Intel’s Core i5-13600K has been a aggressive processor because it launched final yr, with speedy efficiency for an on-point value in its class. The chip has performed so effectively that it seems Intel thought it might be sensible to virtually re-release that processor because the Intel Core i5-14600K. This 14th Gen refresh of the processor does include a number of benefits, together with a touch larger clock velocity and a $10 decrease MSRP of $319, however is it the perfect gaming chip of 2023 or simply the identical outdated chip with a brand new coat of paint? In reality, it’s the latter, besides Intel didn’t even spring for the high-gloss stuff. We stand by our suggestion of the Core i5-13600K as an alternative.
Design: Intel’s Unintended Equivalent Twins
Saying that Intel’s Core i5-14600K and the Intel Core i5-13600K are the identical chip is true in nearly each element together with their use of the thirteenth Gen “Raptor Lake” structure. Each chips ship with six high-speed Efficiency cores and eight power-sipping Environment friendly cores. Additionally they have 24MB of L3 cache every, together with 20MB of L2 cache. When it comes to clock velocity, the P-cores on each chips have a base clock of three.5GHz and a max turbo of 5.3GHz with no change.
The E-cores are additionally comparable, with each chips’ E-cores having a base clock of two.6GHz. The one notable distinction is that the Core i5-13600K’s E-cores can enhance to simply 3.9GHz whereas the Core i5-14600K is ready to hit 4GHz with its E-cores. All the secondary options of the chip are likewise unchanged, with each chips having help for DDR5 clocked at a max official velocity of 5,600MHz and equivalent PCI Categorical and connectivity help.
Each chips likewise come outfitted with Intel’s UHD Graphics 770 built-in graphics processor (IGP). This IGP incorporates 32 execution models with eight shaders in every for a complete of 256 shaders. The IGP additionally has 16 texture mapping models (TMUs) and eight render output models (ROPs), with the shader sources clocked at 1.5GHz on the Core i5-13600K and at 1.55GHz on the Core i5-14600K.
Check Setup and Spec Comparability
The Intel Core i5-14600K was examined on a Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Grasp motherboard with a Cooler Grasp MasterLiquid PL240 Flux 240mm water cooler. The processor had entry to 32GB of DDR5 RAM clocked on the processor’s max formally supported reminiscence velocity of 5,600MHz. The system was additionally outfitted with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card that was used for the gaming exams and as a show adapter for all non-gaming exams. The cardboard was faraway from the system for testing the processor’s built-in graphics, although.
The system is powered by a SilverStone DA850 850-watt energy provide and constructed right into a Praxis Wetbench open-air chassis with a 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD. All exams had been carried out inside Home windows 11 with the most recent Home windows updates.
AIDA64
Bandwidth measurements for the 14600K had been in vary of the 13600K however didn’t present any vital distinction between the 2 chips.
Given the close to equivalent clock speeds on the 14600K and 13600K, it’s not shocking that they carried out close to identically right here, too. Bandwidth for the Core i5 chips was general aggressive with AMD’s Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 chips that had been examined however fell wanting competing with the sooner Ryzen 9 processors by way of cache bandwidth.
CPU Exams
The pattern of the Core i5-13600K and the Core i5-14600K performing equally continued in all of our processor benchmarks. We noticed some small “wins” for each chips, although these possible had been because of minor variations whereas working the exams. For instance, the Core i5-14600K confirmed a 4% efficiency enchancment in Cinebench’s multi-threaded check, however the Core i5-13600K was roughly 3% sooner in Adobe Photoshop. It is not sufficient delta to attract any sturdy conclusions based mostly on.
Realistically, these outcomes recommend what we already know from the specs: The Core i5-13600K and the Core i5-14600K are roughly the identical chip in sensible phrases, even when the specs differ a smidge. Efficiency versus the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and AMD Ryzen 5 7600X remained aggressive, with the 2 Core i5 processors far forward of their rivals in all exams apart from Adobe Photoshop, which let the Ryzen 7 7700X have a uncommon win.
Gaming Exams
Intel’s Core i5 processors are sometimes favorites within the gaming group for his or her fast efficiency and relative funds costs versus i7 and i9 choices. This holds up in our gaming exams. In 3DMark’s Time Spy check, the Core i5-14600K’s CPU subscore was notably behind the opposite Raptor Lake refresh chips, just like the Core i7-14700K and the Core i9-14900K, however this didn’t carry over to in-game benchmarks.
You will discover a number of minor areas within the video games we examined through which the sooner processors, just like the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, the Intel Core i9-13900K and the Intel Core i9-14900K, achieve a number of small wins over the remainder of the pack. That is notable in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy for the Core i9-13900K, Whole Battle Three Kingdoms for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, and Bioshock Infinite for the Core i9-14900K.
These wins, nevertheless, had been slim, and the Core i5-14600K and the Core i5-13600K tied for first place in opposition to the sooner and dearer competitors in the entire different exams. This means that as long as you’ve a graphics card on the extent of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 or something slower, you actually haven’t any want to purchase any of those sooner and extra expensive processors for gaming and gaming alone. They’re primarily related from a pure-gaming perspective when you’re making an attempt to compete within the higher echelon of esports with a high-refresh monitor and a top-end video card just like the GeForce RTX 4090. (In fact, you may want the additional CPU horsepower for different non-gaming duties, which is an entire different matter.) The Core i5-14600K and the Core i5-13600K will just do fantastic.
Built-in Graphics
The efficiency of the Intel UHD Graphics 770 on the Core i5-14600K is in keeping with the opposite previous-generation Intel processors we’ve examined, all of which use the very same IGP. Right here once more the Core i9 processors confirmed a contact extra efficiency however not sufficient to make an actual distinction.
In reality, it’s unlikely that many will use the built-in graphics on these processors for gaming, however when you wished to, these exams present you would truly recreation decently even and not using a GPU. Older video games, like Bioshock Infinite and Tomb Raider, each of which had been examined with their highest graphics preset, remained playable at 720p. Turning down settings barely would likewise make them playable at 1080p. Naturally, the IGP can be completely workable for non-gaming graphics duties.
Energy and Thermal Testing
AMD’s Ryzen processors have carried out higher than Intel’s chips by way of energy consumption and warmth technology in recent times, and that is notable in our charts. Intel was in a position to combat again in opposition to this considerably with its Core i5 processors, although.
The facility consumption right here was measured utilizing a Kill-A-Watt wall meter and contains the whole energy consumption of the system as an entire, not simply the processor. However this nonetheless provides us a tough thought of how every chip performs with all the pieces else unchanged.
AMD’s Ryzen 9 and Ryzen 7 chips might need handily undercut their Core i9 and Core i7 opponents by way of energy consumption, however Intel’s Core i5 processors put up a decent combat in opposition to the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 CPUs.
The Core i5-14600K managed to drag much less energy general whereas working the Adobe Premiere Professional PugetBench benchmark, although this was reversed when working Cinebench. Given the Core i5’s aggressive efficiency in contrast with the Ryzen 7 7700X, we will clearly see that the Core i5-14600K and Core i5-13600K present extra effectivity general. This can be a bit much less sure with the Ryzen 5 7600X, although, as its Cinebench energy consumption was significantly decrease.
The Core i5-14600K and Core i5-13600K had been a number of the solely processors we’ve examined within the final yr that did not hit their thermal restrict below load. They had been the one chips that did not on this chart. Regardless, the Core i5-14900K hitting 89 levels C continues to be fairly scorching, and that it ran a bit hotter than the 13600K can be disappointing. Understand, too, that that is below a 240mm liquid cooler that prices a big fraction of the price of this chip. No inventory cooler comes within the field.
Verdict: A Core i5 That is New in Identify Solely
All in all, the Core i5-14600K did precisely as we anticipated in testing, matching the Core i5-13600K in nearly each method. Nonetheless, the distinction is so slim as to go away us questioning why we might suggest it over the earlier technology. We are able to’t actually see any benefit to proudly owning the Core i5-14600K over the Core i5-13600K, and we truly can see some disadvantages to it.
When it comes to pricing, the Core i5-14600K has an MSRP that’s $10 decrease than the Core i5-13600K presently, however that doesn’t matter when the Core i5-13600K sells for even much less from retailers on the time of writing. You can purchase a Core i5-14600K for $319, or an identically performing, barely much less power-hungry, and mildly cooler Core i5-13600K for $285. Understanding all that, you’ve just one clear alternative.
You even have motherboard compatibility to think about, because the Core i5-13600K can even work on all Intel 700-series motherboards with out difficulty, whereas a BIOS replace may be required to make the Core i5-14600K run. We are able to’t actually say the Core i5-14600K is a poor processor, because it performs simply in addition to the Core i5-13600K and beats a number of of its AMD opponents just like the Ryzen 7 7700X. However, merely put, if you should buy the Core i5-13600K for much less, then that’s unquestionably the processor you can purchase.
