The Swan Music of Raptor Lake With A Tremendous Quick 6.2 GHz Turbo

For quite a few generations of their desktop processor releases, Intel has made out there a collection of high-performance particular version “KS” CPUs that add slightly further in comparison with their flagship chip. With loads of curiosity, primarily from the fans searching for the quickest processors, Intel’s newest Core i9-14900KS represents a super-fast addition to its 14th Technology Core lineup with out-of-the-box turbo clock speeds of as much as 6.2 GHz and represents the final processor to finish an period as Intel is eradicating the ‘i’ from its legendary nomenclature for future desktop chip releases.

Reaching speeds of as much as 6.2 GHz, this units up the Core i9-14900KS because the quickest desktop CPU on this planet proper now, not less than when it comes to frequencies out of the field. Constructing on their ‘common’ flagship chip, the Core i9-14900, the Core i9-14900KS can be utilizing their refreshed Raptor Lake (RPL-R) 8P+16E core chip design with a 200 MHz increased enhance clock velocity and likewise has a 100 MHz bump on P-Core base frequency. 

This new KS sequence SKU reveals Intel’s drive to supply a fair quicker various to their desktop common Okay sequence choices, and with the Core i9-14900KS, they look to present the perfect silicon from their Raptor Lake Refresh sequence with extra efficiency out there to unlock to those that can. The caveat is that attaining these ridiculously quick clock speeds of 6.2 GHz on the P-Core comes at the price of energy and warmth; holding a processor pulling upwards of 350 W is a problem in its personal proper, and customers must issue this in if even considering a KS sequence SKU.

In our earlier KS sequence assessment, the Core i9-13900KS reached 360 W at its peak, significantly greater than the Core i9-13900K. The Core i9-14900KS, constructed on the identical core structure, is anticipated to surpass that even additional than the Core i9-14900K. We purpose to check Intel’s last Core i sequence processor to the perfect of what each Intel and AMD have out there, and will probably be fascinating to see how a lot efficiency could be extrapolated from the KS in comparison with the common Okay sequence SKU.

Intel Core i9-14900KS: Raptor Lake At 6.2 GHz From The Field

Over the previous few years, AMD and Intel engineers have been competing neck-and-neck to finest one another in numerous metrics, such because the variety of cores, IPC efficiency, and value. A cocktail of core rely and frequency generally earns flagship standing by itself, though that is normally reserved for the highest SKU of any CPU household. Intel and AMD sometimes cram new silicon to attempt to beat one another in each metrics, together with an abundance of cores with large and daring clock speeds. During the last couple of years, each Intel and AMD have experimented to the brink with what their silicon can do to get forward of their friends, and the Intel Core i9-14900KS isn’t any totally different in that regard.

So what makes the Intel Core i9-14900KS worthy of a particular version SKU? Effectively, to start with, it has a most enhance clock velocity on two of the Efficiency (P) cores as much as 6.2 GHz; that is quick, pushing the Raptor Lake silicon to its limits on ambient cooling strategies. Excessive overclockers can far surpass 6.2 GHz, however the important thing for the KS sequence is robust silicon that may deal with these overclocks. It does not essentially imply all Core i9-14900KS chips will manually overclock additional than Core i9-14900K chips. Nonetheless, utilizing a binning course of to gleam out the weak silicon for the KS sequence means you are doubtless in a strong place to discover a higher pattern. 

Exterior of the 200 MHz bump to P-Core dual-core turbo clock speeds over the Core i9-14900K, each chips are nearly an identical, as we noticed between the earlier era Core i9-13900KS and Core i9-13900K. Technically, the 14th Gen sequence is, for probably the most half, simply the Thirteenth Gen refreshed with a greater voltage-to-frequency (V/F) curve, barely increased overclocks on the first 14th Gen Okay sequence chips, and, for the KS sequence, industry-leading turbo frequencies that no firm can come near rivaling.

One other enchancment over the Core i9-14900K is a 100 MHz bump to E-core base frequencies, as much as 4.5 GHz on the Core i9-14900KS. Each chips function an an identical 36 MB L3 cache, with Intel’s UHD 770 built-in graphics. The massive distinction, which ties into the upper bump on the P-core turbo and base frequencies, is a shift in TDP scores to a base TDP of 150 W, up 25 W over the bottom TDP on the Core i9-14900K.

The Core i9-14900KS, as proven in CPU-Z

On prime of that is an Excessive Energy Profile, which motherboards additionally implement. This profile has a peak TDP of 320 W, which is of course increased than the rated 253 W TDP of the Core i9-14900KS, however it’s also able to as much as 400 A. That is Intel’s really useful specification for this chip, however as we all know from our reporting of concerns of instability with Intel’s 14th and 13th Gen chips, the probability of premium Z790 motherboards going far past these specs could be very excessive.

One essential issue to contemplate is the motherboard distributors and their MCE implementations, which normally present extra energy to the chip than Intel specifies to maintain their boards forward of the competitors. The Core i9-14900KS is basically a “particular binned” model of the common Core i9-14900K. Intel is testing a number of batches of chips able to reaching the 6.2 GHz P-Core turbo clock speeds with out encountering crucial errors. Binning is a top quality management course of that separates the weaker chips from the extra succesful silicon, because the chips produced aren’t all created equal.

Cooling is maybe probably the most crucial facet to contemplate with the KS processors, together with the most recent Core i9-14900KS. To attain optimum efficiency, customers should use top-of-the-line, high-end cooling options, similar to customized water cooling loops and even Intel’s (now discontinued) cryogenic tailored coolers. Apparently, EKWB now gives their EK-Quantum Delta TEC D-RGB resolution after Intel deserted the event of Cryo cooling. This resolution will doubtless be higher for taming the Core i9-14900KS than a standard AIO CPU cooler. It is not simple to maintain a processor cool whereas pulling 375 W, not to mention hold it cooled for a chronic interval, so customers should contemplate this.

The Core i9-14900KS hitting 6.2 GHz on two P-cores as marketed (Core 4 and 5)

That is additionally why the Intel Core i9-14900KS 6.2 GHz P-Core turbo state depends on Intel’s Thermal Velocity Increase (TVB) function. This highest clock velocity is unavailable except there’s sufficient thermal headroom to push it increased. In any other case, customers who can’t adequately cool the chip for the very best clock speeds are prone to be restricted to the precise Turbo Increase Max 3.0 frequency of 5.9 GHz, which is just 100 MHz increased than the 5.8 GHz restrict on the Core i9-14900K and Core i9-14900KF processors. So, all in all, cooling or greater than ample cooling can hold issues below management when the Core i9-14900KS surpasses 375-400 W, which is the right way to profit from the extra efficiency made out there by the upper core clock speeds.

In relation to deciding on between the Intel Core i9-14900KS, which is at the moment out there at Amazon for $664, and the common Core i9-14900 Okay, which nonetheless runs quick at 6.0 GHz in comparison with the KS at 6.2 GHz, is on the market for $119 lower than the KS, at $545. This value discrepancy between each chips considerably impacts the present financial local weather. Paying the additional for the Core i9-14900KS ensures that it is able to dealing with the extra clock speeds, given the added calls for on thermal and energy, and it is whether or not or not the potential of extra efficiency outweighs the price. That is what we intend to search out out on this assessment of the Core i9-14900KS.

Earlier than we dive into the meat of what’s doubtless the ultimate assessment of an Intel processor with the enduring Core i Collection naming, we do wish to handle one thing that has come up between this assessment and our review of the Core i9-14900K, Core i7-14700K, and Core i5-14600K published last year. 

Issues About Stability: Intel Handle 14th and Thirteenth Gen Points

Intel has issued a statement advising shoppers to not use the Baseline Energy Supply profiles provided by motherboard distributors via firmware updates. As a substitute, Intel recommends utilizing the Intel Default Settings to attain the marketed clock speeds with out worrying about firmware optimization, which can trigger instability. This has change into a sizzling matter (pun supposed) as a result of many customers endure instability on the 14th and Thirteenth Gen Core sequence processors even when utilizing the default settings supplied by motherboard distributors, which we notice are NOT the Intel Default settings.

The Intel Default Settings supply a mix of thermal specs and energy capabilities, together with voltage and frequency curve settings, based mostly on the motherboard’s means and energy supply. Intel advises customers with 14th—and Thirteenth-Gen Core sequence Okay, KF, and KS SKUs to not use the Baseline profiles provided by motherboard distributors.

This does pose questions on the subject of testing and reviewing Intel’s 14th and Thirteenth Gen processors. We have now been contemplating our standpoint on this, as we are going to sometimes take a look at on the default motherboard settings with reminiscence set to JEDEC specs of the precise processor we’re testing. For this assessment, we will likely be testing how we normally take a look at, as this suits inside the realm of holding issues constant.

We’ll regularly have a look at how and the fairest solution to handle efficiency points, particularly with Intel stating that they suggest Intel Default settings. We take this as an announcement of intent that recommends their default specs, which can undoubtedly have an effect on how we assessment Intel processors sooner or later. We’ll look to re-test Intel processors utilizing Intel default specs earlier than the launch of Intel and AMD’s subsequent era of processors.