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Overclocked Intel Raptor Lake snatches fastest CPU world record

The Intel Raptor Lake i9-13900K is now the company's fastest gaming CPU, as an overclocker has managed to ramp the chip's frequency to 8.8GHz.

Intel Raptor Lake promotional image with chip on blue backdrop

Intel Raptor Lake is now stomping around the gaming CPU scene, and the flagship chip has snatched a speedy world record. While AMD previously reigned supreme in terms of frequency, an overclocking enthusiast just managed to squeeze 8.8GHz out of the i9-13900K.

The Intel Raptor Lake record-breaking benchmarks come courtesy of Elmor, who managed to achieve a lofty 8812.85MHz using the overclocked i9-13900K (via Videocardz). Of course, even if you’re rocking the best gaming PC, you’ll almost certainly struggle to reach said frequency heights, as the enthusiast uses liquid nitrogen in place of a traditional AIO cooler.

The fastest gaming CPU record previously belonged to the AMD FX 8370 – a high-end chip that arrived back in 2014. While you’d perhaps expect a modern-day processor to surpass an older release, it has taken eight years for a contender to snatch the title, something that adds esteem to Intel’s newly earned stripes.

Intel Raptor Lake CPU setup with motherboard and PSU on table
Image credit: HWBOT/Elmor

Naturally, speed alone doesn’t make the best gaming CPU, and Elmor’s benchmarks are more of a sporting achievement than a performance boon. However, the overclocking experiment does help flaunt the chip’s top-end capabilities, even if it won’t necessarily help you boost fps while using an Nvidia RTX 4090.

Intel may be first out of the gate, but AMD Zen 4 chips are scheduled to arrive on September 27. So, while the blue team currently appears to be the top dog, contenders like the Ryzen 9 7950X will likely rise to the challenge.