A year after the debut of Core 13, Intel finally introduced the Core 14th generation desktop processor for players, which increased the frequency and core count compared to the previous generation, and brought a series of functional upgrades including Wi-Fi 7, Thunderbolt 5, the new version of the application optimizer and XTU. So as the finale under the original nomenclature, can the Core 14th generation bring us surprises? Our launch test will give you the answer.
↓↓↓Click the video to understand the performance measurement↓↓↓
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Core 14th generation performance has reached a new high, and the new features of the platform have been fully upgraded
Intel Core 14th generation desktop processors still use the 13th generation Raptor Cove microarchitecture, but have made some updates in core frequency, core count, cache, and platform support, as well as new application optimizations. In terms of platform, it can continue to be compatible with 600 and 700 series motherboards, and players only need to update the BIOS, effectively reducing the upgrade cost.
However, with the release of Core 14, Intel also brought Wi-Fi 7 and Thunderbolt 5 to players. Wi-Fi 7 has better wireless connectivity, higher bandwidth, lower latency, and vastly improved security. The new Thunderbolt 5 provides 80Gbps or even 3-lane 120 Gbps downstream bandwidth on top of the original 40Gbps bandwidth (Thunderbolt 4), and the power supply capacity has been increased to a maximum of 240W. Players will enjoy these features on the new 700 series motherboard.
In addition, Intel also launched the new Intel Application Optimizer, which is based on the Intel Dynamic FM technology framework, combined with Intel hardware thread scheduler, to achieve specific application scenarios and application scheduling strategies, bringing significant performance improvements. According to official data, after using the new app optimizer, the frame rate of "Rainbow 6: Siege" and "Metro: Depart" increased by 13% and 19%, respectively.
The overclocking ability of the Core 14th generation K series has also been improved, and the memory can easily support the specifications of DDR5 8000. The Intel XTU overclocking tool is currently open to SDKs to make it easier for developers to build their own overclocking tools. In addition, for entry-level and ordinary players, XTU also provides an AI-based overclocking assistant, which will find recommended overclocking parameter configurations for the player's host according to the user's hardware environment, with artificial intelligence and a large number of internal learning training, to achieve more convenient and fast overclocking.
According to the official data provided by Intel, i9-14900K in the comparison of 25 games performance comparison with Ryzen 9 7950X3D, 14 games have achieved the lead, the highest lead has reached 23%, which can be regarded as regaining the title of the strongest game processor.
At the same time, thanks to more reasonable application scheduling and optimization, the i9-14900K's 99th percentile low frame comprehensive performance is also better than that of competing Ryzen 9 7950X3D and Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which can provide players with a smoother-free gaming experience.
For content creative design work, Core 14 can also provide extremely high efficiency. According to the official comparison data, even the i7-14700K is more efficient than the Ryzen 9 7950X in most creative design tools, and the i9-14900K has a higher lead, up to 21%.
In addition, for increasingly popular AI applications, Core 14th generation desktop processors also provide comprehensive support. Intel not only provides rich AI functions and tools for the CPU, but also provides AI functions and tool support for its built-in Ruixuan graphics card or independent third-party graphics card, which can provide comprehensive AI acceleration for live streaming and collaboration, game applications, and content creative design applications.
The first Core 14th generation desktop processors to market included 6 K-series products. This includes the i9-14900K/KF, i7-14700K/KF, i5-14600K/KF, and our tests used the i9-14900K, i7-14700K, and i5-14600K with HD graphics.
i9-14900K/KF has the core specifications of 8P+16E, and the P-core TVB frequency is as high as 6.0 GHz, which is 200MHz higher than the 5.8GHz of the previous generation i9-13900K/KF, and is a 6GHz processor in the true sense of the box.
The i7-14700K/KF is the most changed product in this generation, adding 4 energy cores compared to the i7-13700K/KF, which will bring a significant multi-threaded performance improvement. At the same time, the i7-14700K/KF can reach a maximum turbo frequency of 5.6 GHz, which is 200MHz higher than the previous generation i7-13700K/KF. The maximum turbo frequency of the energy efficiency core has also been increased from the previous generation of 4.2GHz to 4.3GHz.
i5-14600K/KF has a 6P+8E core, which is consistent with the previous generation. The P-core maximum turbo frequency has been increased from 5.1GHz to 5.3GHz, an increase of 200MHz, and the E-core turbo frequency can reach 4.0 GHz. Although the size of the i5-14600K has not changed, the increase in frequency makes its single-core performance closer to the previous generation i9-13900K, which is good news for mid-range players.
In order to make the Core 14th generation better performance, Asus, as an important partner of Intel, has prepared a new 700 series motherboard, of which the ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO is the flagship representative.
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO APPRECIATION
↓↓↓Click the video to appreciate ROG Z790 DH↓↓↓
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ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO (hereinafter referred to as ROG Z790 DH) inherits the dark and cold style of the DARK HERO series, the ROG family visual elements are very prominent, and the Polymo dynamic lighting effect on the VRM armor highlights the cyber-hardcore flagship temperament.
In order to fully meet the power supply needs of i9-14900K performance release and overclocking, ROG Z790 DH is equipped with 20 (90A) + 1 (90A) + 2 power supply modules, of which 20 groups of processor power supply are equipped with 90A power level chips, so it has extremely powerful power supply capabilities.
In addition, the motherboard is also equipped with dual 8Pin ProCoolII. auxiliary power supply interface to fully ensure sufficient power supply, stability and reliability. The motherboard is also equipped with very thick full-coverage heat dissipation armor for the VRM area, built-in heat pipes and high-quality thermal pads, which fully ensure the heat dissipation efficiency and stability of the VRM circuit under high load work. Of course, the full-coverage heat dissipation armor of the motherboard also takes care of the M.2 socket and motherboard chip, while the thick metal back plate also greatly enhances the physical strength of the motherboard.
Thanks to its powerful power specifications and thermal design, the ROG Z790 DH is more comfortable unleashing the extreme performance of the i9-14900K flagship processor. At the same time, ROG also equipped the ROG Z790 DH with AI intelligent overclocking function, which can intelligently evaluate the overclocking ability of the processor and enjoy the ultimate performance in one step.
In terms of memory, due to the excellent electrical performance brought by the luxurious materials and excellent design of the ROG Z790 DH, it can easily support high-frequency DDR5 memory, even DDR5 8000+ frequency. At the same time, the motherboard also supports AEMPII technology and DIMM Flex technology, especially the newly added DIMM Flex technology, which can intelligently adjust the memory frequency according to the temperature of DDR5 memory, so as to obtain higher performance and reliability than the traditional XMP mode.
In the expansion section, the ROG Z790 DH is equipped with dual PCIe 5.0 full-length slots (supporting 1 PCIe 5.0×16 or 2 PCIe 5.0×8) and 5 M.2 slots, which is more convenient for enthusiast players who need to use PCIe 5.0 SSDs, either using a PCIe 5.0×8 expansion card to install two PCIe 5.0×4 SSDs, or directly using a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot (choose one of the two options).
In the high-speed connection part, the ROG Z790 DH rear I/0 panel provides dual Thunderbolt 4 interfaces, and also has a 20Gbps front Type-C expansion socket, and supports 60W QC 4+ fast charging. In addition, the motherboard also supports Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7 wireless networks, equipped with 2.5 Gigabit wired network cards, and the audio part is equipped with ALC4082 chips, and the luxurious configuration is in place in one step.
In terms of ease of use, ROG Z790 DH also has an easy-to-remove key design of the graphics card, an easy-to-remove Wi-Fi antenna, plus AI intelligent overclocking, AI intelligent heat dissipation 2.0, and AI intelligent optimization, comprehensively creating a more intelligent and easy-to-use flagship motherboard, providing the most suitable and comfortable experience for enthusiast players.
In order to further simplify the post-installation steps, in the new 700 series motherboard, ASUS has set the F3 key to direct to the ASUS EZ Flash3 function, and the F4 shortcut key to directly boot the UEFI system installation disk, minimizing the operation steps of upgrading the BIOS and installing the system. Of course, the functions of the F3 and F4 keys are also customizable, and the preset operation can be changed according to the user's own personalized needs.
ON THE WHOLE, THE ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO IS COMPLETELY TAILORED FOR THE 14TH CORE FLAGSHIP IN TERMS OF SPECIFICATIONS AND NEW FEATURES, AND IT IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR ENTHUSIAST GAMERS TO BUILD THE CORE 14TH GENERATION FLAGSHIP CONSOLE IN TERMS OF PRACTICALITY AND FAITH VALUE.
Let's take a look at the actual combat performance of the Core 14th generation.
Combat test: 6 GHz shows off its skills, and Core 14 generations climb to the top of performance
Test bed
处理器:i9-14900K/i9-13900K/i7-14700K/i7-13700K/i5-14600K/i5-13600K
MOTHERBOARD: ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO
Radiator: ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB
Thermal grease: ROG RG-07
内存：Kingston FURY Renegade DDR5 7200MT/s 16GB×2
Graphics: RTX 4090 FE
Hard disk: WD_BLACK SN850X 2TB
Power supply: ROG Thor II.1200W
Operating system: Windows 11 Pro
In order to provide sufficient heat dissipation performance and ensure that the Core 14th generation can give full play to the performance, we chose the ROG Ryushen III. 360 ARGB integrated water-cooled radiator. This flagship 360 water-cooled radiator is equipped with an 8th generation Asatek pump with a three-phase motor, providing higher flow and lower impedance while also reducing operating noise. In addition, it is equipped with a new ring frame design and an embedded fan with advanced airflow channels, which can effectively help reduce heat accumulation in the VRM area and improve system stability. At the same time, we also chose ROG RG-07 thermal grease, which can ensure that flagship processors such as the i9-14900K can conduct heat to the water block in time when fully loaded.
PRIOR TO TESTING, WE UNLOCKED THE PROCESSOR'S POWER WALL IN THE ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO MOTHERBOARD BIOS AND TURNED ON MEMORY XMP MODE TO ENSURE OPTIMAL SYSTEM PERFORMANCE.
Benchmark performance testing
In terms of benchmark performance, the i9-14900K benefits from higher frequencies, bringing a score improvement of up to about 3% compared to the i9-13900K. The improvement of i5-14600K compared to i5-13600K is also more in line with this law. Due to the addition of 4 energy-efficient cores, the i7-14700K has a huge increase in multi-threading, up to 19%, and a single-thread has also improved by about 4%.
Productivity performance testing
In the productivity test of content creation, the i9-14900K performs similarly to the benchmark, with about 3% overall performance improvement compared to i9-13900K, and i5-14600K has a higher overall improvement compared to i5-13600K, up to 7%. Due to the addition of 4 energy-efficient cores, the i7-14700K has a huge improvement in professional applications that eat multi-threaded performance, up to 20%, and an average of about 13%.
Game performance testing
Let's take a look at the playtests that gamers care about the most. We selected 19 popular games for testing, and based on the frame rate performance of 19 games, the maximum improvement of i9-14900K compared to i9-13900K can reach 4.6%, i7-14700K can improve by 4.3% compared to i7-13700K, and i5-14600K can improve by up to 4.4% compared to i5-13600K. Overall, choosing Core 14 Gen can really give players a smoother gaming experience.
Power and overclocking testing
In terms of power, the use of Cinebench R23 examiner, unlocking the power wall, the full load power of the i9-14900K is maintained at about 360W, which puts forward high requirements for the power supply of the motherboard, but this is no pressure for the ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO motherboard, which is very powerful in the power supply design, let alone the i7-14700K and i5-14600K.
In terms of overclocking, using ROG Ryujin III. 360 ARGB integrated water cooling and ROG RG-07 thermal grease, i9-14900K used Intel's new version XTU on the ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO for overclocking, and after a simple attempt, it finally stabilized at P-core all-core 5.9 GHz and E-core all-core 4.7 GHz. If only the P-core is super-super, it can be used stably beyond the P-core all-core 6 GHz.
Intel Application Optimizer hands-on experience
We used Rainbow 6: Siege and Subway: Gone to experience Intel's new app optimizer. The App Optimizer has a graphical interface where you can choose to turn optimization on or off. From the measured comparison, turning the app optimizer on and off, the average frame rate of "Rainbow 6: Siege" increased from 711 fps to 795 fps, an amplitude of about 12%; The average frame rate of "Metro: Depart" has increased from 179 fps to 215 fps, an increase of about 20%, and the visible effect is quite powerful! At present, there should be optimizers to support "Rainbow 6: Siege" and "Metro: Depart", and more games will be added in the future, which means that the Core 14th generation will get more game performance improvements, which is very worth looking forward to.
Summary: The pinnacle of native 6GHz, the new Core is about to open a new chapter
Finally, let's summarize. Core 14th generation further improves performance compared with the previous generation, providing players and users with better product choices, and further enriching the current product line, providing players with more choices. In particular, the i7-14700K, with the addition of 4 energy-efficient cores, the multi-threaded performance improvement is very obvious, and the first price is the same as the previous generation of i7, it can be said that the division does not increase the price, and the cost-effective performance for productivity users is still sufficient.
In addition to hardware upgrades, Intel has also added a new Intel Application Optimizer to the Core 14th generation, committed to further improving game performance, and the effect is also very significant from the test, and it also makes players look forward to further optimization performance.
In addition, the new version of the 700 series motherboard that appeared at the same time as the Core 14th generation is also very interesting, such as the ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO, which not only has extremely luxurious power supply specifications, but also easily supports DDR5 8000MT/s memory frequency above and has a new DIMM Flex intelligent temperature control memory overclocking function, of course, it also supports the new Wi-Fi 7 wireless network card, for enthusiast players, Using it to build a Core 14th generation flagship console is a solution that explodes with performance and faith.
From the launch of the first generation of products under the "Core i" naming system in 2008 to this year's brand renewal, "Core i" has accompanied players for 15 years, which is also the 15 years of rapid improvement in PC performance, which is self-evident. As the last generation, Core 14 will also draw a successful end to the entire career and open a new chapter.