Key Takeaways
- Intel's new 14th Gen desktop processors promise significant gains in gaming and content creation workloads, with the Intel Core i9 14900K being hailed as the fastest desktop CPU in the world.
- According to Intel's testing, the flagship chip provides 23 per cent higher average FPS than AMD's flagship chip, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.
- Intel claims up to 54 per cent faster performance in content creation workflows compared to the Ryzen 9 7950X.
Intel has unveiled its 14th Gen desktop processors, and there's plenty to get excited about. The new chips promise significant gains in gaming and content creation workloads, as well as having lots of overclocking potential.
The most exciting of the bunch is the Intel Core i9 14900K, which Intel is heralding as the fastest desktop CPU in the world. It boasts clock speeds up to 6GHz and has 24 cores at its disposal: 8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores.
According to Intel's testing, the flagship chip will provide 23 per cent higher average FPS than AMD's flagship chip the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. Considering this chip is widely regarded as the fastest gaming CPU in the world, that's no mean feat. Of course, we expect this to vary depending on the game, but Intel's charts show better results in popular titles like Starfield and CS:GO, so things are certainly looking promising.
The brand is also claiming better frame consistency in these titles, so not only can you expect higher frame rates, but the chip should be able to sustain them more reliably, too. If you like to stream your gameplay or record using OBS, you can also expect gains, as the new processor can better manage the tasks to avoid skipped frames during encoding.
Intel also claims that its flagship chip is up to 54 per cent faster than the Ryzen 9 7950X (note that's not the 3D version) in typical content creation workflows. This includes things like rendering in Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro as well as Blender and AutoCAD.
If that's not enough performance, Intel is making overclocking even easier, starting with the flagship chip. You'll now be able to get a perfectly stable overclock with Intel's XTU app, thanks to the help of a new AI model that has been trained with hundreds of CPU and cooler combinations.
Of course, Intel announced more than just the flagship chip, there's also a handful of i5 and i7 SKUs on the way. The entire lineup will benefit from Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 support, as well as Thunderbolt 4 (with Thunderbolt 5 coming soon). They'll be natively compatible with 600 and 700-series chipsets, though you should still check with your motherboard manufacturer to see if any updates are required.
The CPUs will hit shelves on October 17, 2023, and the flagship Core i9 14900K will set you back $589, while i5 models start at $294.