Intel recently pushed computing limits with the 6GHz barrier at stock speeds being broken for the first time. Intel's new Core i9-13900KS uses the 13th Gen Core i9-13900K that came close to the 6GHz barrier with its 5.8GHz turbo frequency last year. This new processor will be available in stores now and start at $699.
The 13900KS is the first CPU to reach 6GHz without overclocking. It uses Intel’s Thermal Velocity Boost technology to reach that 6GHz barrier and improve PC gaming performance. This requires more electricity than normal, however. The base power of the 13900K was 125 watts, and Intel has bumped this up to 150 watts on the 13900KS. At max turbo power, it will hit slightly above 250 watts — just like the 13900K.
The 13900KS is almost identical to the 13900K. The performance core base frequencies have been bumped up to 3.2GHz, up from the 3GHz on the 13900K, but it has the same 24 cores (eight performance and 16 efficiency cores), 32 threads, 36MB of Intel Smart Cache, and 20 PCIe lanes (16 PCIe 5 and four PCIe 4 lanes).
Z790 and Z690 motherboards will support the 13900KS with a BIOS update, and retailers will start stocking the CPU boxed on shelves today and inside OEM systems, too. The recommended starting price is $699.
Intel’s latest CPU arrives just weeks before AMD launches its Ryzen 7000 X3D CPUs. AMD claims its flagship Ryzen 9 7950X3D chip will be the “ultimate processor for gamers and creators,” with promises of between 15 and 25 percent better performance in games that are CPU bound at 1080p.
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