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The Intel Core i9-14900K is among the most powerful processors available today. While it isn't very different from the i9-13900K, we see some very contrasting improvements over the older Intel Core i9-12900K. Besides the premium price tag, we see better specs, performance, and overall efficiency in the 14th Gen i9.
Both processors are extremely powerful and are competitive choices for building a solid PC setup. However, despite being superior in terms of performance, the i9-14900K gets strong competition from the 12900K as it costs half the price. Considering the framerates we see on recent games, choosing between the two can be confusing. Join us as we break down the specs of the two to see which one is worth buying in 2024.
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Intel Core i9-12900K vs Intel Core i9-14900K: What are their specifications?
The Intel Core i9-12900K and the Intel Core i9-14900K are based on entirely different processor families. The newer i9-14900K is based on Intel's 14th Gen Raptor Lake Refresh microarchitecture, while the older i9-12900K uses the 12th Gen Alder Lake. Let's take a closer look at their on-paper specifications to understand how they compare.
The power boost we see in the 14th Gen refresh primarily comes from the greater number of cores and threads. Interestingly, both chips have the same number of performance cores. But in terms of efficiency cores, the 14900K packs double the amount. Now this is very significant and means you’ll have greater multi-threaded performance and far better power efficiency.
Another very contrasting change we see is in the L2 cache - 14MB L2 cache on the i9-12900K and a whopping 32MB L2 cache on the i9-14900K. This is a great upgrade and very noticeable, especially because this increased cache allows you to store data locally. What this means is that you not only get more efficiency, but also faster main memory access, which is a big win.
We see the same 125W base power in both processors. However, the higher 253W MTP in the 14th Gen refresh equates to efficient handling of greater workloads. At the same time, it is at risk of overheating if your cooling system is not sufficient. There have been multiple reports of the 14900K getting superheated during heavy use, so make sure to have a good cooling system.
Intel Core i9-12900K vs Intel Core i9-14900K: Which one offers better performance?
Now, it’s quite obvious that we get to see a significant performance boost on the Intel Core i9-14900K primarily because it’s a newer generation processor. Though both essentially have the same clock speed, the i9-14900K features a 6MHz boost, compared to the 5.2GHz on the latter. Moreover, the higher number of cores and threads translates to smoother performance in heavily threaded games.
However, do note that the difference may be negligible in most games when paired with a good GPU. You should be seeing relatively good performance either way if you have a GPU that’s powerful enough.
Judging by the table above, the Intel Core i9-14900K offers significantly better single-core and double-core performance. It can handle tasks more efficiently and is undoubtedly the better option.
Gaming performance
If we’re speaking just based on quality, both processors have almost equally good performance in spec-heavy games. Of course, we see a big contrast in the framerates, but you should be good quality-wise as long as you have a good GPU. However, if you are someone who’s big on multiplayer and action genres, going for a more powerful CPU would be the ideal choice as higher framerates definitely help.
The framerates observed below are on a system having either the i9-12900K or the i9-14900K CPUs, paired with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090Ti graphics processor. Personally, I chose the RTX 3090Ti GPU as it isn’t on either extremes of the spectrum in terms of performance. So, regardless of whether you have a powerful RTX 40 series GPU or something from an older line-up, you should be able to see relatively similar numbers.
Looking at the numbers, it's evident that the Intel Core i9-14900K outperforms the 12900K. But if you put it into consideration, this difference isn’t all that significant if you are into single-player games or action-RPG titles.
As mentioned earlier, unless you are exclusively into fast-paced multiplayer titles, the higher framerates aren’t really necessary - both processors produce incredible resolutions and look just as great. Personally, I feel you should undoubtedly go for the 14900K if you can afford it, but choosing the 12900K is also just as viable.
Also check out: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X vs Intel Core i9-14900KS: Which is the better CPU for gaming?
Intel Core i9-12900K vs Intel Core i9-14900K: Which one offers greater value for money?
We’ve seen the performance of the two processors in the tables above, so value for money is something more of a personal choice. Does the Intel Core i9-14900K offer greater performance? Definitely. But does this mean that the Intel Core i9-12900K is inferior or outdated? Surely not. The prices for these processors widely vary, so it depends on where you get yours from.
As of now, both processors cost the same on BestBuy, going up to $549. However, it’s rather different on Amazon. The 12th Gen i9 costs $276, almost half the price of the i9-14900K, which comes to around $548. This is incredible, as you get competitive performance and quality at half the price of the leading processor. In this case, the i9-12900K takes the win and would be the clear choice. However, if the pricing is not issue for you, do go for the 14th Gen refresh.
Intel Core i9-12900K vs Intel Core i9-14900K: Final verdict
The Intel Core i9-14900K is a newer chipset. Based on our comparison with the i9-12900K, it is only natural that the i9-14900K wins. Its superior features, performance, and overall efficiency make it the better chip. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that the i9-12900K is still an incredible processor.
If you’re building a setup primarily for gaming, either should do as they give a good output on a modest graphics processor. However, the i9-14900K would be the wiser choice if you’re building a workstation, due to its computing prowess.
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