Intel announces its fastest desktop processor: the unlocked i9-12900KS
Today, Intel announced full details and availability of what the company claims to be the world’s fastest desktop processor: the Intel Core i9-12900KS. Aimed at enthusiasts, creators and gamers, it has a max turbo frequency of 5.5 GHz and features Intel’s Thermal Velocity Boost and Intel Adaptive Boost Technology (ABT).
In comparison to the newly-released i9-12900KS, the i9-12900K launched in October last year could turbo up to just 5.3 GHz. The Intel Core i9-12900KS will begin becoming available at global retailers on April 5th and is priced at $739 globally. The i9-12900K was priced at $589 at launch.
The unlocked i9-12900KS has 16 cores (eight performance cores and eight efficient cores) and 24 threads. It has a 30MB Intel Smart Cache, PCIe Gen 5.0 and 4.0 support and a processor base power of 150W. The chipset will be compatible with the exing Z690 but the company recommends updating the BIOS for the best experience. It supports speeds of up to 4800 MT/s in DDR5 and 3200 MT/s. in DDR4.
“Intel continues to push the envelope for desktop gaming with the new 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900KS processor. Based on Intel’s 12th Gen performance hybrid architecture, this processor can hit 5.5 GHz on up to two cores for the first time, giving the most extreme gamers the ability to maximize performance,” said Marcus Kennedy, general manager of the gaming, creator and esports segment at Intel, in a press statement.
12th Generation Alder Lake processors are built on the new Intel 7 process and are the first ones to utilise Intel’s new hybrid architecture which means they all require the latest Z690 motherboard.
All Alder Lake CPUs, like the Intel core i9-12900KS, use a combination of ‘Golden Cove’ high-performance cores and ‘Gracemont’ power-saving cores which will be utilised based on the tasks performed the processor.
