Intel launches new 14th gen Desktop processors

Last Updated on January 9, 2024 by Team Yantra

Intel has launched its 14th Gen desktop processor this week, promising boost frequencies of 6GHz out of the box for its flagship Core i9-14900K. Known as Raptor Lake Refresh, Intel is maintaining pricing for its 14th Gen Core i9, i7, and i5 processors this year, sticking to the same retail pricing as the 13th Gen when these new chips launch on October 17th.

Core i9-14900K: The Fastest Desktop Processor at Volume

The 6GHz boost on the new Core i9-14900K makes it the “fastest desktop processor at volume,” according to Intel, referring to its special-edition 13900KS that first broke the 6GHz barrier at stock speeds last year but didn’t ship at volume.

The Core i9-14900K features 24 cores and 32 threads, with 8 performance cores (P-cores) and 16 efficiency cores (E-cores). It has a base clock of 3.2GHz and a boost clock of up to 5.6GHz on the P-cores and up to 4.2GHz on the E-cores. The chip has a TDP of 125W, which can increase to 253W in turbo mode.

Core i7-14700K: A Significant Bump to Efficiency Cores

The more interesting 14th-gen processor in this refresh could be the Core i7-14700K, though, thanks to a significant bump to its efficiency cores.

This year, Intel is increasing the core count on its Core i7 processor, moving from eight efficiency and eight performance cores to 12 efficiency and eight performance cores. That’s 20 cores in total for the Core i7-14700K, close to the 24 found on the Core i9-14900K.

The base clocks on the P-core are 3.4GHz and 2.5GHz on the E-core for the 14700K, the same that we saw on last year’s 13700K. These added efficiency cores should help with creator tasks and even gaming performance for titles that take advantage of multithreading.

Core i5-14600K: A Refreshed Core i5

Intel also has a refreshed Core i5 this year. The i5-14600K includes a total of 14 cores (six P-cores and eight E-cores) and 20 threads. It has a base clock of 3.5GHz on the P-core side and up to a 5.3GHz boost.

Also Read: Should you buy i5-14600K?

Pricing and Availability

The Core i9-14900K will be priced at $589, with the Core i7-14700K priced at $409 and the Core i5-14600K launching at $319. All three processors will be available from system builders and retailers on October 17th.

Support for Existing Motherboards and New Features

All of these 14th-gen processors will work in Intel 600- and 700-series motherboards, as Intel is still using its LGA 1700 socket. They also include support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 through a discrete option that motherboard manufacturers can include in refreshed Z790 boards. Intel is also supporting DDR5 5600 and DDR4 3200 memory speeds with its 14th-gen chips.

How the 14th Gen Processors Compare to the Competition

Intel has some favourable benchmarks against AMD’s Ryzen 9 7950X and even its own previous Core i7 chips for creator tasks, but we’ll have to wait and see how this new Core i7-14700K compares to AMD’s impressive 7800X3D chip for gaming benchmarks.

Overall, Intel’s 14th Gen desktop processors are a solid refresh, with the Core i7-14700K being the most interesting chip in the lineup thanks to its significant bump to efficiency cores. The Core i9-14900K is also a great option for users who want the absolute fastest desktop processor at volume. If you’re looking for a new desktop processor, Intel’s 14th Gen chips are definitely worth considering.