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Intel Core Ultra 9 285K deal chops 12% off the price of this superb high-end CPU

This overclockable processor comes with a standard boost clock of 5.7GHz and 24 threads
Aaron RitchieSenior Editor & Product Reviewer
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Intel Core Ultra 9 Desktop Processor 285KSave 17% Now!
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Intel Core Ultra 9 285K deal chops 12% off the price of this superb high-end CPU
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The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is one of the most advanced processors the boys in blue have released. It combines eight P-cores, 16 E-cores, 24 total threads, up to 5.7GHz boost frequency, and 40MB of cache. It comes unlocked allowing for further overclocking, and has substantial multi-core resources, integrated graphics, DDR5 support, and both PCIe 5.0 and 4.0 connectivity, making it especially compelling for content creation, rendering, compilation, intensive multitasking, and premium gaming systems that also serve as workstations. Grab it now for 12% off while this deal is still live!

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The supplied warranty on the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is three years, providing appropriate manufacturer coverage for an enthusiast-class desktop processor. You can take a look below for more information on the various specifications, or look further down the page for more CPU deals. 

What we like about this Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU

24-core hybrid architecture

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K combines 24 physical cores, divided between eight Performance-cores and 16 Efficient-cores. Intel’s hybrid architecture allows demanding foreground workloads to make use of the high-performance cores while heavily threaded and background tasks can be distributed across the larger pool of E-cores, giving the processor substantial resources for content creation, multitasking, compilation, rendering, and enthusiast desktop workloads.

Up to 5.7GHz boost frequency

The Core Ultra 9 285K can reach frequencies of up to 5.7GHz under appropriate workload, thermal, and power conditions. High peak frequency remains valuable for applications that depend heavily on individual-core performance, including many games, lightly threaded creative tools, CAD applications, and general desktop software.

40MB of cache

Intel equips the processor with 40MB of listed cache, giving its cores a sizeable pool of fast on-chip memory for frequently accessed instructions and data. Keeping more information close to the processing cores reduces the need to repeatedly access higher-latency system memory, which can improve performance across a variety of computational workloads.

Unlocked multiplier for enthusiast tuning

The K-series designation means the Core Ultra 9 285K is unlocked for performance tuning when paired with appropriate motherboard hardware and cooling. Enthusiasts can therefore adjust processor parameters beyond Intel’s standard operating configuration, although achievable results will vary considerably between individual CPUs and cooling setups.

PCIe 5.0 and PCIe 4.0 support

Support for both PCIe 5.0 and PCIe 4.0 gives the 285K a modern I/O foundation for high-performance graphics cards, NVMe storage, and other PCIe devices. PCIe 5.0 provides twice the theoretical bandwidth per lane of PCIe 4.0, helping the platform accommodate increasingly fast expansion hardware.

Integrated Intel Graphics

Unlike processors that require a discrete graphics card simply to provide a display output, the Core Ultra 9 285K includes integrated Intel graphics. Enthusiast gamers will generally pair the processor with a dedicated GPU, but integrated graphics remain useful for troubleshooting, secondary display duties, and systems where powerful discrete graphics are not always necessary.

Who should buy this Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU?

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is aimed primarily at enthusiast desktop users who need substantial multi-core processing performance alongside high single-core frequencies. Its 24-core design makes it particularly appropriate for video production, 3D rendering, software development, code compilation, engineering applications, large multitasking workloads, and other applications capable of distributing work across many processor cores. It can also power extremely high-end gaming PCs, particularly systems where gaming is combined with streaming, recording, content creation, or professional work. Users building purely for gaming, however, should consider overall platform and game-specific performance rather than assuming the highest core count will automatically produce the highest frame rate.

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Prices and savings can change. Check the retailer for the current price.

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Aaron's laptop knowledge makes him the go-to guy on PC Guide. But he still finds time for features, deals and much more.

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