Intel Core i9-13900K reportedly supports “extreme 350W performance mode” on some Intel 700 series motherboards

Intel Raptor Lake-S with even more power

According to Hungarian tech outlet ProHardver, Intel is to add a new factory OC mode for upcoming 13th Gen Core i9 series.

It is said that Intel Raptor Lake-S CPUs from the Core i9 line are to support a power limit of 350W, which is on top of the default (PL1/PL2) power limits going up to 241W. This feature is to become available on some Intel 700 motherboards, and it is reportedly showing better gains compared to Alder Lake power limit uncap.

As noted by ProHardver, with Alder Lake CPUs power uncapping beyond PL2 limit did not provide noticeable performance improvement, mainly because the CPU was not designed for such power. For Raptor Lake-S this concept will be expanded on supported platforms.

The 125W PL1 and 253W PL2 limits will remain as they are for Core i9-13900K series to ensure compatibility with Intel 600 series motherboards. However, for supported Intel 700 series motherboards and systems equipped with adequate cooling solutions, there will be an option to enable 350W mode. The site underlines the importance of the cooling, 350W mode will require ‘serious cooling solutions’.

This feature is said to add up to 15% better performance. For those who seek the highest performance though that shouldn’t really matter. We have already seen Core i9-13900K Qualification Samples reaching 345W power in leaked tests. However, this was not described as a special feature, but demonstrated as a manual power limit unlock instead.

Intel Core i9-13900K (Unlimited Power) in Cinebench R23 test, Source: @OneRaichu

Intel is set to announce its 13th Gen Core series on September 27th with launch planned for mid-October. The Core i9-13900K is the flagship SKU with 24 cores (8P + 16E) and boost up to 5.8 GHz. There are thus far no leaks indicating Intel is planning a KS variant.

Source: ProHardver