Intel is developing the Core i9-13900KS to compete with the finest binned CPUs on the market. The special edition Raptor Lake processor will surge to a breathtaking 6 GHz; but, early benchmarks show that the Core i9-13900KS may not be substantially quicker than the present top Raptor Lake chip, the Core i9-13900K.

The Core i9-13900KS follows the same formula as the Core i9-13900K, with 24 cores and 32 threads. Furthermore, the configuration includes eight P-cores and sixteen E-cores. As a result, the performance boost from the Core i9-13900KS will be completely due to higher clock rates. Through Intel's Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB) technology, the normal Core i9-13900K achieves 5.8 GHz, while the Core i9-13900KS achieves 6 GHz. The additional 200 MHz will put the Core i9-13900KS somewhat ahead of the Core i9-13900K.

Benchleaks discovered three Geekbench 5 submissions for the Core i9-13900K, and we compared the highest result to obtain a notion of the best-case situation. The Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero and an ultra-fast 32GB DDR5-7200 memory kit were also included in the test setup. The Core i9-13900K surpassed the Core i9-13900K by 4.1% in single-core performance, and it outperformed the Core i9-12900KS and Core i9-12900K by 11.4% and 16.6%, respectively. The Core i9-13900KS also outperformed AMD's current Ryzen 7000 flagship, the Ryzen 9 7950X, by 5.8% in single-core performance.

In terms of multi-core performance, the Core i9-13900K outperformed the Core i9-13900K by up to 10.1%, and it outperformed the Core i9-12900KS and Core i9-12900K by 40.4% and 54.5%, respectively. The Ryzen 9 7950X, on the other hand, proved no match for the Core i9-13900KS, with the 6 GHz CPU achieving a 16.6% better multi-core score.

Intel intends to reclaim the crown with the Core i9-13900KS, but word on the street is that AMD is developing up to three Ryzen 7000 3D V-Cache chips for 2023, making it an ideal year for gamers with a plethora of powerful gaming options.

	Cores		Caches		Clock Frequencies				GPU	Power usage
Processor	p	E	L2	L3	Base P	Turbo P	Base E	Turbo E	Model	Base	Turbo
Core i9-13900K	8	16	32MB	36MB	3.0GHz	5.8GHz	2.2GHz	4.3GHz	UHD 770	125W	253W
Core i7-13700K	8	8	24MB	30MB	3.4GHz	5.4GHz	2.5GHz	4.2GHz	UHD 770	125W	253W
Core i5-13600K	6	8	20MB	24MB	3.5GHz	5.1GHz	2.6GHz	3.9GHz	UHD 770	125W	181W

6GHz Core i9-13900KS outperforms the Core i9-13900K by 10%.