Intel is still cranking out the Alder Lake series, now with an even more powerful flagship that is boasting a max boost of up to 5.5 GHz. This is pretty exciting being it also has the 8+8 (P-Core+E-Core — 16 total) core count with 24 threads, same as found with the i9-12900K. This is the new Intel Core i9-12900KS, a slighter beefer version of the 12900K.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, though. In this case, with the little speed boost, there is a boost in power consumption as well. The PBP (processor base power) will be around 150W and the MTP (maximum thermal power) will rest at 260W. Which is a tad higher than the 12900K which is 125W/241W.
The climb in power consumption isn’t that much higher, but it is noticable nonetheless. Especially when comparing it to the next model down (the i7-12700K). So you do sacrifice a little more energy use in order to obtain a higher boost. Which brings us back to the whole thermal limitations and why we still don’t have 6GHz+ consumer systems in the market just yet. Instead, it is still all about growing that core count until we can figure out a way to boost the clock speed higher without creating heat (which is caused by drawing extra power).
Of course, these numbers can rise even higher if the user decides to OC their chip using a compatible motherboard, but that the same with any OC-able processor. These numbers are simply defaults for those not looking to drive things beyond what the chip is capable of out of the box.
Intel hasn’t posted a full spec list just yet on its website, but the new Core i9-12900KS chips are expected to start shipping next month (March). So there isn’t much of a wait. Price point will be somewhere between $700 and $800. You will also want to do your research to find the best Alder-Lake compatible AIO or fan/heatsink solution possible in order to counter the amount of heat it will put out.
