What is the fastest CPU ever?

What is the fastest CPU ever? A loaded question, let's find out

Table of Contents Table of Contents

With the Intel 13th generation and Ryzen 7000 lineups out and about, consumer-grade CPUs have reached new heights in raw performance. Wondering what the fastest CPU ever is? We find out in this article. 

Now Read: Best Intel CPU

---

The fastest CPU ever

Let’s take a second to define what we mean by “fastest,” because there are several ways to measure how fast a CPU is. A CPU that’s fast in a particular workload might struggle in another one.

Here, we’re assuming that the “fastest” CPU means the one with the highest maximum clock speed. A CPU’s clock speed indicates the frequency at which its cores operate. The higher this value, the faster the cores can go. 

Intel Core i9-13900K

The CPU with the highest clock speed ever recorded is the Intel Core i9-13900K. 

At stock values, this chip has a maximum clock speed of 5.8GHz – and this frequency can only be maintained temporarily if and when thermal circumstances allow. 

However, an enthusiast was able to overclock the 13900K all the way up to an absurd 9.008GHz frequency in late 2022, which is the current record. Liquid Helium was used to allow the processor enough thermal headroom to operate at such a high clock speed without cooking itself inside out. 

The previous record was held by an AMD FX-8370 chip, which has a maximum clock speed of 4.3GHz but was successfully overclocked to 8.722GHz with the use of Liquid Nitrogen. 

---

The fastest desktop CPU

Of course, overclocks so extreme are impractical and unrealistic. For consumers interested in products at their stock values, the current fastest desktop CPU available in the market is the Intel Core i9-13900KS.

Intel Core i9-13900KS

The i9-13900KS is a “special edition” variant of the previously mentioned i9-13900K. We have an article comparing all the variants of the Core i9-13900 processor. 

The Core i9-13900KS has the same specs as its non-S counterpart, except for a higher maximum clock speed. This processor can boost to a 6GHz clock speed without overclocking if thermal conditions allow, making it the only processor that can achieve a 6GHz clock speed at stock values. 

Now, you may be wondering why the 13900KS isn’t the current holder for the fastest overclocked speed as well, given it’s an upgraded variant of the current title holder. 

Even with a slightly better chip, having a processor operate successfully at such a high clock speed is incredibly difficult. It requires careful planning and execution. 

An enthusiast may set a new record with the 13900KS in the future. But for now, the 13900K technically is the fastest CPU ever. 

---

Fastest gaming CPU

Clock speeds are the primary influencer of gaming performance, but they are far from the only one. AMD’s X3D lineup has shown us just how important a larger cache size can be for gaming.

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D is currently the fastest gaming processor in the market. It has a 5.7GHz maximum clock speed, which is indeed lower than that of both the 13900K and KS. However, it has 128MB of L3 cache, which is about 4 times as much as that of Intel’s flagship processors. 

The extra cache allows it consistently outperforms the Core i9 competing units in gaming. It fails to keep up in productivity work, though, as the extra cache isn’t particularly helpful there.