I5 4690k Cpu

The Intel Core i5-4690K is currently viewed as a "legendary legacy" component in 2026, primarily active in the secondary and budget markets rather than primary retail. YahooTechpowerup While it was a high-performance gaming staple at its launch in 2014, it is now considered "end-of-life" for modern AAA gaming due to its 4-core/4-thread limitation, which leads to severe stuttering and 100% utilization in post-2020 titles like *Cyberpunk 2077* or *Elden Ring*. TomshardwareReddit

Market Trends & Pricing

* Secondary Market Dominance: The i5-4690K has moved almost entirely to the used market, where it maintains a stable value of $30–$45 USD for the CPU alone. EbayQuora

* Bundle Value: Resale value increases when paired with Z-series motherboards (Z87/Z97), which allow for the CPU's signature 4.3–4.7 GHz overclocking, typically selling for $80–$120 USD as a combo. Youtube

* Performance Bottleneck: In 2026, pairing this CPU with modern graphics cards (RTX 3060 Ti or higher) results in a ~50% GPU bottleneck, making it best suited for budget GPUs like the GTX 1650 Super or RX 580. RedditSteamcommunity

Sourcing Insights

New retail stock is virtually non-existent, but wholesale suppliers in hubs like Hong Kong and Shenzhen continue to supply these as "Original Used" or "Brand New Tray" stock for maintenance and budget builds. AlibabaAlibaba

For modern productivity or high-end gaming, users are consistently advised to upgrade to newer budget chips like the i3-12100F, which significantly outperforms the 4690K in both single and multi-core tasks at a similar entry-level price point. Reddit