No one calls Jacob Ridley mid-range!
The K-series Core i5 processors are usually the easiest recommendation from any new Intel generation, but for once we’ve found ourselves less sure. On the one hand, this new chip is a couple of frames faster than the Core i5 13600K that it replaces and it does remain extremely competitive versus AMD’s mid-range processors. On the other hand, it’s a touch more expensive than the older 13600K and paying extra for near-enough the same thing doesn’t feel particularly great to us. However, that’s mostly because the 13600K is now discounted on its way out the door.
Due to Intel’s decision to stick with a largely unchanged Raptor Lake architecture for the 14th generation – the same architecture that was used throughout most of the 13th gen – there are few differences between the Core 14600K and 13600K. And that includes the launch price.
The Core i5 14600K features six Performancecores (P-cores) and eight Efficient-cores (E-cores). That’s a total of 14 cores with 20 available threads. With 24MB of L3 (Smart) cache and 20MB of L2 cache – 2MB for every P-core and 4MB for each of the two E-core clusters – it’s stacking up as an exact match for the 13600K.
Picking up speed
The 14600K is slightly faster than its predecessor, however. Not in terms of overall highest clock speed, though – this newer chip is rated to 5.3GHz max boost, exactly the same as the 13600K – but the P-cores are up to 200MHz faster and the E-cores are 100MHz faster.
Most often, these faster clocks amount to a small increase in frame rates over the 13600K. That’s a frame or two on average. There are still games, however, where the 14600K doesn’t benefit at all from its minutely faster clocks. Even a frame or two is within reasonable testing variance ranges.
In synthetic benchmarks, there’s even less to report from our testing. The Core i5 14600K holds a perfunctory lead over the 13600K, which amounts to no serious real-world benefit that you would notice in use. You can also expect a slightly higher power consumption on the 14600K. We put it at around 10W higher peak wattage during testing.
But this isn’t a one-horse race. The more interesting fight is between the 14600K and AMD’s lineup. You’ve got the Ryzen 7 7800X3D at £350, which comes with 3D V-Cache to boost frame rates in games that benefit most from more cache close at hand, or the cheaper Ryzen 7 7700 at £3
