Intel has just announced a new CPU that will no doubt rank high among some of the best processors — the Intel Core i9-14900KS. Following on from the Core i9-14900K, the new CPU pushes the frequency out of the box beyond what any other chip can offer right now, reaching a whopping 6.2 GHz. Intel reckons it should offer a significant upgrade over its predecessor, and now we know its specs, release date and price.
The new Core i9-14900KS comes with 24 cores (eight P cores and 16 E cores) and 32 threads, 36 MB of Intel Smart Cache and a TDP of 150 watts. Like the other CPUs in the Raptor Lake refresh series, it supports DDR4 and DDR5 RAM and can handle up to 192GB of DD4-3200 MT/s or DDR5-5600 memory. It can be paired with either a Z690 or a Z790 motherboard and offers 20 PCIe lanes, 16 of which are PCIe 5.0 while the rest are PCIe 4.0.
The new model doesn’t change much in terms of specs compared to the 14900 K, but pushes the clock speed higher to an impressive 6.2 GHz. The Core i9-14900K has the same number of cores and cache size, but a lower power consumption of 125 watts.
Intel claims the new chip can be up to 15% faster than its predecessor, but that refers to gen-on-gen improvements, namely the Core i9-13900KS. The company also shared some gaming benchmarks where the CPU went up against AMD’s Ryzen 9 7950X3D. In about half of the titles the performance was comparable, but in some games, such as Total War: Warhammer III the Metro Exodus, Intel leads the way, being up to 26% and 24% faster, respectively. Comparing the Core i9-14900KS to the previous generation chip reveals more subtle improvements. The new CPU is faster, but most games show three to six percent gains, though the Core i9-14900KS was 9 percent faster in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and 15% faster inside Metro Exodus.
Get our weekly breakdown of the technology behind PC gaming
Intel also promises extensive Application Optimization (APO) support for this chip. This is Intel’s proprietary technology that enables dynamic processor tuning in certain games, boosting performance. Processor performance in Metro Exodus it’s said to be up to 11% better with APO, and the list of supported titles has now expanded to a total of 14, meaning Intel added 12 games.
The Intel Core i9-14900KS will be available from March 14, 2024 and will appear in both DIY and pre-built versions. Some prefab vendors, such as Maingear, will offer special versions of the chip in their builds, meaning that the integrated heat spreader will be removed, along with the thermal paste, and then replaced with liquid metal and a premium quality thermal paste for better overclocking capabilities. As a standalone processor, the Core i9-14900KS will start at a suggested retail price of $700, which is $50 more than the Core i9-14900K.
Editors’ recommendations