Intel Core i9-12900KS overview: When the perfect isn’t sufficient
MSRP $799.00
“The Core i9-12900KS is what peak efficiency seems to be like in 2022 — sizzling, power-hungry, and ungodly costly.”
Professionals
- Wonderful single-core and multi-core efficiency
- DDR5 reminiscence help
- Business-leading gaming efficiency
- Nonetheless sooner than the perfect AMD has to supply
Cons
- Costly
- Highly regarded and power-hungry
The Intel Core i9-12900K is the greatest processor in the marketplace proper now. The prebinned Core i9-12900KS — which is a particular version of the Core i9-12900K — isn’t. Regardless of being constructed on the identical bones, the dear KS mannequin solely brings modest enhancements for a large upcharge, and generally it doesn’t carry any enhancements in any respect.
Intel has skipped these particular version chips for the final a number of generations — the final instance was the Core i9-9900KS, which provided a equally modest enchancment for round $50 extra. However at $200 above the value of the Core i9-12900K, the Core i9-12900KS is as a lot of a waste of cash as it’s silicon.
Assuming Intel will finally drop the value, and I’ve to think about it should, the Core i9-12900KS performs in addition to the greatest gaming CPU you should purchase proper now. The issue is that the Core i9-12900KS isn’t a foul processor — it’s only a dangerous processor proper now.
Specs and pricing
The Core i9-12900KS is similar processor because the Core i9-12900K. It’s only a binned chip, which means that the die contained in the KS mannequin is ready to hit barely greater clock speeds than the Okay mannequin. With the KS mannequin, Intel is providing the top-performing Core i9-12900K dies that it made.
| Core i9-12900KS | Core i9-12900K | |
| Cores | 16 (8 P-cores, 8 E-cores) | 16 (8 P-cores, 8 E-cores) |
| Base frequency | 3.4GHz (P-cores), 2.5GHz (E-cores) | 3.2GHz (P-cores), 2.4GHz (E-cores) |
| Max turbo frequency (single-core) | 5.5GHz | 5.2GHz |
| Max turbo frequency (all cores) | 5.2GHz (P-cores), 4GHz (E-cores) | 5.1GHz (P-cores), 3.9GHz (E-cores) |
| Cache measurement | 30MB | 30MB |
| Base energy | 150W | 125W |
| Max turbo energy | 241W | 241W |
In follow, that comes out to a 300MHz increase with the Core i9-12900KS, cut up throughout 200MHz on the P-cores and 100MHz on the E-cores. That increase comes with a 25-watt improve in base energy draw, which doesn’t appear that vital. Nonetheless, the Core i9-12900K already sucks rather more energy than AMD’s Ryzen 9 5950X, making even a modest improve an enormous deal.
Halo merchandise at all times symbolize a foul worth, however not this dangerous.
Costs fluctuate, however you’ll spend about $200 extra for the Core i9-12900KS on common. It’s promoting for round $800, whereas the Core i9-12900K sells for $600. So, you’re getting a 6% improve in clock velocity for a few 33% improve in worth. Halo merchandise just like the Core i9-12900KS at all times symbolize a foul worth, however not this dangerous.
After all, that additional value might symbolize greater overclocking headroom, however as I’ll dig into within the upcoming sections, it doesn’t. The one motive to spend additional on the Core i9-12900KS is bragging rights, as the actual efficiency enhancements normally fall in need of that 6% increase in clock velocity.
Efficiency
The Core i9-12900KS performs about in addition to the Core i9-12900K, with some room for small variations. In some instances it’s barely higher — in others, surprisingly, it’s just a little worse. The entire outcomes under had been run on an open take a look at bench with an RTX 3090, 32GB of DDR5-6400 reminiscence, and a 1000W 80+ Platinum energy provide.
| Intel Core i9-12900KS | Intel Core i9-12900K | AMD Ryzen 9 5950X | |
| Cinebench R23 single-core | 2,087 | 1,989 | 1,531 |
| Cinebench R23 multi-core | 26,372 | 27,344 | 27,328 |
| Geekbench 5 single-core | 2,008 | 2,036 | 1,726 |
| Geekbench 5 multi-core | 18,664 | 18,259 | 14,239 |
| PC Mark 10 | 8,926 | 9,092 | 8,254 |
| Handbrake (seconds, decrease is best) | 46 | 47 | 58 |
| Pugetbench for Premiere Professional | 1,347 | 1,283 | 992 |
| Pugetbench for Photoshop | 1,470 | 1,315 | 1,009 |
| 7-Zip | 135,280 | 126,215 | 139,074 |
In pure processor benchmarks like Cinebench and Geekbench, the outcomes are very shut. The KS mannequin managed a 5% improve within the single-core Cinebench run, however it was about 3% slower within the multi-core run. There are some slight variations in Geekbench, with the KS mannequin providing a 2% improve within the multi-core take a look at, however the outcomes between the processors are almost an identical.
That’s not the case in actual purposes, although. In Premiere Professional, the Core i9-12900KS managed a 5% enchancment over the bottom mannequin, and in Photoshop, a surprising 12% enchancment. The KS mannequin additionally shaved a second off of our render time in Handbrake, which is inside the typical vary of variation.
The 6% clock velocity improve performs out as round a 5% enchancment in some purposes, however the variation is the issue. The Core i9-12900KS was about 5% in Premiere Professional, for instance, however it put nearly an an identical rating with transcoding in Handbrake. In purposes the place you might even see a minor enchancment, you may simply make that up by overclocking the Core i9-12900K.
Gaming efficiency
Intel claimed the Core i9-12900K was the world’s greatest gaming CPU when it first launched, and the Core i9-12900KS doesn’t steal that title. It simply shares the title for lots extra money. There are some minor variations, after all, however the base mannequin managed higher efficiency in video games total, even when that benefit was slight.
| Intel Core i9-12900KS | Intel Core i9-12900K | AMD Ryzen 9 5950X | |
| 3D Mark Time Spy | 19,578 | 19,396 | 17,922 |
| Pink Useless Redemption 2 | 135 fps | 137 fps | 135 fps |
| Murderer’s Creed Valhalla | 110 fps | 118 fps | 121 fps |
| Forza Horizon 4 | 238 fps | 234 fps | 201 fps |
| Civilization VI (flip time, decrease is best) | 7.4 seconds | 7.3 seconds | 7.5 seconds |
The outcomes above are at 1080p with Excessive to Extremely settings relying on the sport. The variations at greater resolutions are so minuscule that they don’t matter, and at 4K, video games grow to be so sure by the GPU that the processor makes nearly no distinction. Even at 1080p, although, the Core i9-12900KS doesn’t present a lot of an enchancment in any respect.
In Pink Useless Redemption 2, the bottom mannequin is 1.5% sooner than the KS. And in Murderer’s Creed Valhalla, the Core i9-12900KS lags by almost 7%. I reran these benchmarks just a few instances and at all times got here away with the identical outcomes. The one enchancment got here in Forza Horizon 4, however even then, the Core i9-12900KS was lower than 2% sooner.
It’s necessary to recollect how spectacular Intel’s Alder Lake structure is total.
It’s doable I had the among the finest Core i9-12900K dies and one of many worst Core i9-12900KS ones, however that solely additional illustrates how related these two CPUs are. You should purchase the Core i9-12900KS if you’d like the perfect of the perfect, however the Core i9-12900K is nearly an identical in lots of instances.
The KS mannequin could also be overpriced with out a lot of a efficiency profit, however it’s necessary to recollect how spectacular Intel’s Alder Lake structure is total. We’re taking a look at a 9% improve over AMD’s greatest in 3D Mark Time Spy, in addition to a large 18% improve in Forza Horizon 4. The Core i9-12900KS could also be a foul worth in comparison with Intel’s different choices, however it completely destroys what AMD has to supply proper now.
Thermals and energy draw
Unsurprisingly, the Core i9-12900KS runs sizzling. In a 10-minute multi-core Cinebench run, the chip peaked at 101 levels Celsius underneath a 360mm all-in-one liquid cooler on an open air take a look at bench. Precise core temperatures had been decrease, however not by a lot. Through the Cinebench run, the Core i9-12900KS maintained a core temp round 88 levels.
Much more regarding was energy draw. At peak throughout this run, the Core i9-12900KS drew 274 watts of energy, popping out with a median of 250W over the complete benchmark. That’s with Intel’s energy limits enabled, too. For those who unlock the facility limits to use an overclock, you’re taking a look at energy draw above 300W.
Frankly, I’m involved about overclocking the Core i9-12900KS and not using a beefier cooling setup. A 360mm AIO needs to be greater than sufficient to use an overclock, even to high-end chips just like the Core i9-12900KS. On this case, although, the AIO is barely capable of sustain at inventory, a lot much less previous Intel’s spec.
For energy, I wouldn’t pair the Core i9-12900KS with something lower than a extremely environment friendly 1000W energy provide. You’re in all probability going to pair it with a high-end GPU with an enormous energy price range of its personal, and even with out the facility limits eliminated, the chip peaks properly above Intel’s 241W rated restrict.
AMD is significantly better relating to energy, with the beefy Ryzen 9 5950X solely reaching 200W in overclocked eventualities (in lots of instances, it stays nearer to 100W). You’ll be able to transfer right down to a much less demanding chip just like the Core i5-12600K, however even that processor has the next energy price range than AMD’s 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X.
Our take
The Intel Core i9-12900KS is an overpriced chip that solely manages to be hotter and extra power-hungry than its $200 cheaper sibling. It’s a terrific processor in a vacuum, however the Core i9-12900K gives extraordinarily related efficiency for a less expensive worth.
Though the Core i9-12900KS is dear now, I don’t think about it should keep that manner for lengthy. With the bottom model providing a clearly higher worth, Intel will doubtless cut back the value of the KS mannequin as time goes on. When the value drops, it’s not a foul purchase if you could find one near the value of a Core i9-12900K — simply be sure you have sufficient energy and cooling.
Are there any alternate options?
Sure, the Core i9-12900K is so shut of an alternate that it’s nearly an identical — and it’s $200 cheaper. In any other case, you would avoid wasting cash with the Core i5-12600K when you’re primarily centered on gaming and don’t want the multi-core energy of the i9.
How lengthy will it final?
Proper now, the Core i9-12900K — and by extension, the Core i9-12900KS — is the perfect processor you should purchase. It is going to final the following few years for intense duties like video modifying and transcoding, and for a number of extra relating to gaming.
Do you have to purchase it?
No, purchase the Core i9-12900K as a substitute. The Core i9-12900KS is a product for bragging rights, and Intel is profiting from that with an obscene worth hike. The variations for $200 are so minor that they’re irrelevant, and in some instances, it even appears that die-to-die variation can play a job in efficiency.
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