After demoing its capabilities, Intel is now selling the world’s first 6GHz desktop processor, the Core i9-13900KS, but at a pricey $699.
On Thursday, the company launched the CPU, which can reach a 6GHz boost speed out of the box, without any overclocking. Earlier this week, Intel published a brief video on the chip’s capabilities, showing that it can reach a 5.98GHz frequency speed.
The catch is that the chip can only sustain the speeds for short bursts lasting a few seconds, and only over two performance cores, based on the video. Still, the 6GHz speeds promise to elevate the product as perhaps the fastest desktop CPU on the market.
“The unlocked i9-13900KS processor represents a major milestone in the PC industry —bringing faster speeds than before to enthusiast desktop users,” Intel added.
The i9-13900KS is like the $589 Core i9-13900K—which can hit 5.8GHz boost speeds—in that both have eight performance cores and 16 efficiency cores for a total of 24. However, the KS version features slightly higher base and boost clock speeds across all cores, based on the spec sheet.
In addition, the KS chip has a higher base power requirement at 150 watts over 125 watts, although the max power requirement for both chips is the same at 253 watts. The Core i9-13900KS also arrives unlocked, meaning users can overclock the PC to even higher frequency speeds, but it’s best to do so only if you have powerful cooling system installed over the CPU.
Stay tuned for our review when we can really put the CPU to the test. In the meantime, Newegg is selling the chip, but at the higher price point at $729 while B&H Photo and Video is offering it for $749. The chip is compatible with both Z790 and Z690 motherboards.