Intel Core i9-14900KS is the latest enthusiast-segment desktop processor targeted at overclockers and gamers who want nothing but the best gaming experience, and the best performance with desktop productivity. This is possibly Intel's last flagship desktop processor based on a monolithic silicon for a long while, as the company transitions to Foveros tiles with its next generation Arrow Lake. The new Core i9-14900KS is a Special Edition product, and is marked as such on its fancy box. This means that the processor won't be as widely available as the regular i9-14900K, and comes with a few special requirements to unlock its true potential.

The Core i9-14900KS is based on the same Raptor Lake Refresh microarchitecture as the rest of Intel's 14th Gen Core processor family, and features the same 8P+16E core configuration as the i9-14900K. It's set apart not just by slightly higher clock speeds, but also a few intangibles, such as better overclocking potential than the regular i9-14900K. These chips are made from the highest performing bins of the silicon.

The Core i9-14900KS is a Socket LGA1700 processor, and technically compatible with any Intel 600-series or 700-series chipset motherboard; although not all motherboard models may get UEFI firmware updates from their manufacturers to support this chip. Intel has three categories of CPU power delivery profiles for its processors, which determine their boosting behavior on the platforms they're installed on. The Base Power Delivery Profile ensures compatibility on some of the lower-end motherboards originally designed for processors with 65 W base power, and just enough maximum turbo power that a single 8-pin EPS connector can pull. The Performance Power Delivery Profile is found with 125 W K-series processors. For the i9-14900KS, this enables base-power (PL1) and maximum turbo power (PL2) values of 253 W, and an ICCMax current of 307 A.

What's exclusive to the i9-14900KS that the i9-14900K doesn't have, is the presence of an Extreme Power Delivery profile. This ensures a 320 W PL1 and PL2 value, with the ICCMax current as high as 400 A. While many motherboards support the i9-14900KS with a UEFI firmware update, not all of them support the Extreme Power Delivery profile, and so you should really be careful when choosing a motherboard to pair with this processor—pick one with two 8-pin EPS power connectors, the Z790 chipset, and a UEFI firmware update specifying support for the i9-14900KS.