The big picture: Intel is expected to unveil its 14th-generation Core processors next week and ship them next month. Most news about them hasn’t been impressive, and some leaks suggest that the higher-end models in the range could feature respectable improvements over their predecessors.
The well-known leaker OneRaichu recently acquired an Intel Core i9-14900KF Posted two Geekbench reports with the upcoming 24-core CPU. Another result from an unknown user also appeared: show similar numbers. The processor’s highest single-core and multi-core scores on Geekbench 6 were 3347 and 23051, respectively. The numbers indicate a performance increase of around 10 to 12 percent over the CPU’s immediate predecessor, the 13900KF.
All three tests were carried out on an ASRock Z790 Taichi motherboard with DDR5-7000 memory without specifying the power plan used, so we do not yet have a complete picture of the advantages of the new generation. The non-KF i9-14900K improved slightly over its 13th-gen counterpart in a Geekbench test earlier this month with 4800 RAM and a balanced power plan.
One of the 4900KF’s most interesting statistics appears in OneRaichu’s Geekbench 5 test, where the maximum CPU frequency was determined reached 5,953 MHz, tantalizingly close to the 6 GHz mark. The processor has eight performance cores and 16 efficiency cores.
Intel expects to officially unveil the new CPU series at its annual innovation event on September 19th and 20th. According to reports, the company will launch six processors on October 17 – K and KF models ranging from i5 to i9. Non-K variants with limited wattage are expected to appear closer to CES 2024 in January.
A significant leak from MSI confirmed that the 14th generation is called Raptor Lake Refresh, indicating a minor upgrade over the 13th generation Raptor Lake. The leak estimated an average performance improvement of three percent between generations, with the i7-4700K being the outlier at 17 percent. Despite the minor change, leaked store prices suggest a 15 percent price increase over the previous generation.
The best case scenario for purchasing a Raptor Lake Refresh CPU is to replace an Alder Lake CPU. The new range’s compatibility with Intel’s current LGA 1700 socket allows owners of 12th and 13th generation processors to upgrade without having to purchase a new motherboard.
Users who want a bigger performance boost should probably wait and build a new PC when Intel releases the 15th generation processors sometime in late 2024. You need new motherboards with the LGA 1851 socket and DDR5 RAM.