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The Intel Core i5 14600K carries on the custom of its Alder Lake and Raptor Lake predecessors, in that it’s a surprisingly perky midrange gaming processor that gives good ranges of efficiency in gaming and inventive functions. Nonetheless, regardless of being a brand new era in title, this CPU and its siblings can’t escape the fact that they provide little by way of generational enhancements, performing extra like a refresh in apply.
I’ve been testing the Intel Core i5 14600K for slightly below per week now, nesting the chip contained in the newly launched ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Darkish Hero motherboard. In that point, it’s definitely confirmed its price as one of many best gaming CPUs you should purchase at this time, even when I do have some reservations surrounding its rapid and total worth.
Execs:
- Strong gaming efficiency
- Surprisingly sturdy for inventive functions
- Identical value as Thirteenth gen
Cons:
- Small generational enchancment
- Not as power-efficient as AMD competitors
- No included cooler
Specs
The Core i5 14600K specs stay predominantly unchanged from the earlier era, to the purpose that there’s just one distinction right here price discussing: clock speeds.
The identical 14-core configuration of eight efficiency cores (P-Cores) and 6 effectivity cores (E-Cores) return, offering 20 out there threads in whole. Nonetheless, every core kind can now push efficiency a bit additional, due to a 200MHz increase to most turbo frequencies on the P-Cores and a 100MHz improve on the E-Cores, versus the Core i5 13600K.
Intel Core i5 14600K specs:
| Socket | LGA 1700 |
| Cores (P+E) | 14 (6+8) |
| Threads | 20 |
| Base Clock (P / E) | 3.50GHz / 2.60GHz |
| Max. Turbo Freq. (P / E) | As much as 5.30GHz / 4.00GHz |
| L2 Cache | 20MB |
| L3 Cache | 24MB |
| TDP | 125W |
Different enhancements embody assist for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, in addition to the oncoming Thunderbolt 5. Intel has additionally elevated out there XMP speeds above 8,000MT/s, for these of you with the best gaming RAM at your disposal.
Even on paper, the Core i5 14600K doesn’t appear all that completely different from its forebear, and the identical holds true in apply. I might describe this as an issue throughout the 14th-generation stack, because the Intel Core i9 14900K shares these points, though the Intel Core i7 14700K has truly obtained an uplift in core rely.
Benchmarks
For our Intel Core i5 14600K benchmarks, I’ve paired the CPU with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card in an effort to remove GPU bottlenecks throughout rasterization and ray tracing exams. All body charge knowledge for video games was captured at native 1080p to assist additional make sure the CPU is the bottleneck, not the GPU, and I’ve additionally included artificial exams from 3DMark and Cinebench 2024. Moreover, all comparability knowledge was freshly captured for this overview, with mirrored specs other than the motherboard and processor.
Listed below are the specs of our take a look at system:
- CPU: Intel Core i5 14600K
- Motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Darkish Hero (BIOS v052)
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5 6,000MHz
- Cooler: Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix XT
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080
- Driver: GeForce Recreation Prepared – WHQL (537.42)
- OS: Home windows 11 Professional 22H2 (22621.2428)
- SSD: Samsung 990 Professional 4TB
- PSU: Corsair RMx SHIFT Sequence 1000W
- Case: Corsair 5000D RGB Airflow
Unsurprisingly, the Core i5 14600K comes out sturdy compared to its closest competitors, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, in our take a look at suite of video games. In actual fact, the one actual loss for the CPU is within the Whole Warfare: Warhammer 3 ‘Battle’ benchmark, and it in any other case permits our Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 to flex its pixel-pushing energy higher than the AM5 chip.
Staying with the technique recreation for a second, the newly launched and way more performance-intensive ‘Mirrors of Insanity’ benchmark locations the Core i5 14600K confidently forward of the Ryzen 5 7600X, each in common and minimal frames per second. To be clear, that is partly to be anticipated, as Warhammer 3 is an Intel-sponsored title, however the hole between the 2 CPUs is pronounced.
Turning to F1 22, the 14600K and 7600X are inside spitting distance of each other, each at ‘Excessive’ and ‘Extremely Excessive’ settings. The identical stays true in Cyberpunk 2077 utilizing its ‘RT Overdrive’ preset, proving each processors are greater than able to handholding your graphics card by way of path-traced workloads.
Nonetheless, the steadiness shifts in favor of the 14600K when swapping all the way down to ‘RT Extremely’ in Cyberpunk 2077. The 1% lows supplied by the Intel chip are way more constant than the 7600X and even the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, with efficiency a lot nearer to the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D.
Lastly, the 14600K enjoys a lead simply shy of a second over the 7600X in Civilization VI, with flip instances which are certain to please any fan of the collection.
The place the Core i5 14600K shines in gaming, it glistens in inventive and productiveness workloads too. Analyzing our Cinebench 2024 outcomes reveals there’s a small distinction between Intel and AMD in relation to single-core efficiency, however neither the 7600X nor the 7800X3D can compete with the multi-core energy of the 14600K.
This development continues within the 3DMark CPU Profile benchmark, wherein the comparatively small hole in single-thread skills turns right into a chasm when all threads are made out there. Time Spy reveals that usually talking, the Core i5 14600K has a lot to supply video games that may correctly make the most of its cores.
In my testing, I noticed a most energy draw of 188W through the Cinebench 2024 multi-core benchmark. Gaming noticed equally excessive energy attracts, with Cyberpunk 2077 proving probably the most thirsty work for the processor at 162W.
Even with a lot wattage operating by way of it whereas underneath load, the 14600K not often thermal throttled, with the one occasion I noticed being the identical Cinebench 2024 multi-core take a look at forcing it to drop its core clocks by 300MHz. This was with a 360mm AIO hooked up too, particularly the Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix XT, so your mileage could fluctuate with a much less succesful cooler.
Worth
The Intel Core i5 14600K value is $329 / £325, mirroring the price of its Thirteenth gen equal. Additionally it is out there with out built-in UHD 770 graphics, because the Intel Core i5 14600KF, for $304 / £300.
Whereas I’m glad Intel didn’t improve costs right here, because the 14600K doesn’t supply something substantial sufficient to warrant larger prices, it does depart the 14th gen chip in an ungainly spot. Given how little has modified versus the Thirteenth gen, it’s laborious to justify shopping for the present era versus a reduced last-generation chip.
Naturally, this may turn out to be much less of an issue as older Alder Lake and Raptor Lake inventory dry up, however the rapid worth offered by the 14600K is hampered by the state of the market.
Putting the Intel Core i5 14600K towards the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, it’s clear to me that the previous is the superior processor for almost every thing. That’s, after all, if the considered your chip guzzling some extra watts doesn’t hassle you.
Verdict
There’s no denying that the Intel Core i5 14600K is a stable all-around performer, able to dealing with any recreation or utility you throw at it with relative ease. Nonetheless, this was true of the 13600K, and there’s little separating the 2 CPUs.
Sadly, the marginal efficiency enhancements provided by the 14600K depart it laborious to advocate whereas there may be nonetheless loads of now-discounted Thirteenth-generation inventory available.
Fact be advised, I believe Intel might have been higher off releasing the 14600K as a 13600KS, for a barely larger value. I might fortunately take the upper clock speeds for the next value whereas accepting that that is finally a refined Thirteenth-generation chip moderately than a generational leap. As a 14th gen product, although, it’s a bit underwhelming.
Alternate options
Intel Core i5 13600K
As I’ve alluded to all through this overview, the 14600K is in some ways equivalent to the Intel Core i5 13600K. Other than some variations in most turbo frequency and assist for the most recent Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thunderbolt specs, they’re the identical CPU with extraordinarily comparable efficiency profiles. Anticipate finding it barely cheaper than the 14th gen CPU that’s changing it, if not now, then within the coming weeks.
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X typically mirrors the body charges provided by the Intel Core i5 13600K however is out there for barely much less cash with a $299 MSRP. Given how lengthy the processor has been out there, you possibly can typically discover it for a lot much less, making its worth a lot larger.
Learn our AMD Ryzen 5 7600X review to study extra.
Intel Core i5 14600K
The Intel Core i5 14600K falls in need of reaching its rightful place because the midrange CPU champion, not due to its specs, however as a result of it merely doesn’t push the boat out far sufficient from the earlier era.
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