Place an order for 13900KS and you'll get 14900KF!
Place an order for 13900KS and you'll get 14900KF!
Tested the unit and ordered a 13900KS as it was more affordable than the 14th-gen i9. Upon opening the box, I found a 14900KF instead of what I expected. I can't send it back right away and think it's worth checking out. The listing seems odd, with "processor" written in Italian. I plan to install it in a new MSI z690 Ace with the latest BIOS and an 850W PSU for testing. The motherboard includes diagnostic tools that might reveal issues from the previous owner. I hope it's fine since I'd like to be confident about this purchase. The CPU had some thermal paste, which is normal. I cleaned it gently with a Q-Tip and 99% isopropyl alcohol. After inspection, no scratches or missing parts were found. The PCB looks intact, and the FCGA appears okay. For the graphics card, I'll use a 4080 Super since this chipset lacks built-in graphics. What are your thoughts? Should I return it without testing or try it out? It seems to have all the features of a 13900KS plus some upgrades.
It performs better across every dimension, but why are you refusing to retain it?
If you don’t mind not having an iGPU, you can keep it. Just make sure to test it during its warranty period. I’m not sure how often this happens now, but there was a scam where people swapped out high-end CPUs and changed the IHS on cheaper models, returning the cheaper one as premium. Just because the IHS lists 14900KF doesn’t guarantee that’s true. If the BIOS shows 14900KF, you’re safe. Updated February 13, 2024 by Spotty
If you plan to exchange it, better enjoy yourself and make it count =p Afaik. The 13900ks is mostly focused on higher performance, so if the 14900kf has a low quality rating that won’t exceed 8000, feel free to send it back. If you don’t want strong performance and the 14900kf looks decent overall, you might also choose to keep it.
Sounds fine. I’m moving from an i7 4770 because I got a 4080 Super. I’ve been upgrading my "space heater" setup. I have four Corsair Titanium 6400 chips, but my z690 Ace board might cap at 6.6k, stopping me from hitting 8k. I’m thinking I’d need to test the IMC with just one dimm—though I’m not sure how crucial that would be for me. I play on a Pimax 8K X and so far my old 1.3k DDR3 is still working. With the VR headset, I often have to turn off the int gfx or it won’t work at native resolution. I’ll find out how the board identifies the CPU. That’s a bit unsettling.
I finally managed to organize everything on a single table (my order hasn't arrived yet) and launched CPU-Z. It already had Windows installation media with games and utilities pre-installed. Then I pushed it to 32 threads using default configurations. The CPU temperature jumped instantly to 99°C and stayed stable, allowing me to run other tasks while stressing. With an MSI S360 AIO, the fan on the water block performed well. I noticed a 32t score dropping from 17.3k to 16.9k—uncertain if that's satisfactory. No overclocking, default motherboard settings, no XMP enabled. I’m puzzled why MSI’s D/S360 isn’t more common, but it offers solid value with extra hardware. The fan on the water block adds more heat capacity to the board and doesn’t really help cool the CPU itself; only nearby parts like the M.2 SSD cooler get a light breeze. This fan is noticeable when under load compared to quieter rad fans. There’s a gentle breeze around the CPU all around. Definitely helpful. CPU-Z recorded the temperature at 99°C instantly after stress, then dropped to 44°C within two seconds when I stopped the test. Core voltage stayed between 1.346 and 1.4—higher than expected for a new build, though I’m not an expert. I’ve seen boosts up to 6GHz (PCORE), but only 4GHz (4DIMM) on Corsair DDR5 6600 right now. That’s not much to be excited about, but XMP could push it to 6.6GHz. Everything looks fine, though I’m unsure why someone would fit a 14900KF in a 13900KS case without advertising the free Ghostrunner 2 from Intel. It seems CPU-Z’s stress test likely doesn’t reflect real-world use, but the heat was real. I was happy to see 99°C and not a red warning in hwinfo. This suggests a limited hotspot and reliable temperature readings from the thermistors. The airflow felt good. Maybe just a better toaster? Thanks everyone for the details. DxDiag.txt – a completely legitimate test bench.