ASUS GOT HOLD OF the new Intel flagship processor, the Core i9-14900KF, and bathed it in aflow of liquid helium to see how far it could be pushed. After a week, they found out: 9.044GHz on one core. This broke Asus’ record by 35.1Hz, achieved with the i9-13900K. Helium is the only material that stays liquid at absolute zero under normal pressures. It boils away almost immediately, so you have to continuously apply it. While not reproducible at home, it shows how stable the new chip is.
Meanwhile, Intel has an as yet unannounced new processor: the i9-14900KS, with a boost clock of 6.2GHz. It is expected to be rated with a TDP of 150W, and a peak power draw of 320W. Objectively that is just a 3.33 per cent gain over the i9-14900K, but what you are buying here is a carefully binned chip, and the best candidate for overclocking. If previous pricing models are retained, it’ll cost $699. Expect it to feature in a new round of benchmark records soon. –CL