Intel i9-12900KS flagship Alder Lake CPU tested

On Geekbench, the first test of the upcoming 5.5 GHz desktop CPU has emerged.

Intel Core i9-12900KS is the upcoming pre-binned desktop CPU based on Alder Lake architecture. This processor features 16 cores and 24 threads with a maximum boost clock of up to 5.5 GHz, as Intel had revealed at CES 2022.

Compared to Core i9-12900K, the KS-variant offers a 300 MHz higher boost clock (5.5 GHz) and 200 MHz higher base clock (3.4 GHz) for its Performance Cores. In terms of power, the new KS chip has an increased base power to 150W and for turbo state to 260W, this represents an increase of 25W and 19W respectively.

The CPU has been tested on an ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-F Gaming motherboard with, what seems to be, 32GB of DDR5-4800 memory.

Core i9-12900KS Specifications,Source: Geekbench

The processor scores 2080 to 2101 points in single-core and 18962 to 19010 points in multi-core Geekbench V5 tests:

Core i9-12900KS Benchmark Results, Source: Geekbench

This score represents the highest single-core from all listed processors in the Geekbench official ranking. The i9-12900KS is 5% faster in single-core than the K-variant. In terms of multi-core performance, the CPU obviously fails against Threadripper and Xeon Workstation CPUs but outperforms the 12900K SKU by 10%.

Geekbench V5 Benchmark Results, Source: Geekbench

Intel is expected to launch its i9-12900KS  processor in the coming weeks. It has been spotted with a price tag of 750 USD through an early retailer listing indicating a high launch price. Those retailers expect the first shipment of the new processor in early March.

Source: Geekbench via @BenchLeaks