Intel’s new Core i5-14600K isn’t a large generational leap, as you possibly can learn in our Core i5-14600K evaluation. Nobody anticipated it to be with Intel’s Thirteenth-gen CPUs already sitting among the many greatest processors. The larger query is that if it’s value shopping for over last-gen’s Core i5-13600K contemplating that each are available for across the identical worth.
I’ve examined each chips extensively throughout a spread of productiveness and gaming eventualities. The Core i5-14600K brings some minor enhancements over its last-gen counterpart, however these seeking to stretch their greenback the furthest are higher off sticking with the Core i5-13600K.
Pricing and availability
The Core i5-14600K and Core i5-13600K are each available at retailers, and in contrast to the Core i9-14900K and Core i9-13900K, there’s solely a small hole in worth. The newer Core i5-14600K will run you $340 at most retailers, however we’ve seen some costs dip to $330 and others go as much as round $350. It appears the value is steady at $340, not less than for the subsequent few months.
The Core i5-13600K technically retails for $330, however it’s already marked down at retailers to $309. Over the subsequent a number of months, the value will doubtless proceed to drop. The Core i5-12600K, for instance, was an identical worth a couple of yr in the past, and you may decide it up now for about $215. Over the approaching months, I believe the value of the Core i5-13600K will drop to round $280.
These are the costs for the Okay-series components, however Intel additionally affords KF variations. These supply similar efficiency, and so they’re unlocked for overclocking, however they lack built-in graphics. That brings down the value by about $30 extra for every half.
The Core i5-14600KF is offered for $312, whereas the Core i5-13600KF is offered for $286. Though the value distinction is shut for the KF components — about $30 throughout each chips — the truth that the Core i5-13600KF is offered for beneath $300 is a giant deal. As costs drop, it should doubtless hit $250 rapidly.
Specs
It’s straightforward to confuse the Core i5-14600K and Core i5-13600K based mostly on the specs as a result of they’re similar. Outdoors of a 100MHz increase to the efficient-core clock pace, each processors include the very same variety of cores, identical quantity of cache, and identical increase clock pace. They’re additionally each constructed on the Intel 7 course of, so there isn’t a significant architectural shift at play right here.
| Core i5-14600K | Core i5-13600K | |
| Cores/Threads | 14(6+8) / 20 | 14(6+8) / 20 |
| L3/L2 Cache | 24MB / 20MB | 24MB / 20MB |
| Max turbo frequency | 5.3GHz | 5.3GHz |
| Base/Turbo energy | 125W / 181W | 125W / 181W |
| Present worth |
$340 |
$309 |
Intel diddo one thing with the Core i5-14600K, as I’ll get to in my benchmarks under. Nonetheless, the enhancements over the Core i5-13600K are minor, at greatest. I’d have appreciated to see some additional cache to compete with AMD’s 3D V-Cache processors, as the trendy 3D V-Cache chips nonetheless clearly take a lead in gaming efficiency.
Efficiency
Specs don’t matter; efficiency does. Sadly, the efficiency of the Core i5-14600K doesn’t maintain up nicely in all conditions. Beginning with a high-level take a look at Cinebench’s multi-core check, the Core i5-13600K really took a minor lead. It’s solely a 1.7% lead, thoughts you, however any lead for the last-gen chip isn’t nice information for Intel’s newest and biggest.
The Core i5-14600K managed to steer in single-core efficiency, however solely by an irrelevant 1.25%. You may swap the names of those processors on both chart and the conclusion wouldn’t be any completely different. In Cinebench, the Core i5-13600K and Core i5-14600K present similar efficiency.
There are some very small positive factors in different apps. As you possibly can see in Blender and Handbrake, the Core i5-14600K is only a hair quicker in its inventory configuration. These leads aren’t large enough to really matter, as you possibly can doubtless obtain higher efficiency with a minor overclock to the Core i5-13600K, however they not less than present Intel did one thing with its 14th-gen chips.
One of many greater wins for the Core i5-14600K was in 7-Zip. Higher compression efficiency led the newer chip to outpace the Thirteenth-gen half by almost 6% general. What this chart doesn’t present, although, is the competitors from AMD. Intel has taken a transparent again seat to AMD in 7-Zip for the previous a number of generations, and the enhancements introduced by the Core i5-14600K merely convey Intel as much as par.
One other win for the Core i5-14600K was in Jetstream 2. This browser-based benchmark confirmed that the 14th-gen chip can lead by near 14% in demanding browser purposes.
Y-Cruncher brings the chip again right down to Earth, although. It’s a great showcase of what you need to count on with the Core i5-14600K general. Single-core efficiency is mainly similar, whereas multi-core efficiency is forward by round 5%. Some apps positively scale larger, however others present no distinction in any respect.
Gaming is the place the Core i5-14600K makes the most important strides. Within the CPU rating of 3DMark Time Spy, the Core i5-14600K confirmed a ten% enhance over the Core i5-13600K. That’s a bit optimistic for general gaming efficiency, nonetheless.
For those who take a look at the breakdown of precise video games, the 2 chips carried out identically in Crimson Useless Redemption 2 and Gears Ways. There was a stable 10% enchancment in Far Cry 6 and a large 12% leap in F1 22, nonetheless, balancing out the scales.
It’s vital to take into account that your graphics card will play a a lot bigger position in gaming efficiency as you enhance high quality settings and backbone. The Core i5-14600K is actually quicker, however there are video games the place it should present mainly no profit over the older half. And, as you bump up the decision, the positive factors we see at 1080p will begin to disappear.
Energy and effectivity
The Core i5-14600K brings some efficiency enhancements, regardless of how minor they’re. That comes at the price of energy draw, although. Throughout the suite of video games I examined, the Core i5-14600K drew about 15% extra energy on common. That is simply taking a look at gaming. In additional CPU-intensive duties, the precise wattages can be a lot larger.
That results in each chips posting similar effectivity numbers. The chart above focuses on gaming as soon as once more, however it’s inspecting the variety of frames the CPUs achieved on common per 10 watts. This exhibits that the positive factors made by the Core i5-14600K nearly solely come right down to elevated energy draw, suggesting the Core i5-13600K might shut the hole with overclocking.
Which must you select?
Intel’s 14th-gen desktop processors have been a little bit of disappointment, and the Core i5-14600K continues that development. The present pricing works in favor of the Core i5-14600K, although. It’s solely about $20 to $30 dearer proper now, so these excited by a Core i5-13600K might as nicely spend a bit additional and get the newer chip.
I extremely doubt issues will keep this fashion for lengthy, although. As we head towards the top of the yr, the Core i5-13600K’s worth will doubtless decline sharply, placing an excellent wider hole between it and the Core i5-14600K. If the hole in worth is something over $30 — even a $30 worth distinction is questionable — you need to keep on with the Core i5-13600K. You’ll be able to put that extra cash right into a nicer CPU cooler, and sure make up the efficiency hole with minor overclocking.
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