Intel Core i9-13900KS: New CPU cracks 6 GHz mark

With the Core i9-13900KS, Intel has officially presented the fastest desktop processor in the world so far. It is supposed to reach clock rates of up to 6.0 GHz without overclocking. However, the whole thing also has its price.

Intel Core i9-13900KS presented

Intel has presented the “fastest desktop processor in the world” with the Core i9-13900KS, according to its own statement. However, this is not proven by benchmarks, which is why the statement probably refers to the base and boost clock.

It will be exciting to see how the new Intel CPU performs against the competition from AMD. For their part, they have only recently introduced the Ryzen 7 CPUs with 3D VCache.

Most of the specifications are identical to the already known Core i9-13900K, because the KS also combines 8 performance with 16 efficiency cores, 32 threads and 36 MB Intel Smart Cache. However, with the help of Intel Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB), the 13900KS achieves clock rates of up to 6.0 GHz in Boost mode – another 0.2 GHz more. The TDP has also been increased to 150 watts, which makes the CPU even more power-hungry.

The CPU is compatible with Z790 and Z690 mainboards and supports DDR5 RAM with 5,600 MHz and DDR4 with 3,200 MHZ. Overall, the package power is 253 watts, so effective cooling is mandatory. A processor temperature of below 70 degrees Celsius should be mandatory to get the maximum performance.

Of course, this should make overclockers happy again and it will be exciting to see what can be tickled out of the new Intel Core i9-13900KS. A team from ASUS had managed to overclock the Intel Core i9-13900K to over 9 GHz in December 2022.

Price and Availability

The Intel Core i9-13900KS processor is scheduled to go on sale as early as January 12, 2023. The manufacturer’s recommended retail price is according to the announcement at $699 – which is another $110 more than what is called for the Intel Core i9-13900K.