Intel Core i9 13900KS might be the performance champion, but AMD is still winning in terms of price-to-performance

Intel is yet to officially reveal the Core i9 13900KS processor. However, its benchmarks have already been leaked online, suggesting a slight performance boost over the 13900K.

Geekbench 5 test results related to the CPU were recently offered by Twitter leaker Benchleaks. The results indicate a massive performance gain compared to the last-gen Core i9 12900KS. But when pegged against the AMD Ryzen 7000 series flagship, the 13900KS' value proposition falls apart.

Intel declared that the chip would be the first to pioneer 6 GHz clock frequencies right out of the box. While the current flagship, the Core i9 13900K, packs a turbo clock of up to 5.8 GHz, the new processor will hit 6 GHz since it will be based on binned dies. This will give the i9 13900KS a performance advantage over the best-in-class offerings today. However, is the card worth getting for everyone?

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Core i9 13900KS is an impressive processor, but not built for gamers

A quick look at both the Core i9 13900K and the i9 13900KS suggests that these processors are not built for gaming. The chips pack 24 cores — eight performance and 16 efficient — as well as 32 threads. The 13900K is rated for a maximum turbo power of 253W, and the 13900KS is expected to beat that number and draw more power.

The Core i9 13900K was introduced for a hefty premium of $599. A listing of the Core i9 13900KS was spotted on a Canadian retailer's website. The chip was allegedly priced at CA$971.99, which, according to today's dollar conversion rate, is $708.06.

Intel will not increase the number of cores or the amount of cache for the new KS offering. The upcoming processor will solely rely on the slightly higher clock speed to offer more performance.

Based on the recent leaks, the 13900KS is not much faster than the Core i9 13900K. The difference is as little as that between the Core i9 12900K and the i9 12900KS.

Chip	Single-core score (Geekbench 5)	Multi-core score (Geekbench 5)
Core i9 13900KS	2,319	26,774
Core i9 13900K	2,227	24,311
Ryzen 9 7950X	2,192	22,963
Core i9 12900KS	2,081	19,075
Core i9 12900K	1,988	17,324

Thus, for such a small difference, paying almost over $100 is not worth it. Instead, the Ryzen 7000 chips offer far higher value for the money a user pays for them.

The upcoming Core i9 13900KS is only about 5% faster than the Ryzen 9 7950X. The latter was initially launched for $699. However, following low demand and poor sales figures, AMD revised the prices, and the chip can now be picked for just $573 on Newegg. It's worth noting that the processor's cost dropped to just $549 a few days ago.

This makes the product even cheaper than the Core i9 13900K, which is barely 1% faster in single-core performance than the Ryzen 9 7950X. Users should note that most games rely on a processor's single-core performance numbers to deliver high framerates. Multi-core scores reflect the chip's performance when it comes to productivity tasks.

Although these flagship chips are way overkill for gaming in 2022, those looking to build a high-end PC rig solely for playing video games should consider the Ryzen 9 7950X over the Core i9 13900K and the 13900KS. With DDR5 RAM getting cheaper by the day and more AM5 motherboards hitting the market, going for the Ryzen offering comes across as a no-brainer.