Intel's latest Core i9-14900KS quickly became one of the best CPUs for enthusiasts. The special-edition 14th Generation Raptor Lake Refresh chip is also fun to overclock, as an elite team of overclockers at Asus has overclocked it to 9,117 MHz on a single performance core and broken various world records.
The Core i9-14900KS already features an impressive 6.2 GHz boost clock, the highest of any consumer processor. However, what's even more outstanding is that a team of talented individuals, including Swedish overclocker Elmor, SkatterBencher, and Shamino, managed to overclock the 24-core chip to 9,117 MHz on a single P-core. Of course, this feat is pure marketing, since a processor can't execute those speeds in a real-world scenario. However, in the overclocking world, the Core i9-14900KS just needs to be stable enough to finish the benchmarks.
To get to 9,117 MHz, the overclocking team had to crank the voltage on the Core i9-14900KS up to 1.85V and cool the chip with liquid helium down to -231 degrees Celsius to prevent the chip from kicking the bucket. As an Asus-sponsored endeavor, the team utilized the company's ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Encore, an upgraded version of the previous ROG Maximus Z790 Apex.
The team established four new world records. At 9,117 MHz, the Core i9-14900KS is the fastest processor, surpassing the previous Core i9-14900KF, which reached 9,043.92 MHz. Meanwhile, South Korean overclocker safedisk set new world records for the PiFast, SuperPI 1M, and PYPrime 32B benchmarks.
Other motherboard vendors also have their preferred extreme overclockers working on Core i9-14900KS overclocks. We'll likely see more world records in a few hours, and the ranking will likely change. But in the meantime, Elmor's Core i9-14900KS holds the highest frequency for a processor.
Intel has set a $689 MSRP for the Core i9-14900KS, which is, in theory, 15% more expensive than the regular Core i9-14900K ($599 MSRP). However, the latter often sells for nearly $550, bumping the premium to 25%. However, Core i9-14900KS pricing varies from one retailer to another. Newegg, for instance, sells the Core i9-14900KS for $729.99, whereas B&H Photo Video has the chip for preorder at $699.99, just slightly above Intel's MSRP.
The Core i9-14900KS won't make sense for most consumers. The processor is borderline faster than the Core i9-14900K, forcing you to pay $25 more for the minimal boost clock speed enhancements. AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D provides way more value for gamers than the Core i9-14900KS, and the Ryzen 9 7950X, which is cheaper, is superior in terms of productivity.
