Intel Core i9-14900KS rumors are swirling with what’s expected to be the last and fastest-ever Intel Core i9 CPU due to arrive in March. However, a new Intel Core i914900KS price leak has just revealed quite how expensive the chip is likely to be.
Coming via a French online retailer, the price of Intel’s latest best gaming CPU contender is set to be a massive €752 including VAT – €640 without VAT. That makes the 24-core chip €146 higher than the cost of the company’s current flagship CPU, the 14900K, based on average pricing for that chip at other French retailers.
As a direct conversion, that would make the 14900KS price with VAT a huge $810, while the pre-tax price converts to $690. However, there’s no guarantee this will be the final European/French retail price of this chip and more importantly that the conversion will be a direct one to US dollars. Instead, it’s likely the chip will have a baseline price of between $649 and $699, which would be a roughly $150 more than the 14900K’s current pricing.
As for what that colossal outlay buys you, the new chip is expected to be identical to the 14900K, with its 8 P-Cores and 16 E-Cores, but sport a faster 6.20GHz clock speed, up from the 6.00GHz of the 14900K. A 200MHz clock speed gives the processor a better chance of overhauling the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D as the best CPU for gaming right now but, realistically, it’s sadly not likely.
However, the big downside to this upcoming final addition to the LGA 1700 socket range of CPUs is a huge power draw. Leaks have suggested the chip will draw up to 400W all on its own, when under heavy loads. Most gaming will likely not see it reach quite such high figures but it’ll still need plenty of cooling and a hefty power supply.
Whatever, the eventual price and power of this chip, it’s expected that supply will be limited so if you want to grab one of the fastest CPUs around just for the sheer hell of it, you’ll probably need to act fast. For most other buyers looking to build a gaming PC, you’re better off checking out the likes of the Intel Core i9-14600K or AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D as both offer excellent gaming performance for a reasonable price.