Intel Core i9-14900KS vs i9-14900K: Which is the best CPU in 2024?

The Intel Core i9-14900KS is the latest flagship-grade CPU from Team Blue. It replaces the 14900K with slightly improved performance. The chip shares a ton in common with the original i9. In fact, it is a faster i9-14900K that can naturally clock higher without significant voltage shoving. This is bundled with a higher-end experience, which also translates to a premium price tag.

Given both chips are some of the most powerful in the market, choosing between them can get a bit confusing. The processors are quite similar to each other in aiding in difficulties. Let's break them down in this article and try to answer which is the best option.

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Intel Core i9-14900K and i9-14900KS are some of the most powerful CPUs in the market

The Intel Core i9-14900KS comes with a new packaging design. (Image via Intel)

The Intel Core i9-14900K and 14900KS are based on the same architecture. Let's have a look at their on-paper specs before delving into the finer performance differences.

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Specs comparison

The Intel Core i9-14900K and the i9-14900KS are powerful chips packed to the brim with features and hardware. You won't see major differences in their on-paper specs other than the operating clock speeds.

Both chips sport the same 24-core setup. Eight of these are high-performance 'P'-rated, and the rest are efficient 'E' cores. Both chips have 32 threads. The main difference is in their operating clock speeds: the 14900K boosts to 6 GHz while the 14900KS processor goes up to 6.2 GHz.

A side-by-side look at their specs sheets is as follows:

	Intel Core i9-14900K	Intel Core i9-14900KS
Processor family	Raptor Lake Refresh	Raptor Lake Refresh
Lithography	Intel 7 (10 nm)	Intel 7 (10 nm)
Core count	24 (8P+16E)	24 (8P+16E)
Thread count	32	32
Max. turbo frequency	6 GHz	6.2 GHz
RAM support	Up to 192 GB DDR5 5600 MT/s, Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	Up to 192 GB DDR5 5600 MT/s, Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
iGPU	Intel UHD 770	Intel UHD 770
Power draw	125W (253W turbo power)	150W (253W turbo power)

Also, check out this comparison between the i7-14700K and the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

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Performance comparison

A quick look at the specs of the Core i9-14900K (Image via Amazon)

The new Intel Core i9-14900KS isn't much faster than its original alternative. The chip delivers all its performance gains by relying on the increased clock speeds. It is mostly geared towards enthusiasts who want to overclock their processors. Only the best of the bunch of Intel 14th-generation silicon wafers go towards this special edition chip.

Below is a chart of the performance marks of the two processors in some of the most popular benchmark software like Cinebench R23 and Geekbench 6. The data was sourced from the scores aggregator website, Nanoreview.

	Intel Core i9-14900K	Intel Core i9-14900KS
Cinebench R23 single-core	2293	2,302
Cinebench R23 multi-core	38,263	40,169
Geekbench 6 single-core	3,288	3,442
Geekbench 6 multi-core	22,478	24,012

As evident, the 14900KS only has a slight lead over the original chip, with most of the performance gain showing up in the multi-core tests. Single-core performance is only about 1% better, which won't affect gaming performance significantly.

If you are building a setup exclusively for the latest AAA titles, the i9-14900KS will not help you in any way. However, a workstation can benefit from the slightly more computing prowess of this new chip. If your work involves intensive CPU-based computing, spending the premium on the 14900KS might be worthwhile.

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Check out Sportskeeda's other CPU comparisons:

Intel Core i9-14900K vs Ryzen 9 7900X || Intel Core i5-14600K vs Ryzen 5 7600X || Intel Core i9-14900K vs Ryzen 9 7950X || Intel Core i7-14700K vs AMD Ryzen 9 7900X