The world's 'fastest desktop processor' launches tomorrow, along with the rest of Intel's 14th Gen

Intel’s new 14th Gen CPUs
(Image credit: Intel)

What you need to know

  • Intel officially announced its 14th Gen processors, which will be available for purchase starting on October 17, 2023.
  • The Core i9-14900K is the most noteworthy due to its 6GHz boost clock speed.
  • Intel also incorporated a neat feature called AI-guided overclocking, which improves the overclocking experience for users.

Today, Intel announced its 14th Gen processors, which will be available for purchase starting October 17, 2023. Until now, there have been plenty of rumors and speculations regarding Intel's Raptor Lake refresh, pertaining to performance and more.

The company explained that the Core i9-14900K will be the most noteworthy, owing to its 6GHz boost, ahead of the long-anticipated launch. In fact, Intel is referring to the entry as the "fastest desktop processor at volume." Its predecessor, the Intel Core i9-13900K, is also quite impressive, but the 6GHz bump on the Core i9-14900K will be hard to beat.

Intel intends to stick to the same pricing model it used on its 13th Gen processors. Last week, the Core i9-14900K mistakenly went up on sale at Alternate (one of Europe's largest retail stores) with a €684.99 price tag. With the launch of the new generation tomorrow, we now know the pricing of the chips, courtesy of The Verge.

The 14th Gen processors will be available for purchase from retailers and system manufacturers. With the Core i9-14900K coming in at $589, the Core i7-1700K at $409, and finally, the Core i5-14600K at $319.

The Core i7-14700K will ship with four more E-cores compared to its predecessor, the 13700K. Which translates to 20 cores. It also promises 5.6GHz Turbo Boost Max 3.0 speeds. And just like last year's 13700K, the base clocks on the P-core will be set at 3.4GHz, and 2.5GHz on the E-core for the Core i9-14900K.

Benchmarks showcasing Intel's 14th Gen processors gameplay experience compared to AMD hardware.  (Image credit: Intel)

While it's still early, benchmarks showcase the 14900K as the superior option compared to AMD's Ryzen 9 7950X3D while playing Starfield in 1080p. It's 23% faster. Intel also indicated that the 14900K is 54% faster compared to AMD hardware when used to multi-task between After Effects and Premiere Pro. This might not be entirely fair because Intel supports UHD graphics, thus making the 14900K a perfect candidate for the Auto Reframe task in Premiere Pro.

The Core i5 is also getting a significant refresh, as it will sport six P-cores and eight E-cores. This translates to 20 cores bundled up with a base clock of 3.5GHz on the P-core. And finally, it will have a 5.3GHz boost.

Intel is also shipping the 14th Gen processors with a new neat feature dubbed AI-guided overclocking. It will essentially provide users with an improved overclocking experience thanks to the AI guidance. However, it will only be available in its Extreme Tuning Utility, XTU. As spotted by ExtremeTech, this feature will be available for 14900K processors exclusively, but it will gradually roll out to the other processors.

The new lineup will be compatible with 600 and 700-series motherboards. They'll also ship with support for DDR and DDR5 memory.

What are your expectations of the 14th Gen processors? Let us know in the comments.

Kevin Okemwa
Contributor

Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You'll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.