A six-core Coffee Lake desktop processor for gaming PCs with a separate graphics card.
Cores
6/6
Boost
4.1 GHz
L3
9 MB
Power
65 W
Socket
LGA1151
What reviewers say
Reviews find good gaming performance, with only a small improvement over the Core i5-8400. Ryzen alternatives handle heavily threaded work better, and TechSpot finds poorer frame-time consistency in some games than the Ryzen 5 3600. The included cooler helps affordability, but the limited platform upgrade path reduces long-term value.
Six cores without Hyper-Threading; Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 supported. Intel's F suffix denotes a processor requiring separate graphics; its multiplier is locked.
Clocks
Maximum turbo is a single-core frequency; sustained clocks depend on cooling and motherboard power settings. Intel publishes TDP without a separate maximum turbo-power figure.
Graphics and AI
Built-in graphics
No
Graphics
No integrated GPU; a separate graphics card is required, including for motherboard display outputs.
Platform
Socket
LGA1151
Base power
65 W
Unlocked
No
Cooler in the box
Yes
Memory support
Up to 128 GB; two channels; DDR4-2666; 41.6 GB/s maximum bandwidth; ECC not supported.
PCIe
PCIe 3.0; 16 CPU lanes, configured as 1×16, 2×8 or 1×8+2×4.
Process
14 nm; Coffee Lake; 37.5 × 37.5 mm package; 100°C maximum junction temperature. ComputerBase identifies a paste thermal interface on its launch sample; this should not be assumed for every later stepping.
Cooler
Boxed cooler included and tested by TechSpot. Intel 300-series motherboard compatibility requires the appropriate BIOS and vendor support. Intel's January release notice gives a late-January through first-quarter rollout for the new models; IT Home reports the exact 9400F on sale in China on 28 January, supporting month precision rather than a confirmed worldwide first-sale day.
