Intel’s “Raptor Lake Refresh” line of 14th Gen processors has up to now been an detached lot, however the upswing is right here. The brand new Intel Core i9-14900K and the Intel Core i5-14600K don’t introduce a lot significant enchancment over their thirteenth Gen counterparts, making them arguably worse merchandise to purchase since they could require BIOS updates on older motherboards to get working. With the brand new Core i7-14700K, nonetheless, we get one thing totally different: honest-to-goodness enhancements! Higher but, the upgrades come on the identical $409 value as its predecessor, making the Intel Core i7-14700K the gem of Intel’s Raptor Lake Refresh lineup.
Design: The 14700K’s Core Benefit
As a Raptor Lake Refresh processor, the Core i7-14700K isn’t so totally different from its direct predecessor, the Intel Core i7-13700K. Each of those chips make the most of the identical processor core and share lots of the identical specs, however you will discover one main distinction between the 2. The Core i7-14700K ships with a complete of 20 CPU cores enabled with eight speedy Efficiency cores (P-cores) and a dozen Environment friendly cores (E-cores). That is 4 extra E-cores than the 13700K had.
(Credit score: Michael Justin Allen Sexton)This modification was a comparatively easy one for Intel to make, with little effort wanted by way of design and manufacturing work. All desktop Core i9 and Core i7 processors make the most of the identical CPU package deal that, when totally energetic, has eight P-cores and 16 E-cores for a complete of 24 cores. Intel solely allows all of those cores in its Core i9 processors, whereas cores are deactivated on the package deal to supply a Core i7-branded chip.
The cores that Intel disables are prone to be semi-defective and unable to activate, as manufacturing defects do occur and may end up in some cores not working appropriately. The truth that Intel disabled half of those Environment friendly cores on the Core i7-13700K might have been attributable to manufacturing yields or just to drive some additional distance between the Core i7-13700K and the quicker Core i9-13900K.
(Credit score: Michael Justin Allen Sexton)That Intel now has the Core i7-14700K with 12 E-cores energetic as an alternative of eight might counsel that yields have improved. If fewer cores are failing the quality-control checks, then it could be simpler for Intel to create numerous Core i7 chips with these many cores energetic. Both that, or Staff Blue merely doesn’t see the necessity to preserve as a lot distance between the Core i7 and Core i9 any longer on this era.
Regardless of the purpose, it’s thrilling information for you when you’re shopping for a Core i7, because it means you’ll see a contact extra efficiency and with none added price. The clock pace has additionally been elevated barely, from a max enhance clock of 5.4GHz on the 13700K to five.6GHz on the 14700K. This isn’t going to make a lot of a distinction broadly, but it surely would possibly in some particular situations like a single-threaded benchmark or a evenly threaded utility.
(Credit score: Michael Justin Allen Sexton)The L3 and L2 cache swimming pools have additionally been elevated barely, by 3MB and and 4MB, respectively, due to the added E-cores. The max formally supported reminiscence pace stays unchanged at 5,600MHz, and so does the Intel UHD Graphics 770 built-in graphics processor (IGP). The IGP has 32 execution models (EUs) and is clocked at 1.6GHz on each the Core i7-13700K and Core i7-14700K.
Check Setup and Spec Comparability
I paired the Core i7-14700K with a Gigabyte Z780 Aorus Grasp motherboard and 32GB of DDR5 RAM clocked on the processor’s max official reminiscence pace of 5,600MHz for testing functions. The processor was actively cooled through the benchmarking course of by a Cooler Grasp MasterLiquid PL240 Flux water cooler. The system can be outfitted with a 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD and a SilverStone DA850 850-watt energy provide—all constructed right into a Praxis Wetbench chassis. All exams have been carried out inside Home windows 11 with all the most up-to-date Home windows updates put in.
The graphics card used through the testing course of was the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. The Core i7-14700K ought to be capable of help a quicker graphics card than this with out problem, however in accordance with Steam’s {hardware} survey, most players are utilizing considerably older playing cards. By utilizing the RTX 3080, we’re capable of decide the profit, if any, in having such a quick processor with a GPU of this caliber in contrast with the opposite processors examined.
The GeForce RTX 3080 was additionally used for all CPU benchmarks and was faraway from the system solely whereas testing the IGP.
AIDA64 Reminiscence and Cache Bandwidth
We noticed some minor enhancements within the 14700K’s reminiscence and cache bandwidth over the 13700K. Its elevated clock pace helped it to switch knowledge to and from RAM barely quicker than even the Core i9-14900K in a single occasion, and it additionally helped in cache efficiency, buying and selling blows with the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X.
The 14700K gained an excellent greater bounce within the cache efficiency space from its extra cores, although. This got here with extra cache, and the check consists of the efficiency of all of the cores accessing cache, resulting in a reasonably vital improve in some areas and never a lot change in others. L1 write, for instance, was a bit slower however L1 learn was a lot larger.
CPU Checks
It’s within the CPU-muscle exams that we actually begin to see the advantages of these additional cores. In Cinebench, the added cores and cache resulted in an 18% improve in multi-threaded efficiency. This result’s a little bit of an outlier, although, as most outcomes have been decrease, with single-threaded efficiency in Cinebench growing by a extra modest 4.5%, due to the boosted clock pace.
We noticed lesser leads to the 2 Adobe exams we run, with primarily the identical numbers on the Core i7-13700K and the Core i7-14700K. HandBrake confirmed barely higher outcomes, with a 5% efficiency enchancment, whereas Blender confirmed an excellent better efficiency bump of 11% above the 13700K. POV-Ray ended issues on a blended be aware, with a statistically irrelevant distinction within the single-threaded check however a modest 8% enchancment within the multi-threaded check.
I’ll maintain off breaking down a blow-by-blow comparability with the competing AMD chips, however suffice it to say that the Core i7-14700K carried out properly right here. Its essential competitor ought to have been the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, however in fact the 7700X did not come near matching the 14700K in a head-on competitors. Even in single-threaded situations that gave the 7700X the very best likelihood to catch the 14700K (like in Cinebench), the 14700K was 8% quicker.
The three Ryzen 9 processors we now have within the charts got here nearer to delivering viable competitors towards the Core i7-14700K, with the Ryzen 9 7950X and the Ryzen 9 7950X3D driving higher efficiency in a number of exams. The Ryzen 9 7900X wasn’t capable of go the 14700K in any of the benchmarks, but it surely got here a lot nearer than the Ryzen 7 7700X, and the 7900X tied the 14700K in just a few locations. Solely the 7900X is comparable in value to the 14700K, although; the opposite two Ryzen chips are properly dearer, within the mid-$500s and mid-$600s, respectively, at this writing.
Gaming Checks
Our use of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 leads to much less variation when testing high-end CPUs, as most are ready to attract peak efficiency out of the graphics card. In 3DMark’s Time Spy check, the Core i7-14700K was capable of set a brand new file for us, although, with a rating larger than even the Core i9-14900K.
This wonderful efficiency in 3DMark sadly doesn’t carry over to dominance with in-game benchmarks. In most exams, the 14700K turned in general common outcomes, with essentially the most notable distinction being a drop in efficiency in Complete Conflict Three Kingdoms. This was shocking, because the 14700K fell behind all the different processors we examined together with the aged AMD Ryzen 7 5700X.
Given all the different Intel processors large and small did higher on this check, it appears possible one thing was throwing the outcomes off barely for the 14700K, however the end result was repeatable. It might merely be that the processor was mistakenly utilizing its E-cores an excessive amount of as an alternative of its P-cores on this particular sport inflicting the change, however that is hypothesis.
Built-in Graphics Testing
With all the Intel processors in our check line up coming outfitted with the Intel UHD Graphics 770, we once more see outcomes with little deviation. The identical happens on the AMD aspect of issues, with all of these chips utilizing the identical IGP as properly, apart from the Ryzen 7 5700X, which doesn’t have an IGP.
Efficiency as normal isn’t horrible for an built-in graphics answer, with all the video games we examined being playable a minimum of at 720p decision and a few at 1080p. You wouldn’t wish to run the most recent AAA titles with these IGPs—that’s for positive—however with some older titles (or with bottomed-out graphics settings) you possibly can scrape by with an pleasing sufficient expertise.
Energy and Thermal Testing
Utilizing a Kill-A-Watt meter, we measured the ability draw of the check methods throughout choose exams to roughly gauge general energy consumption.
It ought to come as little shock, however the Core i7-14700K attracts a good bit extra energy than the 13700K, and it comes near matching the 2 Core i9s. Including additional cores and cranking up the clock pace will do this to a chip, however we doubt many will care about just a few additional watts being pulled if it means higher efficiency, and it does.
Warmth was a deeply felt downside for the 14700K, although, because the processor hit its thermal restrict whereas underneath heavy load after which thermal-throttled the clock pace again. You may need higher luck with a triple-fan 360mm water cooler, but when this occurred in our open-air check mattress with a 240mm water cooler, then we don’t have excessive hopes for conserving it cool inside a standard case.
Verdict: 4 Cores Extra Makes This Chip Soar
Intel’s line of Raptor Lake Refresh processors has been a little bit of a letdown with the Core i5 and i9 elements, however the Intel Core i7-14700K is an exception with professional enhancements. In contrast to the Core i5-14600K and the Core i9-14900K that had insignificant clock pace bumps with no actual influence on efficiency, the Core i7-14700K makes a way more vital assertion with its 4 extra cores.
The enhancements aren’t huge generally and a bit lower than we’d hope for from a brand new structure, however they’re proper in step with what we wish to see from a refreshed processor line: a modest however notable enchancment with no value hike or a necessity to purchase a brand new platform. It’s with the Core i7-14700K that Intel lastly received the Raptor Lake Refresh proper.
(Credit score: Michael Justin Allen Sexton)Naturally, if you’re on an older system with something dated additional again than an Intel twelfth Gen processor, then upgrading to the likes of the Core i7-14700K would internet you an enormous efficiency enhance. (It will additionally require a brand new motherboard, in fact.)
If you’re simply gaming and have an eleventh Gen Intel processor or maybe a later AM4 processor just like the Ryzen 7 5700X, it’s possible you’ll wish to think about holding off a bit longer. These can nonetheless do properly sufficient in these duties, and we’ll possible see rather more vital efficiency enhancements than we’re seeing right here with the next era. From a non-gaming standpoint and contemplating general processor efficiency, nonetheless, upgrading now might simply be justifiable by the quantity of added efficiency you’ll acquire in varied workloads.
As for upgrading a present LGA 1700 system, we might see the Core i7-14700K as a wise improve choice when you at the moment have any twelfth Gen or thirteenth Gen Core i3 processors, or presumably from a twelfth Gen Core i5 just like the Intel Core i5-12600K. Once more, purely for gaming, this isn’t a lot of an improve, because the 12600K continues to be a wonderful gaming processor. Nonetheless, these additional i7-14700K cores turn out to be useful whereas multitasking, working in Photoshop, and rendering media duties. Should you’re operating something higher than a twelfth Gen Intel Core i5, then sit it out and look forward to the subsequent line of Intel chips to reach.
