Today, Intel announced the launch of its new top-end gaming-focused processor, the Intel Core i9-9900KS Special Edition. Billed as the "ultimate gaming experience," the Core i9-9900KS takes the original Core i9-9900K and cranks every dial (and core) up to the nth degree.

(Check out our early impressions of the Core i9-9900KS, and its wonderfully over-the-top packaging scheme, in our unboxing video below...)

According to Frank Soqui, the vice president of Intel's Desktop, Workstation, and Channel Group:

"Intel has raised the bar for desktop gaming with the new 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9900KS Special Edition processor. Based on the 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9900K architecture, it's the world's best gaming desktop processor made even better and created specifically for extreme gamers who want the most performance possible."

The most significant improvement from the Core i9-9900K to the Core i9-9900KS is the number of cores that can be boosted to the maximum clock rate of 5GHz: just four in the former, up to all eight in the Core i9-9900KS. The base clock for all cores, meanwhile, has been increased from 3.6GHz to a solid 4GHz. This increase also brings with it a new TDP requirement, with the Core i9-9900K only drawing up to 95 watts of power, while the Core i9-9900KS bumps up things slightly, to a TDP of 127 watts.

Here's how the new chip shapes up to its Core i9-9900K predecessor and kin, as well as rival AMD's closest silicon, the Ryzen 9 3900X...

Outside of those few changes, most other aspects of the Core i9-9900KS remain unchanged from the original Core i9-9900K, including the number of cores (eight), available thread count (16), 40 platform PCI Express lanes, and the lack of a bundled cooler. (You'll have to provide your own.)

The Core i9-9900KS Special Edition is set to go on sale beginning October 30th for the oddly specific "recommended customer price" of $513. Intel has made no mention of whether the introduction of the Core i9-9900KS will affect the $499 MSRP of the original Core i9-9900K.

Enjoy the unboxing, and stay tuned for our full testing- and performance-based review of the Core i9-9900KS coming up on launch day, October 30.