After unveiling the Meteor Lake processors intended for laptops last month, Intel has finally announced its new 14th Gen processor lineup for desktops today! Back at the Innovation 2023 event, the company showcased the 14th-Gen desktop processors prior to the keynote. But today, the company has shared all the details for the new 14th-generation desktop processors. That said, let’s have a look at the new lineup, discuss its various features, and also tell you about the availability details of the Intel 14th Gen Raptor Lake Refresh desktop CPUs.
Intel 14th Gen Desktop CPUs: Specifications & Features
The new Intel 14th Gen desktop processors are based on a Raptor Lake Refresh architecture. Intel says this new processor lineup delivers the world’s best desktop experience, thanks to many of Intel’s 14th-generation CPU features. Intel Application Optimization (APO) is a new feature that will be pre-enabled at launch for many motherboards. The new APO feature exists as a software policy within Intel’s Dynamic Tuning Technology framework and users will experience dynamic thread allocation from the processor based on the tasks they are currently running.
Next, Intel advertises the Intel Core 14th Gen processors as the ultimate gaming platform, touting their top-end i9-14900K variant brings up to 23% better gaming performance as compared to the Ryzen 9 7950X3D in select titles. The Core i9-14900K comes with 24 cores and 32 threads, and Intel is proud to say that this new i9 can boost to 6.0GHz out of the box! The Intel 14th Gen CPU variants that are launching today have been detailed below:
Processor Core & Thread Count Boost Clock (TVB) Architecture TDP Motherboard Compatibility Intel Core i9-14900K 24 Cores, 32 Threads 6.0 GHz Raptor Lake Refresh 253W Intel 600 & 700 Series Chipset (LGA 1700) Intel Core i7-14700K 20 Cores, 28 Threads 5.60 GHz Raptor Lake Refresh 253W Intel 600 & 700 Series Chipset (LGA 1700) Intel Core i5-14600K 14 Cores, 20 Threads) 5.30 GHz Raptor Lake Refresh 181W Intel 600 & 700 Series Chipset (LGA 1700)
If you notice, the Core i7-14700K variant is one of the more interesting CPUs from the bunch. This is because the 14th Gen Core i7 desktop CPU enjoys a 25% increase in core count, which Intel says will provide “significant gains” in various multi-threaded workloads.
Which motherboards are compatible with Intel’s 14th-generation desktop processors? The existing LGA 1700 motherboards including the Z690, Z790, B660, and others are compatible with Intel 14th Gen processors after a manual BIOS update.
Talking about other new features, Intel has released a new overclocking feature known as Intel AI Assist. This exists within the Intel XTU software, which we have shown how to use in our dedicated overclocking guide. We will definitely be using this feature along with APO that we mentioned above in our upcoming Intel Core i9-14900K and Core i5-14600K reviews, so stay tuned.
Lastly, the new Intel 14th Gen desktop processors based on Raptor Lake Refresh architecture feature enhanced connectivity features. Now, these CPUs have discrete support for WiFi-7 and Bluetooth 5.4, and supposedly the upcoming Thunderbolt 5 connector supporting 80 Gbps bandwidth will also be supported on these CPUs.
Intel 14th Gen Desktop CPUs: Availability
As confirmed by Intel, the latest 14th Gen desktop processors will be available to buy starting from October 17, 2023. The new 14th-gen desktop CPUs will be in stock at various retail outlets. In addition, these desktop processors will also be available through OEM partners soon. As we move closer to the start of 2024, we should see these new desktop CPUs become available in the global markets quite widely.
In an official statement, Roger Chandler, Vice President and General Manager, Creator PC and Workstation Solutions at Intel, said, “the introduction of our performance hybrid architecture, Intel has consistently raised the bar for desktop performance.” The company first introduced the hybrid architecture back with the launch of 12th Gen Alder Lake processors. Since then, the company has innovated upon this architecture. “With our Intel Core 14th Generation processors, we’re showing once again why enthusiasts turn to Intel for the best desktop experience available on the market today,” he added.
What are your thoughts on Intel’s new 14th-gen desktop processors? Does the Raptor Lake Refresh entice you to upgrade your CPU in 2023, especially the fact that these processors are based on the same socket (LGA 1700)? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
