The upcoming Intel Core i9 9900KS will be priced at around $600 according to new details emerging from a US retailer. To be precise, the Core i9 9900KS is priced at $603.66 or so say details picked by Twitter user Momomo_US.
Intel Core i9 9900KS
The CPU is expected as Intel’s direct answer to AMD’s high-tier Ryzen 9 3950X. It takes the identical 14nm Coffee Lake architecture as the existing i9 9900KS but boosts the clock speed to 5 GHz through an all-core Turbo design thanks to being binned. The Core i9 9900K, in contrast, only offers 5 GHz as a single-core boost.
The $600 price tag would make it markedly cheaper than AMD’s chip, which is priced at $749.
Specs
As for the impact of the boost speed rejig, it’s hard to say without testing the chip itself, but the implications for gaming rigs aren’t expected to be too significant. This is due to the way numerous engines employ upped core-counts.
Multi-thread processes may benefit, but the inherent limit on how many threads can be used simultaneously may hinder tangible performance improvements. In other words, there’s a cap on how much these high-end CPUs can impact the gameplay experience.
The fact it has appeared on a US retailer’s site is excellent news for those that believed Intel Core i9 9900KS may never see the light of day due to issues at fabricators related to pumping out sufficient 14nm chips.
Final Word
As it stands, the Intel i9 9900KS is expected to launch next month, and at $600 it’s a beckoning alternative proposition to AMD’s similar high-core count Ryzen 9 3950X.