Intel announced expanded 14th Gen desktop processors here at CES, with new Core i9, i7 i5 and i3 models coming in the near future. Though these processors are closely related to Intel’s existing 13th Gen Raptor Lake chips and represent only a minor adjustment to Intel’s existing product lineup, there are a few wider changes of note.
At the moment, it’s important to look closely at any Intel-based product before you buy to ensure you know what you’re getting. Intel has released mobile chips that are labeled as Core Ultra and are based on the company’s new Meteor Lake architecture, as well as 14th Gen Raptor Lake Refresh HX-level mobile chips.
However, the 14th generation desktop processors use a completely different design. The 14th-gen desktop processors are based on Intel’s Raptor Lake architecture, which forms the backbone of its 13th-gen product line, and those chips now carry the 14th-gen branding, but they haven’t. Changed a lot. .
For most desktop 14th Gen Intel processors, the only change you will see is a slight bump in clock speed. Typically, the longer a silicon product like a processor is produced, the better a company gets at producing that product. Quality increases while the number of defects drops, and this often can enable companies like Intel to slightly increase the clock speed of their chips.
That is the biggest change between the existing Intel 13th Gen processors and the forthcoming Intel 14th Gen chips. The top clock speeds for each line are shown in the chart above, but they are only marginally higher. For example, the new 14th Gen Core i3 line tops out at 4.7GHz over the 13th Gen Core i3 line, which stops at 4.5GHz.
However, we found a much more notable change: the new 14th generation Core i7 line. All existing 13th Gen Core i7 desktop processors feature 8 high-performance Intel P cores and 8 high-efficiency E cores. The rest of the upcoming 14th Gen Core i7 processors will also have 8 P-Cores but with a dozen E-Cores in their place, giving them a notable advantage. This, along with increased clock speeds, means that the new Core i7 processors, like the Intel Core i7-14700K we’ve already reviewed, are a bit larger than their predecessors.
We’ve also looked at the new Intel Core i9-14900K and Intel Core i5-14600K leading the new 14th Gen Core i9 and Core i5 lines, respectively. However, these chips showed little difference from their 13th generation counterparts. At the end of the day, if you are buying an Intel processor, you need to conscientiously consider all its features and buy it accordingly. We don’t see the point of buying a Core i5-14600K, for example, if you can buy the Core i5-13600K at a lower price.
In total, Intel announced 18 new chips. The seven indexed in the table above have a variant with the T suffix, such as the Intel Core i9-14900T that has a lower power score of 35 watts. You’ll also find four more chips with the F suffix that lack built-in graphics. These are the Intel Core i9-14900F, Core i7-14700F, Core i5-14400F, and Core i3-14100F. The processors on those chips fit their non-F variants in the table above, unless they’re less expensive to make up for the lack of a built-in GPU.
Perhaps the most attractive new processors are two indexed processors such as the Intel 300 processor and the Intel 300T processor. These chips are intriguing because they exist under the Core i3 tier in a previously vacant space. With only two CPU cores, those chips don’t charge much, but they have lower fees that can prove useful for formula developers on incredibly tight budgets.
In a press release, Intel says that the full line of 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors are now available online and in stores.
For more information, see details on Intel’s new flagship processor, the Core i9-14900HX, and a new generation of mobile chips from Intel’s new “Core Series 1” family.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed all things tech, driven, in part, by my love of gaming. I started running on my family and friends’ computers when I was about 10 years old. I’ve strived to be as informed as possible about all things PC, allowing me to have a complete understanding of all things current-gen. In my role at PCMag, I greatly appreciate the opportunity to share the percentage of what I know.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had love of all things tech, spurred on, in part, by a love of gaming. I began working on computers owned by immediate family members and relatives when I was around 10 years old. I’ve always sought to learn as much as possible about anything PC, leading to a well-rounded grasp on all things tech today. In my role at PCMag, I greatly enjoy the opportunity to share what I know.
I wrote for the popular tech site Tom’s Hardware for 3 years before joining PCMag in 2018. During that time, I reviewed desktops, PC cases, and motherboards as a freelancer, while also offering content for the site and its ExtremeTech siblings. Now, as a full-time PCMag analyst, I’m dedicated to reviewing CPUs and graphics cards while dealing with all things PC.