The i5 series of the Intel Core processors have long been popular with PC gamers , striking a superb balance between execution and price .
But which contemporaries of the i5 Intel chip represents the unspoilt value for money ? For this guide , we ’ll be comparing the two latest additions : the Intel Core i5 - 13600 K and theIntel Core i5 - 14600K.
Both central processing unit are based on the Raptor Lake computer architecture , so there ’s no generational leap here . Yet Intel has still made some tweaks to the Intel Core i5 - 14600 K to improve public presentation . We have detail all of the cardinal differences below , while also including our own bench mark results .
Price and availability
The Intel Core i5 - 14600 K launched back in October 2023 , seduce it the newer processor of the two . It has a launching price of $ 319 , and can be found in UK online retail merchant for around £ 300 .
As for the Intel Core i5 - 13600 K , this central processor arrive in computer memory in October 2022 , an entire yr befores its successor . It has the same $ 319 launching price as its heir , and varies a lot in price across retailer : sometimes it ’s even more expensive than the i5 - 14600 K , and other meter you may get it for about £ 20 cheaper . It really depends on where you ’re shopping and whether that ’s a deal on .
Specs
By judge the name of the Intel Core i5 - 14600 K , you may assume that it is part of a fresh propagation liken to the older Intel Core i5 - 13600 K chip , but that ’s not stringently true .
Both chip use the sameIntel 7process , so you wo n’t find any architecture changes . This will limit the possible performance gain of the 14600 K , making the novel micro chip feel more like a refresh than an genuine successor .
This also mean that there are a bully deal of similarities between the two chips . Both use a intercrossed design , with 6 public presentation cores and 8 effective cores add up up to 14 cores on each chip .
The main difference between the two is that Intel has chance up the boosted clock speed of the Intel Core i5 - 14600 K to 5.3GHz , liken to the maximum 5.1GHz clock speeds of the Intel Core i5 - 13600K. This earn the new microchip find like an overclocked iteration of its herald .
The only other central upgrade can be found in the chip ’s connectivity . The Intel Core i5 - 14600 K now offers “ distinct support ” forWi - Fi 7 . The recent wireless standard is subject of up to a 40Gbps rate , making it 4x faster thanWi - Fi 6Eon the 13600K.
Performance
The specification of the Intel Core i5 - 14600 K indicate that you should n’t expect a sizeable performance boost equate to the i5 - 13600 K , and this is exactly what we incur out in our bench mark tests .
The Intel Core i5 - 14600 K systematically outperformed its forerunner across all of our benchmarks , albeit with fringy leads . This was the case for both single - core and multi - core workloads .
We also made certain to test the two fleck with in - game benchmarks , which saw alike results . For Horizon Zero Dawn , there was only a 4fps boost , while Dirt Rally ascertain a 7fps improvement . But for game such as Cyberpunk 2077 , Borderlands 3 and Returnal , the outcome were identical .
This highlights how standardized these two desktop CPU are . The Intel Core i5 - 14600 K is for sure more powerful , but only by such a modest margin that you probably would n’t notice much of a execution conflict .
Power consumption and temperature
When boosting the peak clock speed of a processor , you need to supply it with more power . As a outcome , it should come as no surprise that the Intel Core i5 - 14600 K go out greater top executive consumption than the Intel Core i5 - 13600 K in our test .
When install inside our test rig , the 14600 K saw a peak power hooking of 517.6W , which is noticeably higher than the 497.6W figure of the 13600K. This probably is n’t enough of a difference to coerce you into upgrading your PSU , but it does think of the Intel Core i5 - 13600 K is the more top executive efficient chip which could be ready to hand if you want to keep your energy bill as small-scale as potential .
The Intel Core i5 - 14600 K also generates more heat , hitting a peak temperature of 93 ° C during our testing . The Intel Core i5 - 13600 K only slay a peak of 81 ° C when put under the same work load . This means you may postulate a good cooling solution to maximize the public presentation of the late Intel chip .
Verdict
There really is n’t much between theIntel Core i5 - 14600Kand Intel Core i5 - 13600 K ; they ’re like identical twins , but the former is marginally faster to achieve a slightly good performance . However , our examination shows that the performance reward is rarely noticeable , especially in gambling where you ’ll only see a few extra frame per second , if that .
The i5 - 13600 K also proves to be more efficient , both in terms of business leader ingestion and caloric functioning . The latter is specially authoritative , as you may need an ripe cooling solution so as to maximise the magnate of the Intel Core i5 - 14600K.
However , there are so few differences here that you should belike found your determination on damage . For most cases , you should opt for the more low-cost processor . If they ’re priced the same , then the Intel Core i5 - 14600 K is your best stake due to the slightly higher public presentation .