Intel Core i9 13900KS 3.2 GHz Processor

Intel Core i9 13900KS 3.2 GHz Processor

The new 13th Gen "Raptor Lake" silicon top dog, the Core i9-13900KS, is arguably Intel’s fastest consumer-oriented processor (CPU) ever created. But that doesn’t necessarily make it the best. In an incredible feat of engineering, Intel designed this processor with a total of 24 cores and a top clock speed of 6GHz, a clock so high that it once seemed unattainable outside of exotic overclocking demos. This number is unquestionably impressive, but as it stands, this is a processor that’s hard to recommend at such a high price. This isn't because its performance is poor or because it has a fatal flaw, but instead because the Core i9-13900K exists at a $589 price and delivers near-identical performance in most real-world use cases.

The First 6GHz CPU Available
Intel's Core i9-13900KS shares an design identical to that of the Core i9-13900K. Based on Intel’s 13th Gen Raptor Lake architecture, the CPU includes two separate types of processor cores, including 16 energy efficient Efficient Cores and eight high-performance Performance Cores. You can read more architectural details in our Core i9-13900K review if you’d like, but it suffices to say—on a hardware level—we see no difference between the Core i9-13900KS and the Core i9-13900K. Both in total have 24 cores and 32 threads. The KS version is simply a sample of the chip manufacturing run that is "binned" (that is, tested and selected) to run at the higher clock speed.

Only a few minor changes set these two processors apart, with the most prominent being a slight increase in clock speed and a more substantial $100 increase in price. The Core i9-13900K’s P-Cores have a base clock of 3.0GHz with a boost clock of 5.8GHz. Both of these were increased by 200MHz, or 0.2GHz, on the Core i9-13900KS, resulting in a base clock of 3.2GHz and a boost clock of 6.0GHz. The thing to bear in mind, though: Intel notes that only one P-Core should hit 6GHz at a given time, not all of them or a large subset of them. So the impact of the 6GHz boost is likely to be rather small. (And out of proportion to how much it "boosts" from your wallet!)

No other changes were made to the Core i9-13900KS that make it stand out from the Core i9-13900K. The two processors share the same power limits, heat tolerances, and memory support. Plus, the two chips have identical integrated graphics processors (IGPs) that have a boost clock of 1.65GHz

One note: Like with the Core i9-13900K and other high-end CPUs, Intel doesn't supply a thermal fan solution with the 13900KS, due to the high amount of heat it produces. This is just as well, as we would hesitate to run the chip with anything less than a 240mm water cooler or a Brobdingnagian air cooler. The stock coolers we typically see from Intel might work well enough on some lesser processors, but they simply aren't a match for the likes of the Core i9-13900KS, or its 13900K kin.

Technical Detail
Brand : Intel 
Modal : 13900KS

Technical Spec
CPU Specifications
Total Cores : 24
# of Performance-cores : 8
# of Efficient-cores : 16
Total Threads : 32
Max Turbo Frequency : 6.00 GHz
Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost Frequency : 6.00 GHz
Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Frequency :  5.80 GHz
Performance-core Max Turbo Frequency : 5.40 GHz
Efficient-core Max Turbo Frequency : 4.30 GHz
Performance-core Base Frequency : 3.20 GHz
Efficient-core Base Frequency : 2.40 GHz
Cache : 36 MB Intel® Smart Cache
Total L2 Cache : 32 MB
Processor Base Power : 150 W
Maximum Turbo Power : 253 W

Supplemental Information
Marketing Status : Launched
Launch Date : Q1'23
Embedded Options Available : No
DatasheetView ; now

Memory Specifications
Max Memory Size (dependent on memory type) : 128 GB
Memory Types : Up to DDR5 5600 MT/s
Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max # of Memory Channels : 2
Max Memory Bandwidth : 89.6 GB/s
ECC Memory Supported :  Yes

Processor Graphics
Processor Graphics :  Intel® UHD Graphics 770
Graphics Base Frequency : 300 MHz
Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency : 1.65 GHz
Graphics Output : eDP 1.4b, DP 1.4a, HDMI 2.1
Execution Units : 32
Max Resolution (HDMI):  4096 x 2160 @ 60Hz
Max Resolution (DP):  7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz
Max Resolution (eDP Integrated Flat Panel) 5120 x 3200 @ 120Hz
DirectX* Support : 12
OpenGL* Support : 4.5
OpenCL* Support : 3.0
Multi-Format Codec Engines ; 2
Intel® Quick Sync Video : Yes
Intel® Clear Video HD Technology : Yes
# of Displays Supported  : 4
Device ID : 0xA780

Expansion Options
Direct Media Interface (DMI) Revision : 4.0
Max # of DMI Lanes : 8
Scalability : 1S Only
PCI Express Revision : 5.0 and 4.0
PCI Express Configurations :  Up to 1x16+4, 2x8+4
Max # of PCI Express Lanes : 20

Package Specifications
Sockets Supported : FCLGA1700
Max CPU Configuration : 1
TJUNCTION : 100°C

Advanced Technologies
Intel® Gaussian & Neural Accelerator : 3.0
Intel® Thread Director : Yes
Intel® Deep Learning Boost (Intel® DL Boost) : Yes
Intel® Speed Shift Technology : Yes
Intel® Adaptive Boost Technology : Yes
Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost : Yes
Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology : 3.0 ‡ Yes
Intel® Turbo Boost Technology : 2.0
Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology ; Yes
Intel® 64 :  Yes
Instruction Set : 64-bit
Instruction Set Extensions : Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
Idle States : Yes
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology : Yes
Thermal Monitoring Technologies : Yes
Intel® Volume Management Device (VMD) : Yes