Intel is launching its i9 9900KS desktop CPU in October 2019. The company announced at IFA 2019 that the processor will be available for purchase next month. It will take the flagship crown from the Core i9 9900K.

Intel Core i9 9900KS CPU Specifications

The Intel Core i9 9900KS processor shares most of its specifications with the i9 9900K CPU. It has eight cores and sixteen threads with a base clock of 3.6 GHz. It comes with 16MB of L3 cache and UHD Graphics 630 iGPU. The major difference is the 5GHz all-core boost of the Core i9 9900KS. It will be able to hit a turbo frequency of 5GHz on all eight cores as compared to the i9 9900K which only hits the 5GHz clock on a single core. The processor will be soldered as well. In essence, the Core i9 9900KS is an overclocked and selectively binned Core i9 9900K.

The modest bump in clock speed is expected to bring some improvement to performance. However, it won’t be different from the performance of a Core i9 9900K manually overclocked to 5GHz on all cores.

Intel Core i9 9900KS CPU Thermals and TDP

Even though Intel specifies a 95W TDP at base clock operation for the Core i9 9900KS, expect it to be much higher just like its counterpart. The higher real-world TDP will increase heat production. You will require at least a 240mm AIO or a high-end air cooler for keeping its temperatures in check.

The Core i9 9900KS processor may appeal to individuals who want the maximum performance out of the box and are not comfortable with overclocking. Owners of overclocked Core i9 9900K processors won’t see any difference in performance.

The Core i9 9900KS will come in the same dodecahedron packaging as the 9900K. Intel has not yet announced the exact release date or the pricing. We at PcPepper expect the Core i9 9900KS to be priced around the $530 (USD) mark.