Intel Core i9-14900KS reviews are finally out, and it’s exactly what you expected. The overall consensus is that it’s both blazing fast and incredibly hot. It’s the same song and dance we’ve come to expect from an Intel flagship processor, in that it seeks to retain the coveted ‘world’s fastest desktop CPU’ title. Suffice it to say that, with a 6.2GHz boost clock, the 14900KS certainly deserves the accolade. It’s Team Blue’s fastest mainstream chip to date.
However, nothing comes free in this world. The zippy clock speeds come at the cost of increased power consumption and thermals. At a suggested retail price of $689, it’s also the most expensive CPU from Team Blue’s roster.
Nevertheless, if you read our review on the Core i9-14900K, then outside of the increased frequency limits, little else will surprise you here. It consists of the exact same architecture as its predecessor, featuring eight ‘P’ cores, sixteen ‘E’ cores, and 32 threads. There’s no mucking about with the caches either, so expect the same combined L2+L3 cache pool of 68MB.
Essentially, what you’ll receive is the highest-binned silicon from the Raptor Lake Refresh roster, with a healthy bump in performance, at the expense of your electricity bill. It’ll eat up any heavy workload you can throw at it, and it’ll perform well in games, although there are other CPUs better suited for that particular task.
You’re going to need a bigger cooler, too, because this one runs hot, and the hefty upcharge will leave your wallet crying. Make no mistake, this is the best-of-breed chip built ostensibly for the ultimate enthusiast and extreme overclockers. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
The Reviews
OC3D – “The Intel Core i9-14900KS is an enthusiast product in the most extreme definition of the term. It’s a pain to keep cool. Even then you still can run into scenarios it’s only okay in – see Factorio for example. But if you’re willing to put the time in, the results can be good.”
Toms Hardware – “The Core i9-14900K’s blistering 6.2 GHz dual-core boost sets a milestone as the fastest yet for a desktop PC, a fitting exit for the Core i9 series. However, that extra clock speed doesn’t equate to enough real-world performance to justify the price tag. The previous-gen KS models took the lead in gaming over competing AMD processors, but the Core i9-14900KS can’t lay claim to the gaming crown, making its steep price tag much harder to swallow.”
Techpowerup (4/5) – “In my opinion, the power consumption and associated cooling requirements are the biggest con of the KS, which is why it’s not getting our Recommended Award, despite offering excellent overall performance and even a bit more than the 14900K.”
Hot Hardware (approved) – “This might be the end of the line for its socket and platform, and it’s not the most power-friendly processor, but the Core i9-14900KS still kicks some butt. Its high performance across a wide range of workloads and applications will make it appealing to hardcore enthusiasts that want nothing but top-of-the-line parts.”