- Intel Core i9-14900KS, its fastest processor to date, has been released with a $699 price tag.
- The company says availability begins on March 14, 2024, so it should be in stock at popular retailers soon.
- The new Core i9-14900KS goes up to 6.20 GHz (Thermal Velocity Boost). The max turbo E-core frequency has also been raised by 200MHz.
Intel has released the Core i9-14900KS processor as part of its 14th-Gen lineup. Like previous KS flagship processors, this too is touted to be the “world’s fastest desktop processor,” and with that, the price has also been increased.
As compared to the previously released i9-14900K, which we reviewed, this boasts a higher base TDP of 150W instead of 125W. The turbo power is the same at 253W. But as with other K series Intel processors, this is unlocked and users who buy these typically end up boosting the CPU way higher. This Core i9-14900KS deserves to be coupled with powerful cooling to tame the beastly KS processor.
The max clock speed of the new Intel Core i9-14900KS processor is advertised as 6.20 GHz for the Performance (P) Cores, facilitated by “Thermal Velocity Boost.” The all-core max turbo frequency is the same as the non-KS Core i9 at 5.60 GHz. As for the efficiency (E) cores, they also receive a slight 100MHz bump, now with up to 4.50 GHz turbo frequency. The total cache is the same at 36MB of Intel Smart Cache. The full specifications are listed below.
Motherboard Support LGA 1700 Socket (including Z790/Z690/B760/etc.) Generation & Architecture 14th Gen; Raptor Lake Refresh Thermal Velocity Boost 6.20 GHz Total Core Count 24 Cores Total Thread Count 32 Threads Performance Cores (P Cores) 8 Efficiency Cores (E Cores) 16 TDP / Power Consumption 125W Base / 253W Boost Base Frequency (P Cores) 3.20 GHz Max Turbo Frequency (P Cores) 5.60 GHz Base Frequency (E Cores) 2.40 GHz Max Turbo Frequency (E Cores) 4.50 GHz Intel Smart Cache 36 MB Integrated GPU (iGPU) Intel UHD Graphics 770 Base & Boost TDP 125W (Base), 253W (Boost) Max Memory Speed (non-XMP) 5600 MHz (DDR5), 3200 MHz (DDR5) Memory Capacity 192 GB
Intel Core i9-14900KS: Price & Availability
Intel’s Core i9-14900KS is said to become available starting 14th March 2024. The company states in its announcement that the Core i9-14900KS will have a $699 price tag.
Compared to the non-KS i9-14900K, which is priced at $544.99 at the time of writing, this new i9-14900KS costs more by about $150. The new processor should be up for purchase at retailers like Amazon, Newegg, Microcenter, and more soon.
That cost increase doesn’t seem very worth it, even when you consider the higher TVB frequency of 6.20 GHz. However, the Intel Core i9-14900KS is a special edition CPU and is also believed to be binned higher than other CPUs.
With this, LGA 1700 motherboard owners who want to squeeze every bit of performance (with some overclocking to run at the highest possible speeds) can still consider the new Core i9 KS from Intel.
Is This the End of Intel LGA 1700 Socket?
This processor is expected to be the last of the Intel 14th Gen series. Now, the Core Ultra branding, as seen on the latest laptops and even handhelds is expected to be used for future processors. Also, recently, the upcoming architecture was teased with highly improved performance and efficiency. It also seems to be the last processor to be compatible with the LGA 1700 socket, which is expected to be upgraded with the next-gen processors.
Intel even confirmed earlier that Meteor Lake CPUs for desktops should come this year in 2024. Keeping this in mind, a new Core Ultra 9 for desktops with a fresh architecture could be released later this year as the successor of this newly released Core i9-14900KS 14th Gen processor.
What are your thoughts on the i9-14900KS? If this is the last Core i9 processor, will you buy it? Let us know in the comments below!
