for the frequencies, SiSoft Sandra shows that the processor runs at a speed of 3.1 GHz, about 500 MHz under the variants “K” and “KF”. However, the chip seems to be able to reach 5 GHz in two cores and 4.8 GHz in four cores, although we cannot rule out that the tool reports these numbers incorrectly.
Either way, Intel’s strategy is to add processors without iGPU to its catalog, but unfortunately that doesn’t affect the end price for consumers.