Micro Center leaks Intel Core i9-14900KS CPU price, and it's the most expensive KS ever at $749

If you were thinking about buying the incoming flagship refresh of the Core i9-14900K, then be warned - it's a bit pricier than we were expecting.

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Naturally, Intel's limited edition KS processors - highly binned versions of the flagship CPU from their respective families - are always pricey, but the Core i9-14900KS is going to push even further with the demand it makes on your wallet.

As VideoCardz noticed, Micro Center briefly aired the price of the 14900KS (the product listing has since been removed), and it's $749 in the US.

If we compare that to the 13900KS, it's a hefty $50 more, as you could get the Raptor Lake top dog CPU for $699. Admittedly, the Alder Lake spin on this CPU was more expensive than that, at an MSRP of $739, but even then, the 12900KS was $10 cheaper than the 14900KS is - or might be, rather.

After all, this is just a pre-release price that has been spotted, and it could be a placeholder. That said, we'd trust Micro Center to give us an accurate peek at the official pricing more than some of the other recent leaks from the likes of Canadian or European retailers.

Short on stock?

Supposedly the Core i9-14900KS is set to launch later this week, on March 14. However, if you do wish to grab the CPU, you might struggle to find a chip, as another recent rumor is that stock could be thin on the ground (according to YouTuber Moore's Law is Dead).

If Intel is charging more than ever for this 6.2GHz-toting take on the 14900K, that'd make sense in terms of stock volume being low. Intel will expect them to sell out quickly to PC enthusiasts if there aren't many CPUs being put on the shelves, no matter what the price, really.

And of course, there's all the other expense that'll come with running a processor like this, such as cooling it properly. (It's worth noting that even with the outlay of $749, you don't get a cooler with it - the 14900KS is hardly going to be paired with some kind of stock cooler, naturally, and it'll purportedly run pretty hot).

If you cast your mind back to Coffee Lake Refresh - yes, quite a few years ago - you may recall the original Core i9-9900KS. Bet you don't remember the price, though? This was pitched at only $513, in fact, which just goes to show you that it isn't just graphics cards which have been through a series of steep (or nigh-on vertical at times) price rises over the past half a decade.