Intel K vs. Non-K processors: What’s the right CPU for you?

[Admin]

Intel's desktop CPUs usually come in both K (14900K) and non-K (14900) varieties that have different costs and capabilities.

Intel K vs. Non-K processors: What’s the right CPU for you? : Read more

 

[Nine Layer Nige]

Although I have not looked into this, I anticipate the used market for 13th,14th K chips will have tanked due to the reported problems with power delivery and silicon degredation.

 

[logainofhades]

Neither chip is right for me, as I don't trust Intel's fix has fixed anything. I will just stick with my 12700k for awhile longer.

 

[CelicaGT]

Since this article seems to be meant solely to drum 13th and 14th gen sales I'll say the following:

Consider Raptor Lake burned and salted at this point and leave the remaining stocks for those who need replacements. If one must have Intel then the correct answer is to wait for the full Arrow Lake release and benchmarks in a few days and go from there, otherwise Ryzen.

I also take issue with the following, from TFA:

Why overclocking matters​

Overclocking is particularly valuable for the following users:

• Gamers: Higher CPU speeds can reduce frame rate drops and deliver smoother gaming experiences, particularly in CPU-bound games.Content creators: Overclocking accelerates tasks like video rendering, 3D modeling, and other CPU-heavy applications.

*Overclocking a CPU for gaming rarely gives a real world performance benefit, typically yielding only single digit percentage increases in very rare CPU bound situations. There was a time not too long ago that 20% overclocks were possible using off the shelf air cooling, this is no longer the case.

• PC enthusiasts: Overclockers enjoy fine-tuning their systems for the best possible performance, often using advanced cooling solutions to manage the heat generated by pushing hardware to its limits.

*This is true, and fine.

Also consider that Gamers and Enthusiasts often overlap, but that does not mean that overclocking a CPU for a practical performance increase in games will net a meaningful benefit. Those that believe they need to do this are better served with a CPU upgrade, or full platform upgrade. I myself was in this situation a few years back with a single threaded and severely CPU bound title. Armed with a 15% CPU overclock I saw a whopping 5 or 6% increase in frame rates and a very loud system. A platform upgrade yielded a more robust doubling of frame rates from the same GPU. When it's time, it's time, and sometimes it's more than the CPU holding things back.

 

[bit_user]

Old news, but I bought an i5-12600 instead of the i5-12600K, because the former has only P-cores and uses a smaller die with a smaller ring bus. This reduces memory latency & core-to-core latency and helps make it more efficient than the i5-12600K, but its smaller die leads to slightly higher temperatures when both are pushed.

You can figure out which die is used in a Gen 12, 13, or 14 Intel CPU by looking at the Ordering and Compliance tab of the product listings on ark.intel.com. It will list the "Stepping", which is:

• C0 - Alder Lake (Gen 12) big die (8P + 8E)
• H0 - Alder Lake (Gen 12) little die (6P + 0E)
• B0 - Raptor Lake (Gen 13; 8P + 16E)

I haven't bothered to map the values for the laptop CPUs, but I believe the P-series got a refresh for Raptor Lake, with L0 being the Gen 12 stepping and J0 being the Gen 13 stepping.

 

[Robomcd]

Here in the Czech Republic, I can get the 14-600 only in two places, and they are about $ 110 more expensive than the 14-600K. In Germany, they are cheaper, but still at least $50 more expensive. The other problem is, non of those 14600 non-Ks mention if a cooler is included, while the lower versions 14400 or 14500 non-K mention a cooler is included.

With a B760 MB, it would be better to buy the 14600 also because of the lower power and temps, but without standard cooler and being close to or over $ 100 more expensive, this does not make sense anymore.

 

[bit_user]

The other problem is, non of those 14600 non-Ks mention if a cooler is included, while the lower versions 14400 or 14500 non-K mention a cooler is included.

Personally, I'd avoid the boxed coolers on recent Intel CPUs. I've used one on a Sandybridge i7-2600K and it worked alright, but I think it sticks pretty close to its 95W TDP in its stock configuration (and I rarely hit it with heavy, multi-core workloads). However, the i5-14600 has a PL2 of 154 W.

If using a boxed cooler with Raptor Lake non-K models, I think it's not very hard to smack into the thermal ceiling, well before the boost time limit (Tau) is exceeded. That doesn't mean they're unsafe to use, just that you won't get the best performance if you do. Also, expect to hear the fan ramping up to high RPMs, a lot.

That said, I have no data on temps or clocks using the stock cooler on that CPU. So, you might still see if you can find out how it behaves, before deciding one way or another.

Good luck!

 

[Robomcd]

I think I will end up with the 14600K anyway, spending $100 extra on a non-K version is nonsense, for that money I buy a nice cooler.

The alternative would be a 14500 non-K, which now is the same price as the 14 600K