Intel's Special Edition Alder Lake CPU can deliver 5.5 GHz
Published: 4th January 2022 | Source: Intel CES | Author: Mark Campbell
Intel already has an answer to AMD's Ryzen 7 5800X3D, and its shipping this quarter
At their CES 2022 keynote, Intel revealed their i9-12900KS processor, a special edition i9-12900K model that delivers users higher clock speeds across a variety of workloads.
With a boost clock speed of 5.5 GHz and an all-P-Core boost clock speed of 5.2 GHz, this CPU is incredibly powerful, delivering incredible levels of gaming performance. Intel plans to ship this processor this quarter, though at this time, Intel has only confirmed that this CPU will be shipping to OEMs.
Intel demoed this chip running Hitman 3, showcasing P-Core CPU clock speeds of 5.2 GHz and E-core clock speeds of 4.0 GHz. These clock speeds are higher than what is possible with a stock i9-12900K, highlighting the benefits of Intel's enhanced Alder Lake processor. That said, it remains to be seen how readily available this limited edition SKU will be.
During their keynote, Intel did not reveal the power requirements or cooling requirements of their new KS series processor. Beyond that, Intel's statement that these processors will only ship to OEM customers leaves us with many questions. Will this CPU be available to regular consumers, or will they be limited to OEM systems that meet high power and cooling requirements? Additionally, will these CPUs ever be sent to reviewers or analysts?
Right now, Intel's i9-12900K appears to be Intel's answer to AMD's Ryzen 7 5800X3D , giving Intel enough of a boost to claim that they have the "fastest gaming CPU". Intel has known that AMD planned to release V-Cache enhanced Ryzen 5000 series processors since Computex 2021, giving Intel a lot of time to plan their response to AMD's V-Cache technology.
We suspect that Intel's i9-12900KS processor will be available in limited quantities and with a significant price premium. It seems probable that this will be a limited edition CPU for premium OEM system. In our eyes, Intel has created this CPU to make headlines and to build a CPU that can edge past AMD in a few more benchmarks. If this CPU was readily manufacturable, it would be the i9-12900K. If Intel could build this in mass production quantities, it would not be a special edition post-launch SKU.
At CES, Intel confirmed that their i9-12900KS processor will be shipping to OEMs this quarter. Intel did not reveal the pricing of their i9-12900KS CPU.
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