There is now a clearer indication of when the Intel Core i9-11900K processor will become available to PC consumers. The 11900K is slated to be the flagship CPU in the upcoming Rocket Lake line, following 2020's Comet Lake processors. With the 11900K hitting benchmark milestones and excelling over competitor products, the anticipation has grown over time, increasing interest on its availability. Here is the latest on when the 11900K chip might make its way to retailers.

Intel released a total of five standard-powered Comet Lake CPUs in 2020, with the flagship chip being the 10900K. When it was first released, the 10900K outperformed any processor from AMD at the time. It can manage a base clock speed at 3.7 GHz per second and a max clock speed of 5.2 GHz. With the bulk of i9's Comet Lake processors having been released in April 2020, consumers are due for an update on the upcoming Rocket Lake line.

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Intel's Rocket Lake CPUs, which include the Core i9-11900K, are projected to make their way to store shelves "at the end of March," according to a report by Hexus, citing comments by an MSI South Korean customer service rep. However, it wasn't specified if the release would be worldwide or just for South Korea. Regardless, this would line up with Intel's previous claims of a first quarter release in 2021. While some reports have been stating a January 11 release date, plans such as these are always likely to change, depending on retailers in question or Intel itself.

When To Expect More Core i9-11900K Details

Intel Core i9-11900K

Some questions regarding the new i9-11900K CPU release date are likely to be answered during Intel's CES 2021 presentation. Each year, CES is where many tech companies break big news regarding their consumer products for the year ahead, so it makes sense further details will be confirmed during this year's event. Contrary to rumors, those looking for the processor should probably not expect a surprise or scheduled January 11 release.

Prior to any announcement from Intel, supposedly leaked CPU-Z benchmark scores for the 11900K surfaced online. At 695 points in the single-core category, it appears to exceed the 663 points set by the Ryzen 7 5800X - what many thought was going to be the best overall CPU around. In practice, the 11900K could be up to 7-percent faster in performance, according to TechRadar, although the 11900K trailed behind the Ryzen 7 5900X (6,522 points to 6,766) in the multi-core category. According to a recent report by Wccftech, the new Intel CPU boasts base and max clock speeds of 3.5 and 4.8 GHz per second, respectively. When all cores are running, clock speeds can increase further to 5.3 GHz - slightly faster than 10900K's max settings.

With these improvements, it is understandable that PC enthusiasts are eager to secure the new CPU as soon as possible. However, with branding and model names looking eerily similar, it's important for consumers to identify the CPU they're getting before they checkout, to avoid buying the wrong processor or an older one. However, those eager for what looks to be a really fast PC processor might not have to wait much longer for an official confirmation from Intel on when the 11900K will become available.

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Source: Hexus