Blazing Fast: Intel Announces its 13th Gen Core i9-13900KS Processor

Fresh off its high-profile appearance at the recently-concluded Consumers Electronic Showcase (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas, Intel once again makes headlines with its latest announcement – PC users looking to get the best performance from their machine might be delighted to know that the company has finally announced the full specs and pricing for its new 13th Gen Core i9-13900KS, its fastest and most powerful desktop processor to date.

According to Intel, the new processor can provide up to 6.0 gigahertz (GHz) max turbo frequency, making it the first processor in the desktop PC market to do so, which should enable it to give power users the performance they need for gaming, as well as content creation. According to Marcus Kennedy, Intel Client Computing Group manager, Gaming and Channel:

“The Core i9-13900KS continues our 13th Gen Intel Core desktop processor family excellence, showcasing the new performance heights made possible by our performance hybrid architecture. Extreme gamers and enthusiasts can now push their everyday performance further than ever before with the first desktop processor in the PC industry to provide 6.0 GHz speeds at stock.”

The unlocked i9-13900KS goes all-out with raw power, allowing it to bring faster speeds that can keep up with the needs and wants of dedicated desktop PC consumers. In addition to its 24 cores, it can deliver up to 6.0 GHz max turbo frequency and 36MB Intel Smart Cache for top-tier performance.

In particular, other key features and capabilities of the i9-13900KS include:

• Up to 6.0 GHz max turbo frequency with Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost – the first CPU in the PC industry to reach 6.0 GHz without overclocking.
• Intel® Adaptive Boost Technology for improved gaming performance by opportunistically allowing higher multicore turbo frequencies.
• 24 cores (eight Performance-cores and 16 Efficient-cores), 32 threads, 150W processor base power, 36MB Intel Smart Cache and a total of 20 PCIe lanes (16 PCIe 5.0 and four PCIe 4.0 lanes).
• Up to DDR5 5600 MT/s and DDR4 3200 MT/s support.
• Compatible with Z790 and Z690 motherboards, with the latest BIOS recommended for the best gaming and content creation experience.

In terms of pricing and availability, the new special edition processor will be available to consumers starting on Jan. 12, 2023, starting at $699. It will be sold worldwide as a boxed processor and integrated into systems from Intel’s channel and OEM partners.

Also revealed at CES were the company’s 13th Gen Intel Core H, P, and U-series chipsets, designed for lightweight laptops and IoT tech. Additionally, the company also announced its new Intel N-Series processors, which are designed for use with entry-level and education laptops, and are set to replace the Intel Pentium and Intel Celeron product lines. 

That being said, it’s clear that the company’s direction in engineering high-end processors focused on performance has not changed, and it will certainly be exciting to see how the 13th Generation Core i9 manages to hold up in the long run, especially given how powerful gaming and production software is nowadays.