Intel Core i9-13900KS Review: First To 6GHz, Fastest CPU Yet
UL 3DMark CPU Physics Benchmark
Our results in 3DMark's Physics test look much like the computational fluid dynamics benchmark on the previous page. Once again we see the Core i9-13900Ks in the overall lead, but with only a tiny delta separating it from the existing Core i9-13900K.
High And Low Resolution Gaming & Graphics Benchmarks
We also ran some mid and high-resolution game and graphics tests on our test rigs with 3DMark, F1 2021, Metro Exodus, Shadow Of War and Shadow Of The Tomb Raider. We used 3DMark's default Time Spy preset, and the games were run in two different configurations -- either 1080p with Medium/High details, or 4K with High/Extreme details. The lower resolution tests are more CPU bound to somewhat isolate processor performance, while the higher resolution tests are more GPU bound.
In the overall 3DMark Time Spy scores, the new Core i9-13900KS finishes at top of the charts. Its higher clocks gave it a slight edge over the previous-leader, the Core i9-13900K.
The Core i9-13900KS also performed very well in all of the "low res" 1080p game tests we ran. The Core i9-13900KS led the pack across the board, besting all of AMD's processors, including the gaming-focused AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D with 3D V-cache.
With game resolution increased to 4K and higher image quality settings used, frame rates leveled off and all of the platforms we tested performed similarly. The Core i9-13900KS did technically pull off a first place finish in F1 2021, however, due to the game not being completely GPU bound at 4K. The tables turn in Metro Exodus, with AMD taking the top spot.
Intel 13th Gen Core Total System Power Consumption
Throughout all of our benchmarking and testing, we also monitored how much power our test rigs were consuming with a power meter. Our goal here is to give you an idea as to how much power each configuration used while idling at the Windows desktop and while under taxing CPU workloads across one or all cores. Keep in mind, this is total system power consumption being measured at the outlet and not the the individual power being drawn by the CPUs alone.
With no fundamental changes under the hood, it's no surprise the Core i9-13900KS consumes more power than the 13900K, due to its higher-clocks and the slightly higher voltages required to achieve them. As a result, the Core i9-13900KS-equipped system easily consumes the highest peak power under multi-threaded workloads. Idle and single-core power actually looks better than AMD's top-end parts, but keep in mind we tested Ryzen 7000 on the top-end X670E chipset, which is a two-chip solution, that consumes much more power than previous-gen platforms. On an X670 or B-series AM5 chipset, the peak, full-system power consumption of a Ryzen 7000-based rig will be lower.
Core i9-13900KS Hardware Details
How power, frequencies, and thermals play out in a variety of workloads with the Core i9-13900KS is presented in the charts above. All of this data is gathered through a full PCMark 10 run. As you can see, the Core i9-13900KS remains nearly pegged at its all-core Turbo frequencies throughout, and temperature and power consumption are relatively tame overall. Once the sustained, multi-threaded POV-Ray workload is engaged at the very end, however, power and thermals peak, with the Core i9-13900KS hitting nearly 100°C, even with a stout Corsair AIO liquid cooler installed in our system.
