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13.11.2023 23:29, Mykola Khizhnyak
The Igor’s LAB portal conducted a large-scale test of the flagship processors Core i9-14900K and Core i9-13900KS to determine which of these models is capable of achieving the 6 GHz clock frequency declared by the manufacturer more efficiently and with less energy consumption, and also has a higher potential for additional overclocking.
Image source: Igor’s LAB
Intel Core i9-14900K and Core i9-13900KS are essentially the same processor with almost identical standard frequencies. According to Intel, both chips are capable of operating at 6 GHz. However, for processors with such high clock speeds, binning, or the process of chip sorting during manufacturing, in which better and higher-performing chips are separated from less successful and higher-performing ones, is a critical factor. Although the Core i9-14900K is newer, it doesn’t have the “KS” suffix to indicate select status. Despite this, Igor’s LAB’s large-scale test involving over a hundred Core i9-14900K processors shows that it is better suited for overclocking than the Core i9-13900KS.
For evaluation, Igor’s LAB tested 154 copies of the Core i9-14900K(F) and 24 copies of the Core i9-13900KS model. Although the sample was not as large as it could have been, it still showed interesting results. The methodology for this test was quite simple: place the processor on the test bench, read the voltage-frequency curve and write down the voltage required by each chip for 6 GHz, which is the maximum automatic overclocking frequency of the Core i9-14900K and Core i9-13900KS.
Number of Core i9-14900K(F) and Core i9-13900KS, as well as the voltage required to reach 6 GHz
Despite having only 154 samples of the Core i9-14900K, the bell-shaped curve was quite clear and showed that the chip on average required a voltage of 1.468 V in order to reach the 6 GHz frequency mark. In the worst case, the processor required 1.508 V for this result, and in the best – only 1.398 V. In turn, the best result for the Core i9-13900KS was a voltage of 1.433 V, which allowed the chip to reach a frequency of 6 GHz, which is significantly worse than the best result for the Core i9 -14900K. However, 11 of 24 Core i9-13900KS samples reached 1.488V, which could roughly indicate the average 13900KS voltage needed to run at 6GHz.
It is noteworthy that the best Core i9-14900K samples were obtained from the same batch of X337R173. All Core i9-14900K samples participating in the test were produced at the same plant in Vietnam. Moreover, even the worst processor from the “R” batch was better than the best processors from any other batch. Of the five other batches, four were of almost the same quality, and the quality of the last batch of chips was noticeably worse than the other six.
The test results and the fact that the Core i9-14900K is already setting new world overclocking records strongly suggest that it uses better binning. Igor’s LAB notes that Core i9-13900KS processors from last year’s batch were, on average, slightly better than chips released this year.
