Update: We have exclusive pre-release testing of the Core i9-9900KS here.
Asus has updated the processor support list for some of its Z390-based motherboards where the Intel Core i9-9900KS can be seen with a 127W TDP (thermal design power) rating.
The Core i9-9900KS is set to launch next month. Some motherboard vendors, like ASRock and Asus, have already started rolling out new motherboard firmwares in preparation of Intel's new chip. If you haven't been following the Core i9-9900KS, it's essentially an Core i9-9900K with higher base and boost clocks. The Core i9-9900KS ticks with a 4 GHz base clock but is capable of running at 5 GHz across all eight cores. However, the octa-core chip's TDP had remained a mystery until now.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Price (USD) | Cores / Threads | TDP | Base Clock | Boost Clock | Total Cache | Graphics | PCIe Lanes | Memory Support |
| Intel Core i9-9900KS* | ? | 8 / 16 | 127W | 4.0 GHz | 5.0 GHz | 16MB | UHD 630 | PCIe 3.0 x16 | DDR4-2666 |
| Intel Core i9-9900K | $488 | 8 / 16 | 95W | 3.6 GHz | 5.0 GHz | 16MB | UHD 630 | PCIe 3.0 x16 | DDR4-2666 |
| Intel Core i9-9900KF | $488 | 8 / 16 | 95W | 3.6 GHz | 5.0 GHz | 16MB | N/A | PCIe 3.0 x16 | DDR4-2666 |
*Specifications are unconfirmed
Although these newfound specs didn't come directly from Intel's mouth, Asus is more than a reliable source. Unless it was a typing error (or Asus is just plain incorrect), the Core i9-9900KS should arrive with a 127W TDP, which is 33.68% higher than its counterpart. Russian retailer DNS Shop seems to confirm the informatio, as it also listed the Core i9-9900KS with the same value. We'll just have to wait for Intel to confirm.
A 127W TDP rating is the highest we've seen for an Intel mainstream desktop processor for sure. It's even higher than the forthcoming 10-core Comet Lake-S chip that's rumored to feature a 125W TDP. In that case, we don't expect every Intel 300-series motherboard on the market to support the Core i9-9900KS. Perhaps the budget H310 or B360 motherboards could house the Core i9-9900KS, but the processor's performance would likely be restricted. You would probably need a high-end Z370 or Z390 motherboard to fully unlock the Core i9-9900KS's performance.
Now that the Core i9-9900KS's complete specifications are seemingly out of the bag, we just need to know the pricing, which should be over $500. However, we might have to wait until October to find out.
