Verdict
The Intel Core i9 - 14900 K is an absolute beast of a processor , top almost all of the benchmarks I could throw at it . However , it also lay out the infrangible limitation of what ’s possible with the Raptor Lake architecture , with temperatures and power draw being off the charts . If you ’re look for a various chip , equal to of handling anything you throw at it , the Core i9 - 14900 K is the one for you .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Intel does n’t look to have re - invented the wheel with its late Intel Core i9 - 14900 K processor . No , although it ’s the absolute top - tier mainframe in Team Blue ’s arsenal correctly now , comparatively to theCore i9 - 13900Kthere ’s not a whole portion of change here . But , it still looks to offer that same immaculate operation you ’d bear from a flagship micro chip .
At its core , the Core i9 - 14900 K boasts a total of 24 cores and 32 thread . 16 of those cores are what Intel dub “ effective - cores ” ( modest in size of it , and more suitable to background applications and low - impingement programs ) , along with an additional 8 “ execution - cores ” ( designed to get rip , run tight , and eclipse in the applications that count such as gaming or rendering , complete with hyperthreading to back them up ) .
This intuitive mixing of centre , paired with a substantial chunk of onboard retentiveness cache , and support for the late DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 standards makes the Core i9 - 14900 K worth considering if you ’re looking to build up one of the most versatilegaming PCsout there today .
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One of the big wins for consumer is the lack of a toll gain this clip around . The Intel Core i9 - 14900 K remains at an RRP of just $ 589/£589 . Impressive , given the inflation boom currently ongoing . It ’s still an expensive chip , however , and a specialist part more suitable to those engraft in professional workflows rather than just the hobbyist gamer . If you are concerned in alone gaming , there are certainly better time value choice out there , but more on that later .
In this limited review , I got to grips with testing the Core i9 - 14900 K , along with re - examine most of the last two generations of processor from both Intel and AMD , so we can give you a clear picture of which C.P.U. is right for you , your workload , and your budget , and whether it ’ll make it into ourBest mainframe list .
Specs
The Intel Core i9 - 14900 K is quite the tamed generational leap . surely from a ironware perspective . Compare the 14900 K to its 13900 K predecessor , and you ’ll see the stat railway line are comparatively selfsame between the two . Both bit boast the same core count , the same hoard size of it , the same memory support , and the same graphics and I / type O support as well . The only noticeable discriminator between the two comes in the form of the blackleg max turboclock - speed , with the Core i9 - 14900 K clocking in at 6 GHz , at peak , just 200 Mc higher than the 13900K. That ’s it . That increase in frequency and inevitable great power draw does run to some toasty temperature by default , and Intel recommend a 360 mm AIO as banner for its 14900 K to wield that .
The biggest change come in the form of firmware and package enhancement . Namely , Intel has introduced its app Optimization ( APO ) technical school . Think of this as a art driver but for your processor . When Intel initially introduced its Performance and effective magnetic core design chip with the 12th generation , it worked closely with Microsoft to insure Windows could identify which inwardness would well suit the program and later on allocate those resource correctly .
Full Specs
With APO , Intel has taken that a step further , and built out specific resourcefulness profile for individual programs , standardized to how a graphics driver allocate PC resources base on that same principle . This is an advancement on what Intel was using antecedently in Thread Director ( the technical school that worked with Windows I mentioned sooner ) , which was far more generic and had far less approach to data . Intel has state it ’s using AI and machine eruditeness to ramp up these profile out .
It ’s not particularly well implement just yet however , the number of game patronise are few and far between ( two at the time of committal to writing , Metro Exodus andRainbow Six Extraction ) . But , at 1080p , some users are seeing improvements of up to 35 % in average fps . This could very well be the next ray tracing or FreeSync if Intel keep up the impulse .
Test Setup
To make Intel and the Core i9 - 14900 K stew , I ’ve put it to the test in a huge array of intensive benchmarks over the last few workweek , comparing it to a telephone number of its own family , and the contender from AMD to see just how it stack up .
Where possible , I ’ve used as similar a tryout system as is feasible to eliminate any inconsistencies , and to make certain that this is all about the processors , and not any varying hardware that might touch on the results . Here ’s the full spec list :
I ’m using a phone number of synthetic and veridical - world bench mark wherever possible to really get to the bottom of what makes these processors tick , including PCMark10 , Geekbench 6.2.1 Cinebench , several 3DMark runs , alongside seven games .
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We ’re execute all of our game benchmarking at 1080p , as this is where you ’ll likely see the biggest differences between them . The higher your resolving , the more likely the frame - rate constriction shift from the CPU to the graphics carte du jour , as it has to process more and more pel and high - closure textures . As that reduces frames - per - second course , almost all CPUs will have less to do , and wo n’t affect resultant role in the same way .
As an aside , where gaming processor performance really matter is in those eSports titles such as Counter - strike 2 , Dota , Valorant , Overwatch and more . Most of which are played at resolutions around 1080p or even less in some case .
I ’ve also included some extra metric unit representing price - to - public presentation ratios . One for professional performance , how many Cinebench R23 multi - core points each one dollar bill gets you , and one for gaming performance , how many frames each dollar sign draw you . If you ’re on the hunting for the best value CPU , these should give you a clear picture , depending on what your work load preference is .
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Performance
If you ’ve already insure our Intel Core i9 - 13900 K limited review then this component part is going to sound very very intimate . And it should , as the chips are , in almost all case , fundamentally identical . The 14900 K punches hard across pretty much any practical program you direct its way . Whether that ’s in interlingual rendition or play , it can handle either or , without so much as lick an eyelid .
It is one of the most sinewy consumer chips out there flop now , but then , so was the 13900 K , and that is inherently its biggest weakness , it ’s so alike . As the 13 serial chips are now a generation behind it ’s likely the price of those CPUs will issue forth down importantly . Particularly over those peak trading periods such as Black Friday . At this dot , it ’s confutative whether a 200 MHz increase to clock speeds warrant that price increment , and if you could find a in force 13th gen deal , by far , it ’s likely the better pick between the two , in particular if APO does n’t take off .
Overall performance across more professional - oriented bench mark was impressive . The Core i9 - 14900 K easily top the competition in Cinebench R23 Multi and Single core tests . to boot , it also pumped out some major numbers in Geekbench as well , which is what we ’d expect from a chip of this calibre .
It ’s an idealistic pick if you ’re after a versatile system of rules capable of handle any task . If you ’re into 4 K telecasting - redaction , streaming , and dabble in a bit of gambling on the side , the 14900 K is a solid choice . Couple that with that intelligent nitty-gritty design , with the efficiency heart and soul pass in the background , deal your Slack , Discord and other less demanding programs , and you never have to worry about being throttle in - game because you decided to open up an redundant tab in Chrome .
Our raiment of gaming benchmark , equally turn up that point as well , across all seven titles , on the Ultra preset , the 14900 K absolutely crushed it , with peculiarly telling stand - out being CyberPunk 2077 at 221 fps , and Dirt Rally clock in at an impressive 353 fps as well .
There are a few outlier here however , the Core i5 - 14600 K ended up mop up the 14900 K in a few areas on average frame pace . Including , surprisingly Total War Warhammer III , Cyberpunk and 3DMark Fire Strike as well . This , we distrust ( outside of being within the leeway of fault ) , is likely due to temperature and power requisite , speak of …
Power Draw and Temperature
As you’re able to see , the baseless and flush power draw for the Intel Core i9 - 14900 K is , well … “ telling ” is one manner of putting it . 622W under lading in Fire Strike , and 175W at idle on desktop . Those are seriously beefy image , make certain you have a solidpower supplyfor the caper , and a motherboard that can handle those potential difference is go to be primal if you project on buying one . relatively under load that ’s 105W more than the 14600 K ( albeit that does sport only six operation cores and eight Efficiency heart and soul ) , and more imposingly 70W more than the last gen 13900K.
The max temp also topped out , at 98 blow under burden … yep . To clear up , this temporary was record with the 14900 K under a 360 mm AIO , in a 1080p gaming mental testing , in a well - ventilated instance with no less than nine fans total . Intel ’s Turbo Velocity Boost ( and most turbo setting in general ) operate C.P.U. frequencies base on select parametric quantity , namely , what the cool off solution is , how much exponent they can pull , and the stability of the silicon chip . In our subject , I can only suspect that to polish off that surplus 200 MHz Intel is quoting for its Performance - substance public figure , the Turbo is aggressively draw power , and in turn generating more surplus heat because of it . devote the figure of nitty-gritty at romp here , this may head to those high temps , despite the hefty temperature reduction solution in seat .
In the case of something like the Core i5 - 14600 K , or even the 13900 K , with their lower frequencies relatively , this is leading them to have dear overall individual - magnetic core performance , as the temporary worker are lower , there ’s less power drawn , and it ’s lead to ripe results across these rubric , as the processor is n’t throttling and slowing itself down due to the temperature being too high .
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Price to Performance
When it comes to Mary Leontyne Price to performance , the Intel Core i9 - 14900 K still represents a pretty hearty note value compared to the competitor . Certainly from a retail linear perspective . That said , these are the RRP values , if you compare that with the average price on Amazon , these figures deepen dramatically , and you may quickly see just how much of a difference of opinion those price shed make .
Still , the 14900 K is a firm proposition if you ’re looking for a decent professional - grad splintering . However , if gaming and only gambling is your bearing , then something like the 14600 K might be a good set .
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Should you buy it?
If you ’re on the Holman Hunt for the absolute upright processor money can bribe , that ’s able of handling any labor , and perform well in those situations the Intel Core i9 - 14900 K is hard to ignore . Its clever plan and attractive damage make it a shoo - in , and with APO it can only get better .
It ’s a solid - do central processing unit , but it still misses the soft touch when it descend to value , certainly in - game . Compared to last - gen , there are no major hardware change here , and it ’s an deucedly hot chip , that requires a serious chilling and exponent solvent as well .
Final Thoughts
Intel ’s Core i9 - 14900 K is a bit of a assorted bag . It still is an infrangible monster when it fare to gaming and professional - level performance but its lack of hardware foundation make us question whether it was deserving the generational name update . There ’s also the caveat of temperature and business leader haul . Without a dubiousness , this is the hot and thirstiestCPU‘s I ’ve ever had the pleasure of testing .
However , it go on to perform well up against primal rivals like theAMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D , meaning that if you ’re after thebest processorout there right now , it ’s still a hearty pick , but given the similarities between it and theIntel Core i9 - 13900 K , you might be better off pick that up in a flock instead .
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How we test
When review processors , we keep our trial seam consistent . We test a number of mainframe for each CPU generation launching , using similar or identical components wherever possible .
As for the tests themselves we use a mix of both in - game benchmark prick and synthetic benchmarks to find out performance , and also consider extra feature of speech , pricing and niche usance - case scenarios to accurately score each product .
FAQs
Intel recommend a 360 millimetre AIO at a lower limit , and so do we .
Yes , it ’s compatible with both standards , and also with DDR4 . Just make certain you buy the good motherboard that digest it .
Any motherboard with an LGA1700 socket from the 600/700 series chipsets will support the 14900K. However , you may necessitate to update the motherboard ’s BIOS before it supports the chip .
