Special edition Alder Lake chanelling the spirit of Core i9-12900KS
Last month, Intel has released Alder Lake CPUs, with the highest Core i9-12900K model scoring both single-thread and gaming performance lead. But there’s more coming. Intel is now said to be developing Core i9-12900KS, an even faster model, or rather a special edition. This CPU should perform even better, thus securing Intel’s lead against the possibility that AMD counterattacks i9-12900K successfully with its 3D V-Cache CPUs.
The claim that Intel is developing the Core i9-12900KS model has been uttered by the VideoCardz website, based on their insider sources. Samples of this CPU are allegedly already being tested by mainboard producers, therefore the odds are good his is not an empty rumor and there is going to be an actual launch.
The KS marking has previously emerged in Intel’s CPU lineup a while ago, in 2019. It stood for an improved SKU of the eight core Core i9-9900K. Intel has made it by takingg the CPU’s single thread 5.0 GHz boost and making it into frequency sustainable on all cores, thereby giving the CPU a then record breaking all-core boost of 5.0 GHz (while the i9-9900K only had 4.7 GHz). All as a part of a limited edition that has in fact disappeared from shelves after several months.
It seems Intel Core i9-12900KS might repeat this idea. The current Core i9-12900K has a maximal single thread boost of 5.2 GHz, (although 5.3 GHz might have been planned originally, but according to all signs Intel has decided otherwise relatively shortly before its release), but its maximal boost for all big cores (P-Core with the Golden Cove architecture) stays only at 4.9 GHz.
According to VideoCardz Intel Core i9-12900KS should again get an all-core boost of 5.2 GHz for all eight high-performance P-Core cores. Whether the single core boost will be raised, for example to the mentioned 5.3 GHz is not clear yet. It is possible that the CPU will again have the same boost for just one and for up to eight cores.
This might usher in a notable improvement in gaming performance, tackling the issue of the maximal frequency being limited to only one or two threads, causing drops in performance when a game loads more threads. When it comes to gaming, this CPU might increase the 12th generation Intel Core’s lead over the Ryzen 5000 even further. The performance in multithreaded applications might also improve. However the question remains, whether the CPU will be able to run all eight Golden Coves up to 5.2 GHz in heavy apps without the clocks being culled due to bumping into the PL2 (maximum turbo power) limit. Yet, Intel might raise the max power consumption of the boost, loosening that limit.
Core i9-12900KS might also use a specially binned (selected) higher-quality dies, that will be able to reach higher clocks while maintaining the same power consumption. This might actually improve the attainable all-core boost even if the PL2 would not be raised from the current 241 W. And if such selected dies would indeed be used, the i9-12900KS chips might even be found to have better overclocking potential than the i9-12900K.
It’s currently unknown when will Intel release this CPU. However it might be revealed next month on the CES 2022 during Intel’s presentation, as a part of which the 65W Alder Lake CPUs and the 35W TDP will likely be unveiled as well.
The price of the Core i9-12900KS CPU is currently also an unknown. It’s likely going to be higher than that of the i9-12900K. It is also possible that this CPU will again be sold as a special edition available only for a limited time period.
Source: VideoCardz
English translation and edit by Karol Démuth, original text by Jan Olšan, editor for Cnews.cz
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