Intel has revealed details of its new 14th Gen family of desktop CPUs, representing a refresh to the Raptor Lake series of chips. The Intel Core i5-14600K could be the popular mainstream pick so let’s compare it with the previous model.
Intel spent most of its Innovation Day event talking up its upcoming Meteor Lake series of chips. But, they are coming to laptops first while this 14th generation simply represents a refresh to the Raptor Lake codenamed processors.
Most of the changes are at the top-end with the Intel Core i9-14900K and some tweaks to the Intel Core i7-14700K, but there are still a couple of key modifications to the Core i5 model. Let’s dive in.
Boosted processing speed and connectivity
This generation of chips is firmly a “refresh” and Intel says as much itself. That’s highlighted by the little differences between this generation and the last. The main difference is the processing speeds, which see the Performance-core Max Turbo Frequency and Performance-core Base Frequency boosted from 5.1 GHz and 3.5GHz respectively to 5.3GHz and 3.5GHz. For efficiency cores, the frequencies are up on the Max Turbo side from 3.9GHz to 4GHz and, for Base, it stays at 2.6GHz. Take a look below for comprehensive Intel 14th-generation specifications.
What this means for specific performance increases on the Intel Core i5-14600K, we’ll have to wait to fully test during our review. Intel has yet to go into detail on what we can expect from the new generation chip, beyond touting up to 23% better gaming performance and up to 54% faster creator workflow for this family of chips.
On top of the increased processing power, the new chips will also offer discrete support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, on top of integrated support for Wi-Fi 6/6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
A very small increase in graphics
It’s such a small difference that it could very well go unnoticed when it comes to performance but we dug into the specifications to find this nugget of information. Though, further, as you’ll likely be pairing this desktop CPU with a graphics card, it’s even less important.
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Nevertheless, it remains worth pointing out that the Intel UHD Graphics 770, which is aboard both these chips, has a higher Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency on the newer Intel Core i5-14600K processor. The new Core i5 is 1.55GHz while the old is 1.50GHz.
The price remains the same
Perhaps the most important factor when it comes to these chips is that the price stays the same, meaning there really is no decision to deliberate over when it comes to value. Even if it is only a small improvement, the Intel Core i5-14600K is set to offer improved performance over the Intel Core i5-13600K for the same sub-£350/$350 price. As such, you may as well opt for the 14th generation.
