Is the Intel i9-13900KS good for gaming?

Does the Intel i9-13900KS prove to be a superior chip for gaming or is it a bit much

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The Intel Core i9-13900KS is overkill for gaming. The KS family under Intel, especially the 13900KS, are CPUs built for professional content creation and high-demanding tasks. The single-core performance of this CPU is one of the strongest and would do very well in gaming. However, getting a 24-core CPU for that task would be throwing money away, given the i9-13900KS gaming potential is almost too good.

Previously, this kind of CPU performance could only be found on Intel’s enthusiast platforms and high-core count Xeons. However, this CPU outperforms most of those options and even AMD’s high-core count Threadrippers. It is no longer exclusive to enthusiasts as this $660 consumer CPU offers unprecedented power.

Gaming is an activity that does not consume too many cores. The way games are developed is more efficient, easy, and universal to create the games in a way the CPU can run them with single-core efforts. Getting this amount of cores with the 13th gen architecture is mainly ideal for tasks that require a high amount of parallel processing power, such as video rendering, 3D animation, scientific simulations, and complex data analysis. It is also suitable for running multiple demanding applications at the same time, and for tasks that require a lot of multitasking.

The Intel Core i5-13600K is the best choice for gaming, as it is half the price of the Core i9 and only has two fewer P-cores. Although it has slightly lower clock speeds and fewer cores than the Core i9, the impact on your gaming performance will be minimal if you have a good GPU. The P-cores will always prioritize the foreground task, so you’ll always be using them when gaming.

Is the Intel i9-13900KS overkill for gaming?

Yes, a Core i9 is overkill for gaming. An Intel Core i9 CPU can provide more than enough performance for gaming, but it might be considered overkill for most gamers. These processors are designed for tasks that require high levels of parallel processing power such as video rendering, 3D animation, and complex data analysis. They are also suitable for running multiple demanding applications at the same time, and for tasks that require a lot of multitasking.

A gaming-specific CPU like the Intel Core i5 or i7 should provide more than enough performance for most gamers, and will be a more cost-effective solution. It’s also worth noting that the performance boost from a high-end CPU like i9 will be limited by the performance of the GPU. A high-end GPU will be able to fully utilize the power of the i9 but if the GPU is not powerful enough, it won’t be able to take full advantage of the extra cores and threads provided by the i9.

How powerful is the i9-13900KS?

In terms of the i9-13900KS’ base power, the CPU is advertised as going at 125 watts. However, this can be boosted up to a maximum turbo power of 253 watts. It’s a super-powerful processor which will be able to handle most high-density tasks you throw at it. Many have judged it the most powerful CPU on the market.

How many cores does the i9-13900KS have?

The i9-13900KS comes with a whopping 24 cores! That’s a lot more than most CPUs on the market. It means the processor will be able to handle just about any task, program or game you throw at it, with more than enough processing power. To be honest, it’s probably more than enough for most people unless you need a seriously powerful CPU.

Camilo is a contributor for PC Guide. He's been into tech since he was a teen, surfing through the web and local stores trying to find the cheapest way to play the latest Half-Life on his old Windows