Intel has finally announced what they are calling the “world’s fastest” desktop CPU.
While technically true, the Intel Core i9-14900KS can reach a peak frequency of 6.2GHz however it does so for the price of $699 US while managing to trounce the pitiful 14900K in terms of heat generation, power consumption while still not actually being the fastest processor for what majority of consumers actually do, playing video games.
The 14900KS shares the same physical configuration as the 14900K, featuring 24 cores comprising 8 P-Cores and 16 E-Cores. However, the key distinctions lie in the frequency and TDP. The 14900KS boasts an elevated clock speed of 6.2 GHz (Thermal Velocity Boost) and a higher TDP (Processor Base Power) of 150W, reflecting a 25W increase over the 14900K.
Notably, there is no alteration to the MTP (Maximum Turbo Boost), which remains at 253W, though figure is basically irrelevant anyway.
Intel’s KS variants belong to the “Special Edition” series tailored for enthusiasts and overclockers. However, recent reports indicate that Raptor Lake series processors like the 13900K and 14900K are encountering game crashes, particularly in titles utilizing the Unreal Engine.
This issue stems from motherboards offering an unlimited power limit option, which unsurprisingly degrades your processors silicon over time, highlighting a potential concern for users.
While it’s doubtful that anyone is particularly phased by that however, Intel’s KS lineup of processors have a dedicated user base comprised of individuals deeply attached to the brand. Like many other tech companies, Intel also boasts its fair share of loyalists where any shortcomings or criticisms fall entirely on deaf ears.
Consequently, the 14900KS features a 200 MHz maximum boost frequency, applicable to up to two cores as long as the temperature remains below 70°C which is a massive ask given Intel’s supremacy when it comes to inefficiency.
Additionally, at Turbo Boost Max 3.0, the clock speed sees an increase of 100 MHz, extending to the E-Cores as well so at least there’s an actual improvement when it comes to real world workloads.
The CPU is compatible with Intel Z690 and Z790 motherboards and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. However, it’s worth noting that pairing this processor with older DDR4 memory may hinder overall performance and limit the capabilities of Raptor Lake.
Raptor Lake benefits significantly from high-speed DDR5 memory, particularly in the realms of 7200MHz and higher to maximize its gaming performance, which is a key consideration for potential users. Therefore, opting for DDR5 memory is recommended to fully leverage the capabilities of the processor.
In terms of Intel’s own slide deck, which we’ve previously established are nothing more than cherry picked embellishments, given Intel’s own praise of its Meteor Lake mobile CPUs versus the cruel harsh reality as presented by Phoronix, I wouldn’t expect their performance figures to be anywhere close to realistic.
Intel has presented the Core i9-14900KS against AMD’s top-of-the-line Ryzen 9 7950X3D, known as one of the weaker X3D Zen 4 based CPUs for gaming as the 7950X3D typically requires tweaking, such as enabling PBO and utilizing programs like Process Lasso, to optimize gaming performance and surpass the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which has garnered global acclaim.
Intel’s slides highlight the i9-14900KS as delivering up to 26% better gaming performance compared to a stock 7950X3D, which requires user intervention to unleash its full potential.
Considering the $700 price point for the CPU, the 7950X3D stands out as the most apt comparison in terms of price. From a multi-threaded perspective, the 14900KS is expected to be a formidable solution.
Intel also claims it offers up to 16% faster performance in multi-threaded applications compared to the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16-core CPU, which outperforms the X3D variant in multi-threaded workloads.
Fortunately, Intel’s unveiling aligns with various reviews from outlets, notably Tom’s Hardware, which continues to endorse AMD’s $370 Ryzen 7 7800X3D as the top choice for gaming enthusiasts. Surprisingly, even the Ryzen 9 7950X3D offers a commendable gaming experience compared to Intel’s Core i9-14900KS.
A slight uptick in frequency typically results in only a marginal performance increase. In an apples-to-apples comparison with a stock memory profile, the Intel Core i9-14900KS exhibits an average gaming performance boost of just 1.76% at 1080p compared to the i9-14900K. Despite this, the i9-14900KS is priced 25% higher than its counterpart.
As mentioned earlier, Intel’s Raptor Lake CPUs have certain drawbacks, including poor power consumption and high temperatures. To unlock the full potential of an Intel CPU, users are often required to invest more money in high-speed DDR5 memory. In contrast, AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series X3D processors typically offer a plug-and-play solution, capable of functioning optimally with just 6000MHz memory kits.
By overclocking the same DDR5 memory kit to 6800MHz instead of its stock configuration of 5600MHz, the Intel i9-14900KS experiences a notable 6.81% improvement in performance, while still being slower than either the equivalent Ryzen 9 7950X3D or the vastly cheaper Ryzen 7 7800X3D which has a 6.38% lead over the 14900KS with 6800MHz memory.
Now when it comes to issues such as power consumption and CPU temperatures, TechPowerUP once again showcases that Intel’s KS moniker stand for Superfluous.
As previously discussed, Intel’s top-of-the-line Raptor Lake Refresh processors can consume up to 90% more power than AMD’s most efficient CPU under certain conditions. In numerous game workloads, the i9-14900K has been observed to exceed 200 watts in an out-of-the-box configuration.
The i9-14900K managed to reach a staggering 115.9 degrees Celsius with its power limiter removed, even when paired with an excellent cooler like Noctua’s D15, I can only wonder as to why so many gamers have problems relating to the Unreal Engine in such a short amount of time.
The revised 14900KS beats the previous record with a peak temperature of 118.4 degrees, or 117.8 degrees Celsius paired with a Noctua D15.
It’s safe to say that not much has altered with the i9-14900KS, which one might expect to be a more refined version of the i9-14900K. However, it’s evident that this CPU is simply an aggressively overclocked variant straight from the factory to achieve a resounding increase of a mere couple hundred megahertz.
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/intel-core-i9-14900ks/22.html
What you’re seeing isn’t a comprehensive measurement of full system power consumption. Despite figures reaching as high as 508 watts with the power limit removed, one might assume this is an overall system measurement.
However, it’s solely focused on the Intel Core i9-14900KS. In multi-threaded workloads, the i9-14900KS consumes 32.62% more power at stock configuration compared to the standard 14900K. This figure increases to 450 watts when achieving an all-core overclock of 5.8GHz. In contrast, TechPowerUp managed to attain an all-core frequency of 5.5GHz within a 331-watt power envelope with the i9-14900K.
Without the power limits, the i9-14900KS surges to 508 watts, while the 14900K pulls only 407 watts in multi-threaded workloads with its power limiter removed. In comparison to AMD’s 16-core Ryzen 9 7950X, the i9-14900KS consumes over 47% more power in a default configuration and doubles the power draw with the limit removed.
While the Intel Core i9-14900KS stands out as one of the fastest processors for tasks like media encoding and Blender, it does so at a significant cost. In a single-threaded workload, the processor consumes more power when overclocked to an all-core frequency of 5.8GHz compared to AMD’s Ryzen 9 7900 and Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPUs…. in multi-threaded workloads.
The i9-14900KS is so woefully inefficient that in single-threaded workloads its power consumption can exceed AMD Ryzen CPUs outright.
Now when it comes to gaming workloads, at stock the i9-14900KS proves to be a total lemon, consuming around 160 watts on average across 13 different titles, and generating a pitiful 1.4 frames per watt, in comparison the Ryzen 9 7950X3D achieves an average power consumption of 56 watts across the 13 games and massacres Intel’s CPU with an efficiency rating of 4.33 frames per watt.
In terms of outright gaming performance, TechPowerUP’s figures hardly sway from those found by Tom’s Hardware, with Intel’s i9-14900KS being 2% faster than the Ryzen 9 7950X3D at 1080p while being 4% slower than the Ryzen 7 7800X3D on average
Though it must be said that TechPowerUP’s testing configuration does include 6000MHz memory for both AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors and Intel Raptor Lake CPUs, which would explain the discrepancy between theirs and Tom’s findings regarding the 7950X3D’s gaming performance.
The i9-14900KS marks the swan song for the LGA 1700 socket, slated to be phased out later this year with the advent of the real 14th Generation, now 15th Generation, Arrow Lake CPUs. However, the forthcoming Arrow Lake CPUs are shaping up to be underwhelming. There’s little rationale behind purchasing one of these CPUs, as they seem to exist primarily to extract money from loyal fanboys on an annual basis.
If gaming performance is your priority, sticking with AMD’s outstanding Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the obvious choice. It remains unmatched in speed and efficiency, especially when paired with the long-term viability offered by the new AM5 platform. Opting for anything else, particularly a platform like LGA 1700, which has essentially reached the end of its life and has been artificially prolonged for another year due to the cancellation of Meteor Lake’s desktop release, would be illogical.
Intel’s Raptor Lake CPUs excel outside of gaming workloads, particularly evident with the i9-14900KS offering superior multi-threading performance compared to the Ryzen 9 7950X. However, this comes at the cost of potentially overwhelming your household’s electrical circuit and generating temperatures high enough to boil water.
Even if you were contemplating a purchase on Intel’s outgoing platform, investing $700 in one of these CPUs seems unwise, especially with alternatives like the i7-14700K available, which is genuinely the only recent Intel processor that I actually like, despite the fact that the dead-end socket effectively kills any reason to purchase one as the additional cluster of E-cores should’ve been made available from the 13th Generation instead.
