Intel Core i5-14600K vs Core i5-13600K: Which is better for gaming in 2024?

Both the Intel Core i5-14600K and the i5-13600K target the mid-premium market segment with competitive performance. Though from the same tier, as the name suggests, the chips are a generation apart. Nothing much has changed with Raptor Lake Refresh, which makes choosing between the two processors quite difficult, given that the 13th gen chip is still being stocked.

We will compare the two processors in this article and go over what each of them has to offer, including their performance and value proposition. This will help you choose the best option for your rig.

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Both Intel Core i5-14600K and i5-13600K are powerful enough for gamers

Before delving into the performance difference between the i5-14600K and the 13600K, let's look at their on-paper specs. The processors are based on closely linked architectures, so this will give us a better idea of what to expect.

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Specs comparison

The 14600K is filled to the brim with features for ultimate performance (Image via Intel)

The new Raptor Lake Refresh architecture, as the name suggests, is a process refinement of the last generation. It is Intel 7 at its maximum efficiency, which enables the newer 14th-generation chips to perform slightly better.

Coming to the on-paper specs of the 14600K and the 13600K, both share a similar DNA. For starters, you get 14 cores with each — six high-performance "P" and eight efficient "E" cores and 20 threads with the chips.

Besides this, both chips turbo to 5.3 GHz. You get the same UHD 770 iGPU with both processors.

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the chips' specs, and they look eerily similar:

	Intel Core i5-14600K	Intel Core i5-13600K
Processor family	Raptor Lake Refresh	Raptor Lake
Lithography	Intel 7 (10 nm)	Intel 7 (10 nm)
Core count	14 (6P+8E)	14 (6P+8E)
Thread count	20	20
Max. turbo frequency	5.3 GHz	up to 5.3 GHz
RAM support	Up to DDR5 5600 MT/s, Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	Up to DDR5 5600 MT/s, Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
iGPU	Intel UHD 770	Intel UHD 770
Power draw	125W (181W turbo power)	125W (181W turbo power)

It is the underlying architecture that makes all the difference. Raptor Lake Refresh enables a processor of the same caliber to push out better performance.

Also, check out the best graphics cards for the Intel Core i5-14600K.

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Performance comparison

The Core i5-13600K is a powerful chip for gaming (Image via Intel)

The new 14th-gen chips aren't vastly more powerful than their last-gen equivalents. As mentioned above, the chips are quite similar. You can expect a difference of 4-5% between the two i5-14600K and 13600K in most cases.

Below is a list of single and multi-core performance benchmarks of the two CPUs in Cinebench R23 and Geekbench 5. The numbers are sourced from the benchmark score aggregator website, Nanoreview.

	Intel Core i5-14600K	Intel Core i5-13600K
Cinebench R23 single-core	2,090	2,003
Cinebench R23 multi-core	25,349	23,431
Geekbench 5 single-core	2,824	2,768
Geekbench 5 multi-core	16,242	15,851

As evident, the 14600K isn't much faster than the Raptor Lake equivalent. If you already are on the 13th gen chip, you won't gain much by upgrading to the newer alternative. The difference is almost negligible in video games. Any chip with single-core scores above 2,000 in Cinebench R23 performs fantastically when paired with any GPU in the market.

Also, check out a comparison between the Core i5-14600K and the Ryzen 5 7600X.

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Packaging of the new 14th gen Core i5-14600K (Image via Intel)

The Intel Core i5-14600K sells for $316, while the 13600K is available for slightly cheaper at $283. The difference isn't much, given you will have to spend equally on other hardware like motherboards, coolers, and RAM for both processors. Considering all of this, we recommend opting for the newer chip for the slightly extra performance it can push out.