News

Intel’s New Core i9 Desktop CPU Breaks Another Speed Record

The i9-14900K packs 24 cores and 32 threads of raw processing power.

Published

3 years ago

March 16, 2024

Joanna Melki

Intel

Intel has broken another speed record with its latest desktop CPU. The company’s new Core i9-14900KS processor can reach speeds of up to 6.2GHz without overclocking, making it the fastest desktop CPU available to PC enthusiasts. The milestone beats another Intel record from last year, where its last processor maxed out at a still impressive 6GHz.

intel core i9-14900ks cpu

In addition to record-breaking clock speed, the i9-14900KS also boasts a 24-core, 32-thread architecture along with a 36 megabyte Smart Cache, which is a proprietary Intel technology that shares cache memory between the different cores. Intel says the feature allows for “powerful performance in gaming and content creation workloads”.

The i9-14900K also makes use of Intel’s Thermal Velocity Boost, which is a feature of 11th generation and later Intel Core chips that maxes out the clock frequency by 100 MHz when temperatures are below 70 degrees C, or 158 degrees F.

As for real-world statistics, the company is confident that gamers will enjoy up to 15% better performance. Content creators will also be happy to hear that complex workflows will receive a massive 73% boost. The i9-14900KS is compatible with the latest Z790 and Z690 motherboards, but Intel recommends ensuring the bios is updated to ensure optimum results.

Also Read: Getting Started With Google Gemini: A Beginner’s Guide

Although the speed of Intel’s i9 is impressive, a team from ASUS ROG has already claimed another four world records by overclocking the new chip, pushing the CPU to a frankly astounding 9.1 GHz.

The Core i9-14900KS is available from stores today and starts at $700. The chip will be available for DIY PC builders as a standalone item but should soon find its way into OEM systems very soon.

News

Microsoft Plans $10 Billion-Plus Gulf Expansion Despite Iran Conflict

Security is shaping Microsoft’s approach, from resilience work with governments to what it will say about how the money splits by country.

Published

4 days ago

September 24, 2026

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

Microsoft is planning more than $10 billion of investment across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith told Reuters, calling the spending schedule aggressive. The Iranian conflict that began on February 28 has not persuaded the company to scale back.

“We’re sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we are in fact adding to them,” Smith said. The $10 billion-plus total does not, however, show how large those additions are.

The investment, which Smith described as part of Microsoft’s continued infrastructure expansion, is aimed at cloud and AI infrastructure and at the company’s growing regional operations. Microsoft also intends to put more than $400 million into subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030.

The spending fits the region’s own ambitions too. Gulf governments have been investing heavily in AI infrastructure as part of a push to diversify their economies beyond oil and gas and turn themselves into global technology hubs. Major cloud and AI providers have been drawn in part by the land and relatively low-cost energy on offer.

Microsoft is widening its partnerships with regional AI companies, though not on identical terms. In 2024, it invested $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi-based G42 for a minority stake, and Smith currently sits on G42’s board. Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai are working with Microsoft on selected priority areas, but Smith said the company does not plan to make capital investments in either.

Also Read: Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power

The conflict has added another strand to Microsoft’s work in the region. Since it began, Smith said, the company has supported regional partners with digital resilience assessments, and it is now working with Gulf countries through a digital resilience initiative focused on preparedness and the protection of critical data.

So far, the company has given no country-by-country breakdown of the investment, citing security among other factors. So while the headline figure is public, how Microsoft divides the spending among the four countries is not.