Intel’s “Particular Version” KS chips are meant to be excessive. However the newest Core i9-14900KS has simply dropped, and it takes issues to new heights of madness.
It’s a super-clocked model of the already ludicrous 14900K that sports activities the identical nice amount of cores, however a lift clock that strikes even past the extremes of the usual 14900K. It will probably hit an unprecedented 6.2GHz on a few cores proper out of the field, making it the quickest CPU by clock velocity ever unleashed upon the general public.
However in trendy CPUs, cores and clocks are by no means the total story. The 14900KS definitely seems to be superfast, however because the critiques now drop, the price of such uncooked energy is kind of steep. Not solely does this chip demand loads out of your pockets — it calls for much more out of your energy provide and cooling.
The great: It’s the quickest CPU for absolutely anything
We love the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. It’s one of the best gaming CPU — even when the 14900K and KS are aggressive at instances — due to its unbelievable efficiency, comparatively modest price ticket, and completely jaw-dropping effectivity. However there’s no denying that the 14900KS is a a lot sooner CPU all-around. It will get very shut in gaming, tending to win out by lower than a % at 4K and falling behind by round 5% on common at 1080p. As TomsHardware put it: “Most customers who purchase a $689 chip will likely be gaming at increased resolutions than 1080p anyway, and the distinction between the vanilla and KS fashions remains to be solely 2.5% at 1440p.”
However it’s productiveness the place the 14900KS actually shines. Similar to the 14900K earlier than it, its large amount of cores — 24, with 32 thread assist — simply means it might probably do extra similtaneously AMD’s processors. The AMD 7950X gives cheap competitors with its 16 high-performance Zen 4 cores, but it surely lacks the gaming energy of the X3D fashions, so falls behind the Intel various there.
As Overclock 3D places it: “[The 14900KS offers] really ridiculous ranges of efficiency from a single CPU.”
The excessive clock velocity of the 14900KS actually comes into play in purposes that profit from single-core efficiency. In HotHardware’s testing, it discovered that “[HEDT] platforms really path the Core i9-14900KS when working single- or calmly threaded workloads.” Though Threadripper and its ilk will run rings spherical these types of CPUs in video transcoding or encryption, the 14900KS blazes forward in apps like Premiere and Photoshop.
It has additionally damaged a couple of information already, maybe most notably the very best ever clock velocity. As reported by Videocardz, Swedish overclocker Elmor managed to push their 14900KS to 9117.75MHz — that’s round 70MHz increased than the earlier file, achieved with a 14900KF in October final 12 months. Asus has additionally claimed information in PiFast, SuperPi 1M, and PyPrime 32B with its 14900KS pattern(s).
The unhealthy: It makes use of all the ability
In case you thought the 14900K was an influence hog, wait till you see the 14900KS. Though its base thermal design energy (TDP) is simply 25 watts increased than the 14900K and its max turbo energy ranking remains to be at 253W, it might probably draw much more energy than every other processor in the appropriate situation.
“[The 14900KS] is configured with an influence restrict setting of 320W, which it might probably attain simply when loaded with apps that scale to all cores,” says TechPowerUp’s W1zzard. “On common, we measured an software energy draw of 208 W, which is the very best we’ve ever recorded — 30 W increased than the 14900K. With the 320W energy restrict eliminated, common software energy reaches 232W, with a 508W file in Blender.”
Ouch. 500W simply from the CPU alone is solely staggering, and although that’s not what you’ll expertise in gaming — it tends to drag solely round 160W on common there — it’s probably not viable for many customers. It’s far more than every other processor, and greater than 3 times that of our favourite gaming CPU, the 7800X3D.
This results in temperature points. TechPowerup examined it utilizing a high-end Noctua NH-U14S air cooler, the place it noticed the 14900KS attain 118 levels in multi-threaded assessments and simply shy of 100 levels in gaming. Overclock3D may solely get it to cease thermal throttling by delidding it — principally eradicating the inner warmth spreader and critically risking breaking the CPU within the course of.
Even with a delidded 14900KS, an undervolt, and a 360mm AIO, load temperatures nonetheless reached 86-degrees. Insanity.
However wait, there’s extra
The 14900KS is likely to be the final nice CPU of its era and can retain the title because the quickest LGA 1700 processor for the remainder of time, but it surely’s not fairly completed its act simply but. As VideoCardz stories, MSI launched a customized firmware for PCs working the 14900KS to permit it to spice up even increased. The P-Core Past 6GHz function is already out there on most MSI Z690 and Z790 motherboards for 14900K customers who need somewhat additional efficiency, however the newly up to date model is relevant to the 14900KS.
It lets the brand new CPU enhance to a staggering 6.4GHz — that’s an extra 200MHz of uncooked energy for completely nothing. Properly, it doesn’t value you any extra {dollars}, however it’ll seemingly result in a good larger rise in energy consumption and cooling necessities. Ensure your followers are spun up earlier than enabling this one.
A real halo product CPU
Intel’s special-edition KS processors have all the time been considerably ridiculous, however the 14900KS looks like essentially the most ridiculous of the bunch. Its efficiency seems to be class-leading in productiveness, and thru sheer brute drive, it’s capable of catch up (generally) to the way more agile and nimble 7800X3D, which prices round half the value and makes use of a 3rd of the ability.
However the 14900KS seems to solely be somewhat sooner than the 14900K, and that chip is now round $140 cheaper. You may get fortunate with the binning on that chip and simply overclock it your self in case you don’t thoughts rolling the cube.
Nevertheless, if you need the quickest LGA 1700 processor that may ever be made or simply need the quickest Intel CPU whereas we watch for Arrow Lake later this 12 months, the 14900KS is an choice. However if you need wonderful productiveness at a fraction of the value, the 14700K gives way more worth for cash with a barely much less insane energy draw. In case you are solely going to be gaming, the 7800X3D is by far the higher selection, and the 7950X or 7950X3D provide a very good center floor of productiveness and efficiency at a larger effectivity.
There are many superior CPUs to choose from for the time being. The 14900KS may put on a crown, but it surely’s a halo, and based on the critiques on the market proper now, isn’t for the faint of coronary heart.
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