Intel Launches Core i9-14900KS: The World’s Fastest Desktop CPU, 6.2 GHz at $699, New APO Games Unveiled

Intel has finally launched what it's calling the world's fastest desktop CPU, the Core i9-14900KS, for $699 US and packing a 6.2 GHz clock.

The Intel Core i9-14900KS CPU is going to be a beast of a desktop chip in all regards. It will offer the highest clock speeds ever seen on a desktop CPU to date along with the highest power ratings that we have seen on a chip designed for a mainstream platform. The CPU is designed to cater to pure enthusiasts who are looking for the best binned dies to achieve the fastest overclocking results and performance possible.

Starting with the specifications, the Intel Core i9-14900KS is very similar to the Core i9-14900K & Core i9-13900KS/13900K chips that came before it. It features a total of 8 P-Cores and 16 E-Cores, a cumulation of 24 cores and 32 threads. The chip comes equipped with 32 MB of L2 cache & 36 MB of L3 cache. The clock frequencies are rated at 3.2 GHz base, a boost clock of 6.2 GHz for the P and 4.5 GHz for the E-Cores. The CPU also incorporates the Intel UHD Graphics 770 chip and offers 20 PCIe lanes with support for DDR5-5600/DDR4-3200 memory in up to 192 GB capacities (up to 256 GB with the latest BIOS).

As for the power draw, the Intel Core i9-14900KS CPU has a base power rating of 150W which is up to 253W (PL2) and multi-threaded workloads will see the chip exceed the 400W barrier as seen in early tests. The CPU will be priced at $699 US which is the same as the MSRP of Core i9-13900KS chips.

In terms of performance, Intel has compared the Core i9-14900KS against a range of AMD Ryzen 7000 offerings including the 7950X3D, 7950X, and the 7800X3D along with its 13900KS. The Core i9-14900KS offers up to 15% better gaming performance than the 13900KS and up to a 26% lead over the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is shown to be very competitive against the Core i9-14900KS given its price point in Intel's benchmarks but from a multi-threaded stand-point, the 14900KS should be a very powerful solution. It's up to 16% faster in multi-threaded apps versus the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16-core CPU.

In addition to the flagship CPU, Intel is also announcing its latest APO (Application Optimization) games with 12 new verified titles which include:

APO optimized the CPU so that games can take full advantage of the E-Cores onboard the chip for faster processing, enabling up to double-digit performance gains. The Intel Core i9-14900KS will be available now from leading retailers.