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Intel - Core i5-14600K vs Intel - Core i9-14900K

Last updated · How Mars Score works
Core i5-14600KINTELRENDER
Probe A
Intel
Core i5-14600K
52.1/ 100D
Cores52· 40%
Benchmarks52· 40%
Platform—· 20%
Core i9-14900KINTELRENDER
Probe B
Intel
Core i9-14900K
61.1/ 100C
Cores59· 40%
Benchmarks63· 40%
Platform—· 20%
Quick verdict

Between the Core i5-14600K and Core i9-14900K, the Core i5-14600K comes out ahead in several specs, while the Core i9-14900K wins on cores and cinebench r23 (multi). Overall, the Core i5-14600K scores 52.1 and the Core i9-14900K scores 61.1 on our Mars Score.

Buying advice

Which should you buy?

The Core i9-14900K is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 9.0 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.

The Core i5-14600K doesn't pull ahead on any single popular-comparison spec — its strengths sit in the spec table groups rather than the headline advantages.

Pick the Core i9-14900K if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are cores, cinebench r23 (multi), l3 cache, among others.

Both ship with comparable tdp, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.

Bottom line: the Core i9-14900K is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.

Why Intel - Core i5-14600K wins

  • No decisive advantages.

Why Intel - Core i9-14900K wins

  • ▲Cores — 71.43% more. 24 vs 14.
  • ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 66.26% more. 40400 vs 24300.
  • ▲L3 cache — 50.00% more. 36 MB vs 24 MB.
  • ▲Boost clock — 13.21% more. 6.0 GHz vs 5.3 GHz.
Full readout

Spec comparison

Cores

SpecIntel - Core i5-14600KIntel - Core i9-14900K
Coresⓘ1424lead
Threadsⓘ2032lead
Base clockⓘ3.5 GHzlead3.2 GHz
Boost clockⓘ5.3 GHz6.0 GHzlead
L3 cacheⓘ24 MB36 MBlead

Platform

SpecIntel - Core i5-14600KIntel - Core i9-14900K
SocketⓘLGA1700LGA1700
TDPⓘ125 W125 W
Integrated graphicsⓘtruetrue
DDR5ⓘtruetrue

Benchmarks

SpecIntel - Core i5-14600KIntel - Core i9-14900K
Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ2430040400lead
Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ20302310lead
Drill down

Spec-level deep dives

Cores→Threads→Base clock→Boost clock→L3 cache→Socket→TDP→Integrated graphics→DDR5→Cinebench R23 (multi)→Cinebench R23 (single)→
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