Next in line is the 14th Gen Core i7, which actually gets the meatier generation-over-generation upgrades, and hits the right balance between price and performance. Intel has armed it with eight performance cores and 12 efficiency cores (four more than the previous generation), allowing it to hit a peak clock speed of 5.6GHz. Each core class gets a speed bump, as well.
The upgrades also reflect in the benchmark figures, as the Core i7-14900K offers a consistently higher performance compared to its 13th gen predecessor, and also when pitted against its Core i9 sibling. Intel has set a base price of $409 for the Core i7-14700K processor, while the KF variant devoid of built-in graphics will set you back $384.
Finally, we have the i5-14600K, which offers a total of 14 cores (six performance and eight efficiency cores) and 20 threads, while maxing out at a respectable 5.3GHz boost frequency. This one costs $319, while the Core i5-14600KF version has a sticker price of $294. Of course, the final price you pay may depend on supply and market availability.
The new Intel offerings are compatible with the Series 600 and 700 motherboards, which is a welcome backward compatibility convenience. The connectivity suite for Intel’s 14th Gen processors includes Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 4, with discrete upgrades for the upcoming Bluetooth v4.0 and Thunderbolt 5 (offering double the bandwidth at 80 Gbps) also on the table.