Intel CPU mystery unfolds as 6GHz flagship skips CES and suddenly goes on sale

Date:
Wed, 04 Jan 2023 11:49:21 +0000

Description:
Intels Core i9-13900KS was a no-show at CES 2023, but has already been
spotted at retailers.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

Intels Core i9-13900KS didnt appear at CES 2023 , but rather mysteriously the supercharged Raptor Lake flagship has popped up at a European retailer (briefly) and has also been spotted in China (before being swiftly pulled
down in this case, too).

VideoCardz reports that the Core i9-13900KS was seen at a Chinese retailer, JD (as highlighted by @wxnod on Twitter), and before it was taken down, an enterprising soul managed to capture the spec listing and official pictures
of the box (which look genuine enough but still, we need to be careful
around the authenticity of any leak). pic.twitter.com/BIfEoa0qAs January 3, 2023 See more

The packaging appears to be the same as the existing flagship processor , the 13900K, using a silver wafer case which is as expected with the only change being the addition of Special Edition to the box. (As the 13900KS is
basically a limited edition of the 13900K which consists of higher quality silicon that can be clocked faster with a boost speed of 6GHz right out of the box in this case).

The specs also show the base TDP (power usage) of the 13900KS to be 150W, as previously rumored (itll use a lot more power than this when boosting with
the pedal to the metal, though, naturally).

The Core i9-13900KS was also sighted at LDLC, a French retailer, priced at 950, but that listing has again been yanked down. For comparative pricing,
the 13900K costs 770 at LDLC, meaning the KS model is 180 or 23% more expensive than the base version of the flagship.

While this could be placeholder pricing from LDLC, in theory, it would mean that in the US, the 13900KS could retail at just over $700, which is about in line with what happened with Alder Lake and the 12900KS so that perhaps
lends a little more credibility to this leak.

Whatever the case, a Special Edition processor is obviously never going to be cheap, and dont forget, Intel likely has price hikes inbound for Raptor Lake
( as theyre already coming for Alder Lake ). Analysis: The case of the
missing 13900KS

Going by previous chatter on the grapevine (add your own skepticism, again), the Core i9-13900KS is supposed to debut on January 12, which is why we expected to see the turbocharged Raptor Lake flagship appear at CES 2023, a week in advance of that because it was known that Intel was set to reveal a bunch of new 13th-gen processors at the show. Now, Team Blue did indeed
unveil new Raptor Lake chips, but the 13900KS wasnt one of them.

So this omission caused some scratching of heads, and the affair gets even more mysterious with these separate appearances of the Core i9-13900KS at retailers. Granted, the product listings were swiftly removed in both cases
as noted, but this seems to suggest the usual case of retailers jumping the gun a bit, and that the refreshed Raptor Lake flagship will still go on sale if not next week, then sometime very soon.

Although that makes it seem rather odd that Intel didnt want to show off the 13900KS at CES, doesnt it? Unless Team Blue is planning a very low-key launch and just a simple announcement for the processor. That could be the case, though wed imagine Intel would want to make something of a fuss over the
first chip to hit 6GHz out of the box so maybe the release date of the 13900KS has slipped, and these retailers are way off the mark with their listings.

Well learn the truth soon enough, but remember that Intel has already
promised that this chip will arrive early in 2023 , and there was certainly a wide expectation that this meant January.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/intel-cpu-mystery-unfolds-as-6ghz-flagship-skip s-ces-and-suddenly-goes-on-sale


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