As in every generation of processors in recent ages, Intel announced yesterday a special edition Core i9 processor with KS extension, and as in every generation it claims the crown of the fastest desktop processor in the world. This time it’s the Core i9-12900KS whose highlight, beyond being open for speed, is its natural turbo speed that reaches 5.5 GHz and has moved up to two cores in parallel – and is currently the desktop flagship processor in the Alder Lake family.
It is actually a processor that displays basically the same configuration of the Core i9-12900K and that means 8 performance cores alongside 8 efficient cores and a total of 24 working capillaries. It also has 30 megabytes of L3 cache. The difference between the processors is its maximum power consumption. While the 12900K, which reaches a maximum speed of 5.2 GHz in a single core, operates on a power basis of 125 watts, for the 12900 KS Intel has increased the power base to 150 watts.
Unsurprisingly, Intel is targeting the new processor for gamers and heavy content creators. For the benefit of gamers, it has incorporated in a processor a technology it calls Adaptive Boost designed to enable improved game performance by maximizing opportunities to operate multiple cores simultaneously at higher turbo frequencies – which is probably why maximum speed will be available for the first time on two cores rather than just one.
The Core i9-12900KS will actually be launched as early as next week at a high starting price of $ 739, and Intel says it expects to see an OEM computer market with the new processor very soon.