14th Gen Intel Raptor Lake Refresh announced with 6.0GHz max boost and 24-core configurations

The 14th Gen Intel Core processors are now official, and the name “Raptor Lake Refresh” just about explains everything you need to know about them. Featuring up to 8 Raptor Cove P-cores and 16 Gracemont E-cores, the 14th Gen Intel Core family is essentially identical to the 13th Gen Intel Core series launched late last year. In fact, they are so identical, that Intel isn’t even going to force you to upgrade to a new platform.

14th Gen Intel Core Raptor Lake Refresh series is official

You can still use your 600-series or 700-series LGA1700 motherboards with the 14th Gen Intel Core processors, which means that this is one of the rare occasions where Intel allows you to use more than two generations on the same platform. Intel promises a better overclocking experience, with higher world-record-breaking core frequencies, support for DDR5 XMP speeds of beyond 8000MT/s and AI-based overclocking in Intel XTU.

Intel is still claiming the 14th Gen Intel Core processors to be the fastest desktop processors in the market right now. It’s up to 23% faster than the Ryzen 9 7950X3D in Starfield and up to 17% faster in creative applications versus the Ryzen 9 7950X, but as usual, take all first-party benchmarks with a pinch of salt. So, what exactly is new here? Well, they now clock slightly higher, with the Core i9-14900K/KF going all the way up to 6.0GHz. But even that isn’t exactly novel: Intel hit the 6.0GHz mark on the special edition Intel Core i9-13900KS released earlier this year.

Intel is going to focus on their enthusiast models for now, with the Intel Core i9-14900K/KF, i7-14700K/KF and i5-14600K/KF. Prices start from as low as $294 (~RM1386), which is pretty similar to what Intel announced last year. I would say if you’re shopping for a new CPU to upgrade your 3~4 year old, then just go straight for the 14th Gen Intel Core options, but if you’re coming from say, Alder Lake, I would recommend not getting these processors. Meanwhile, gamers and creators on the go have Meteor Lake to look forward to.