Intel Core i9-14900K review

ZAH Computers Tech Editorial

ZAH Computers Hardware Research Desk

The latest addition to the 14th-generation lineup is the Intel Core i9-14900K, now available for purchase. This Raptor Lake-based processor has finally been revealed after much anticipation and leaks regarding its performance. With a maximum speed of 6 GHz and a total of 24 processor cores, the Core i9-14900K is a refresh of the 13900K(S). It features 8 performance cores (P-cores) and 16 efficiency cores (E-cores), supporting up to 32 threads. To ensure optimal performance, the Intel Core i9-14900K and the Intel Core i5-14600K require a motherboard based on either the Intel Z790 or Intel Z690 chipset. As the flagship processor of this series, the Core i9-14900K is equipped with Intel's Thermal Velocity Boost technology, potentially allowing it to reach speeds of 6.0 GHz. Alongside this release, Intel has also introduced the Core i7-14700K and Core i5-14600K processors. Furthermore, KF variations of these processors are expected, which will be similar to the K series but without an integrated GPU. Historically, Intel has referenced the Tau parameter in connection with PL1/PL2. However, the 12th Gen Processors have introduced a change where PL1 and PL2 now share the same values. As a result, specifying the duration the CPU can maintain at PL2 before shifting to PL1 is no longer necessary since both power values are now equal. The base power draw for this processor is 253W. The TDP for the top-end products has been raised to 253W for both PL1 and PL2 states. This processor features 24 cores (8P+16E) and a combined L2 and L3 cache of 68 MB. Its maximum boost frequency is 6.0 GHz, and it will come equipped with integrated UHD Graphics 770.

Configuration	Base ClockP-Core	Max ClockP-Core	PBP/MTP	MSRP
Core I9-14900K(F)	24/32T (8P+16E)	3.2 GHz	6.0 GHz	125W/253W
Core I9-14900(F)	24/32T (8P+16E)	2.0 GHz	5.8 GHz	125W/253W
Core I7-14700K(F)	20/28T (8P+12E)	3.4 GHz	5.6 GHz	125W/253W
Core I7-14700(F)	20/28T (8P+12E)	2.1 GHz	5.4 GHz	125W/253W
Core I5-14600K(F)	14/20T (6P+8E)	3.5 GHz	5.3 GHz	125W/181W
Core I5-14600	14/20T (6P+8E)	2.7 GHz	5.2 GHz	125W/181W
Core I5-14500	14/20T (6P+8E)	2.6 GHz	5.0 GHz
Core I5-14400(F)	10/16T (6P+4E)	2.5 GHz	4.7 GHz
Core I3-14100(F)	4/8T (4P+0E)	3.5 GHz	4.7 GHz

The Raptor Lake processors are equipped with 2MB L2 cache per P-core, while the Alder Lake processors come with 1.25MB per P-core. The CPUs now feature 4MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster, an increase from the previous 2MB. Furthermore, the total L3 cache size is 36MB. Intel has stated that there is a 15% improvement in single-threaded performance and a 41% improvement in multi-threaded performance. These improvements are mainly attributed to higher frequency and thread count. The Z790 high-end platform from Intel offers numerous PCIe Gen4 lanes and USB 3.0 Gen 2x2 20 Gbps ports. In this evaluation, we will focus on the flagship Core i9 14900K, which boasts eight performance cores (16 threads) and 16 Energy efficient cores (non-hyperthreaded), providing a total of 32 threads.