Intel's 6.2GHz uber CPU expected to launch at CES 2024 as new image emerges

pcgamer.com:

An image of the much rumoured Intel Core i9 14900KS CPU has emerged, fuelling expectations that Intel will indeed unleash this new 6.2GHz chip at CES on Monday.

An image of the processor reportedly first appeared on Chinese messaging platform QQ before being reposted on X (via Sweclockers). The chip's serial number has been obscured, so there's no way to verify its authenticity.

In most regards, the 14900KS is said to be a dead ringer for the existing top Raptor Lake Refresh chip, the Core i9 14900K. It'll have the same core counts, the same cache memory, etc. 

But instead of boosting up to 6GHz, the 14900KS will extend that to 6.2GHz, thereby being the first factory-spec CPU to go beyond 6GHz. If you're wondering how much the extra speed will cost you, well, the answer is likely somewhere in the region of $110.

Both the existing Core i9 14900K and its Core i9 13900K predecessor have an MSRP of $589, while the 13900KS, which hits the same 6GHz as the stock 14900K, lists at $699. So, the new 6.2GHz 14900KS seems likely to come in at a similar price.

All of this remains rumour for now. But it is extremely likely that Intel will unveil a 'KS' variant of its 14th Gen Raptor Lake refresh CPUs soon if samples are indeed out in the wild. And given the 14900K already runs at 6GHz, such a chip would pretty much have to beat 6GHz to make any sense.

Of course, even at 6.2GHz it's debatable just how much sense such a chip would make. You'll be paying a significant premium for what amounts to a 3% boost in peak clock speed, and only then in low thread count scenarios.

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Most modern games now run multiple intensive threads, so it's