When crunch time for vacation gross sales comes round, not each tech firm has one thing actually new to push out yearly. That’s the place Intel finds itself this yr, as its upcoming “Meteor Lake” processors are all about laptops and aren’t slated for a desktop launch. As a substitute, Intel has employed the tried-and-tested methodology of a product-line refresh to maintain its chips shifting.
Model-new, or no less than newly named, chips primarily based on the corporate’s present high-performance “Raptor Lake” microarchitecture have potential as one thing thrilling to recreation with whereas we await a new-architecture successor (possible “Arrow Lake”) to land. Intel has finished generational refreshes like this one earlier than, and it has labored nicely up to now. Not a lot in 2023, although: Whereas the potential is right here, the $589 Intel Core i9-14900K generates a whole lot of warmth and extra energy draw. This is not a foul chip, with the appropriate extra-robust cooler on high of it. however Intel’s logic behind this refresh is troublesome to see past issuing a space-filler till next-gen structure corporations up.
Core i9-13900K, 13900KS, 14900K: Spot the Distinction!
Though the brand new Core i9-14900K processor begins with “14” as an alternative of “13,” it’s nonetheless a member of the thirteenth Gen Raptor Lake household and depends on the Raptor Lake structure. Greater than architecturally much like the previous Intel Core i9-13900K and Intel Core i9-13900KS, the Core i9-14900K is the truth is totally equivalent to those different chips on a macro stage. All three of those CPUs have the identical variety of cores, the identical quantity of cache, and even near the identical clock speeds. (The core depend, as a reminder, is 24 cores, comprising eight Efficiency cores and 16 Environment friendly cores, permitting for a complete of 32 addressable threads by way of Hyper-Threading.)
This begs the query (or two): Why create the Core i9-14900K within the first place, and why trouble with this entire refresh factor? Traditionally, refreshing a processor line is a sensible transfer, with notable features in efficiency for purchasers and at instances lowered pricing. Both method, this transfer has typically proved financially useful to AMD and Intel up to now.
(Credit score: Michael Justin Allen Sexton)The explanation a refreshed processor line tends to work nicely is because of enhancements in manufacturing know-how. Primarily what occurs is that as the corporate produces extra of the identical chips, its present manufacturing know-how matures, resulting in a gradual improve in total yields and the standard of particular person processors. These enhancements generally cut back prices, however extra necessary they will make it doable to decrease energy consumption, add extra sources, or improve clock pace.
(Credit score: Michael Justin Allen Sexton)At instances, this has led to some extremely profitable traces of rehashed merchandise. During the last decade, Intel has produced a number of refresh traces, together with the Haswell Refresh, the Kaby Lake Refresh, and the Espresso Lake Refresh.
(Credit score: Michael Justin Allen Sexton)Nevertheless, simply because it has labored earlier than doesn’t imply it’ll work each time. Thermal limits aren’t really easy to beat and, whereas clock pace continues to extend every technology, it does so slowly—and solely when energy, thermals, and design permits. Intel already pushed its Raptor Lake processors to function at comparatively excessive clock speeds, which is all nicely and good, nevertheless it left little room for overclocking, and it leaves even much less room now for the Raptor Lake Refresh chips to be clocked greater.
(Credit score: Michael Justin Allen Sexton)The results of that is that we’re left with refreshed chips which can be clocked solely barely greater than their predecessors. The Intel Core i9-13900K shipped with a max increase clock pace of 5.8GHz, which is pushed as much as solely 6GHz on the Core i9-14900K. This slight improve represents a mere 3% improve in efficiency, which is a lift so small that we are inclined to glaze over outcomes of three% or much less as within the margin of error.
This marginal efficiency acquire is additional undercut by the existence of Intel’s Core i9-13900KS, which is successfully a Core i9-13900K that operates with a max turbo clock of 6GHz proper out of the field. This makes it equivalent even when it comes to clock pace to the Core i9-14900K, nevertheless it additionally makes it clear that Intel didn’t increase absolutely the clock ceiling for its Raptor Lake processors with the brand new refresh line.
Additionally word: The 14900K is barely in a position to hit 6GHz underneath single-threaded workloads with out handbook tweaking of settings or overclocking. The rated peak clock pace for the chip will get regularly lowered as extra cores are activated, as is typical, with the max clock pace achievable with all cores energetic on the 14900K set to five.6GHz, versus the 13900K’s 5.4GHz.
(Credit score: Michael Justin Allen Sexton)Not one of the secondary traits of the processor was improved with the refresh line, both. The Core i9-14900K and the Core i9-13900K each have equivalent reminiscence controllers with a max formally supported DDR5 clock pace of 5,600MHz. The built-in graphics processor (IGP) likewise stays unchanged, with each counting on Intel’s UHD Graphics 770. This IGP has 32 execution models (EUs) and operates at 1.65GHz on each chips.
At this level, you would possibly assume that the Core i9-13900K and Core i9-14900K would carry out roughly the identical in all of our exams, and you’d be proper! However let’s check out the take a look at scores to reveal precisely how related these processors are.
Take a look at Setup and Spec Comparability
The Core i9-14900K is an LGA 1700 processor—simply the identical as all different Intel twelfth Gen Alder Lake and Intel thirteenth Gen Raptor Lake processors—and as such all of those processors can work on the identical motherboard. I used a Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Grasp motherboard to check the Core i9-14900K and cooled the processor with a 240mm Cooler Grasp MasterLiquid PL240 Flux water cooler.
The system was additionally geared up with two 16GB sticks of DDR5 RAM in a dual-channel configuration. This RAM was operated at 5,600MHz, which is the Core i9-14900K’s max formally supported clock pace. The take a look at system was constructed onto an open-air Praxis Wetbench chassis and powered by a SilverStone DA850 PSU. All exams have been carried out within Home windows 11 with all updates put in.
I additionally added an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 to the system for all exams besides the IGP exams. Utilizing a extra highly effective graphics card for this goal might assist us to higher gauge absolute peak gaming efficiency for the processors, however very, only a few customers will shell out for a card within the value class of an RTX 4090 ($1,500-plus). Through the use of a card on the RTX 3080 stage, we as an alternative are in a position to study one thing else. Most avid gamers are operating with considerably weaker graphics {hardware} than even an RTX 3080, with playing cards just like the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 and GeForce RTX 3060 being crowd favorites based on the month-to-month Steam {Hardware} Survey. (In distinction, the RTX 4090 and AMD’s top-end Radeon RX 7900 XTX are used collectively by lower than 1% of Steam customers.)
The RTX 3080 is considerably quicker than playing cards just like the RTX 1060 and RTX 3060, however by utilizing it for testing we acquire an thought how a lot processing energy that you must run a GPU with efficiency on par with the RTX 3080. On the identical time, in circumstances the place we do not see any profit from a quicker processor, we are able to safely say you additionally would not see a profit from utilizing these quicker processors with a GTX 1060 or RTX 3060. Whereas we may take a look at with an RTX 4090, like many different publications do, we discover this on the time to be extra informative for real-world upgraders on restricted budgets.
AIDA64 Reminiscence Checks
Kicking issues off with AIDA64’s reminiscence and cache bandwidth take a look at allows us to realize some perception into the processor’s inside bandwidth. That is essential as modifications in bandwidth can considerably alter efficiency in lots of different classes, and figuring out how a lot bandwidth is on the market among the many varied swimming pools of reminiscence will help us to know why a processor performs the way in which it does in varied exams.
The Core i9-14900K carried out fairly nicely in these exams, with measured bandwidth near the highest of the charts. It was not strictly the quickest, because it was barely outpaced by 14700K and the 13900K within the reminiscence bandwidth division. It did additionally present considerably slower L2 bandwidth than many competing AMD chips, however that is made up for considerably by main L1 efficiency and the quickest L3 learn speeds.
CPU Checks
It’s with the CPU exams that we begin to see the head-scratching aspect of the Core i9-14900K. In Cinebench, it was behind the 13900K within the multi-threaded take a look at, possible because of overheating and throttling quicker. Each chips hit 100 levels C on this take a look at, however the Core i9-14900K’s greater turbo causes it to overheat quicker and extra continuously. The only-threaded efficiency was barely higher, although, due to the upper turbo, and led the sphere right here: a particular brilliant spot.
Efficiency in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Professional each elevated for the 14900K over the 13900K, however solely by a comparatively small margin. HandBrake, Blender, and POV-Ray all reported near-identical outcomes for the 14900K and the 13900K. The competing AMD chips have been left fairly a methods behind, with a 7% benefit at minimal for the 14900K towards all the examined AMD processors, and usually the benefit was considerably higher.
Gaming Checks
Testing with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 in gaming exams pushes the processors nearer along with much less probability to face out. Nonetheless, the Core i9-14900K managed spectacular ends in 3DMark’s Time Spy take a look at. It will be much more spectacular if it weren’t crushed by the Core i7-14700K.
In F1 22, the 14900K carried out about the identical as a lot of the different examined Intel chips, nevertheless it additionally held a notable 6% benefit over the competing AMD Ryzen 9 7950X at 1080p resolutions. This benefit disappeared towards the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, although. We noticed one thing related in Bioshock: Infinite with an 8% benefit for the 14900K, this time with the decision set to 1080p, which shrinks to barely greater than a 3% benefit towards the 7950X3D.
Within the different video games we examined, the 14900K turned in typically related outcomes to its closest competitors with none of the chips exhibiting a notable benefit.
Built-in Graphics
The built-in graphics unit on the 14900K is identical one used on all the Intel chips examined right here, and all the examined AMD chips likewise use the identical respective IGP. This creates a comparatively even testing surroundings the place the IGP efficiency is mostly what pushes a CPU up or down in these exams.
In F1 22, we recorded comparatively related outcomes total from a lot of the examined chips, with solely the Core i5-14600K and the Core i9-12900K standing out for being a bit slower. Issues modified considerably in Complete Warfare: Three Kingdoms, the place the Intel chips took a major efficiency lead, and the 14900K and 13900K stood out as barely quicker than the remainder of the pack.
This development continued in Bioshock: Infinite with the 14900K now standing out as the only quickest chip examined. In Tomb Raider, the 13900K caught again up with the 14900K, however these two chips have been nonetheless ever so barely forward of the opposite Intel chips and a large step forward of the AMD competitors.
Energy and Thermal Testing
We use a Kill-A-Watt wall meter to check the facility consumption of the take a look at programs’ energy draw as an entire. Although this doesn’t give us a precise measure of the facility consumed by the processor being examined, we’re in a position to get a tough thought.
With its 6GHz clock pace, it’s no shock that the 14900K is the power-hungriest chip in our lineup, and it even pulled a good bit extra energy than the in any other case equivalent 13900K. It is apparent that the AMD chips are far much less power-hungry, and although they weren’t as quick in lots of our exams, the information we now have means that the AMD chips are significantly extra environment friendly when it comes to how a lot work you get out of them per watt.
You will not discover a lot to say in response to the thermal exams, as nearly all the AMD and Intel chips hit their thermal restrict underneath load with our testbed’s 240mm water cooler. When you plan to purchase any of those chips, it’s possible you’ll need to take into account a 360mm water cooler, although that might not be sufficient to keep away from thermal throttling in all circumstances, both.
Verdict: A Case of Design Deja Vu
General, Intel’s new Intel Core i9-14900K is a strong processor that led our take a look at charts with spectacular efficiency numbers. It runs scorching and consumes a whole lot of energy, nevertheless it’s priced aggressively towards the Ryzen 9 competitors, making it value contemplating.
Nevertheless, this feels all too acquainted: That’s nearly precisely what we stated final yr in our Intel Core i9-13900K evaluation. After all, the existence of that different processor requires that we advocate the Core i9-14900K with some caveats. First, the final consideration is that you simply don’t need to purchase the 14900K if you happen to plan to construct a compact system with restricted thermal headroom or a lower-wattage energy provide.
(Credit score: Michael Justin Allen Sexton)Subsequent, you shouldn’t purchase the 14900K if you should buy a 13900K for much less. Realistically, these are the identical processors, leaving little motive to advocate one over the opposite. You will discover a number of minor variations, most notable amongst them that the 13900K ought to work on all Intel 700-series motherboards with out the necessity of a BIOS replace, whereas the 14900K possible will want a BIOS replace.
One other is that the Core i9-14900K has the potential to overclock barely higher, however this will not even be true. Taking a look at overclocking information for the Core i9-13900K, we see lots of the information have been set by individuals overclocking the processor between 6GHz and 6.6GHz whereas utilizing excessive cooling strategies like dry ice. When skilled overclockers must resort to excessive cooling simply to scale previous 6GHz, it is uncertain you’re going to get very a lot previous 6GHz with ordinary-civilian cooling gear.
Given the choice, we might go for the 13900K if the 2 have been the identical value, as higher assist is extra necessary than marginal and presumably non-existent overclocking features. That is the most important situation for the 14900K: It’s not markedly higher than the 13900K. As long as the 13900K is on the market, and particularly whether it is promoting for a cheaper price, that’s the higher processor to purchase.
