The Core i9-14900KS, which will compete for a spot on the list of best CPUs, will be the fastest consumer chip in Intel's portfolio. According to leaker chi11eddog, MSI is preparing a firmware update that offers overclocking profiles for the Core i9-14900KS, pushing the P-cores to 6.4 GHz.
It shouldn't be long before Intel officially launches the Core i9-14900KS, which is basically a binned Core i9-14900K with slightly higher clock speeds. The current rumor paints the special-edition chip with a maximum boost clock speed of 6.2 GHz, which is just 200 MHz higher than the regular Core i9-14900K. The same clock speed is attainable through manual overclocking. Still, the Core i9-14900KS removes the silicon lottery factor from the equation, so Intel will charge a premium for the upcoming chip.
Although 6.2 GHz is already pretty high, the Core i9-14900KS may still have some overclocking headroom. As per the screenshot from chi11eddog, MSI will add a 6.4 GHz profile to the brand's "P-Core Beyond 6 GHz+" one-click feature. It will overclock the Core i9-14900KS to 6.4 GHz on the P-cores. Note that this only corresponds to the single-core boost. The profile configures the all-core boost to 5.9 GHz. Alternatively, MSI will also offer a mild 6.4 / 5.8 GHz profile for those who don't want to go wild with the overclock or who don't have the necessary cooling for high clocks. We've seen evidence of the Core i9-14900KS pulling up to 400W at stock.
New 6.4GHz overclocking profiles added to MSI's P-Core Beyond 6GHz+. For the new CPU?🧐🧐🧐 pic.twitter.com/ggp0oMZVxBMarch 13, 2024
There have been so many leaks about the Core i9-14900KS that there is little that we don't already know about the special-edition 14th Generation Raptor Lake Refresh processor. The pricing is somewhat uncertain. A recent Micro Center listing exposed the Core i9-14900KS with a $749 price tag. For comparison, the vanilla Core i9-14900K has a $599 MSRP, so the Core i9-14900KS costs 25% more. That's a bigger premium than what Intel charged for the previous Core i9-13900KS, which retailed for $17 more than the Core i9-13900K.
The Core i9-14900KS will work with all existing Intel LGA1700 motherboards with the 600- or 700-series chipsets. Motherboard manufacturers have probably prepared a minor firmware update to ensure maximum compatibility with the Core i9-14900KS once it hits the shelves. As for the release date, rumors have pointed to March 14, meaning we should see full reviews of the Core i9-14900KS tomorrow.
