Intel Core i5-7600K vs Intel Core i9-14900K vs Intel Core i7-7500U

Intel Core i5-7600K

The Intel Core i5-7600K is a fast quad-core processor for desktops based on the Kaby Lake architecture and was announced in January 2017. It is the top model of the consumer Kaby-Lake-H Core i5 series at the time of the announcement. The i5 does not support HyperThreading (4 threads only) and runs from 3.8 (base speed) up to 4.2 GHz. As a K-model, the i5-7600K offers an open multiplicator for overclocking.

Architecture

Intel basically uses the same micro architecture compared to Skylake, so the per-MHz performance does not differ. The manufacturer only reworked the Speed Shift technology for faster dynamic adjustments of voltages and clocks, and the improved 14nm process allows much higher frequencies combined with better efficiency than before.

Performance

The performance of the i5-7600K is about 10 percent above the predecessor Core i5-6600K, thanks to clock speed increases and long hold Turbo Boost clocks. Matching clock speed, there is no speed improvement from Skylake. The old top model Core i7-4790K however is still slightly faster.

More information with gaming benchmarks and power measurements can be found in our AMD Ryzen 7 versus Intel CPUs review (upcoming).

Graphics

The integrated Intel HD Graphics 630 has 24 Execution Units (similar to previous HD Graphics 530) running at 350 - 1150 MHz. The performance depends a lot on the memory configuration; it should be comparable to a dedicated Nvidia GeForce 920M in combination with fast DDR4-2133 dual-channel memory.

Contrary to Skylake, Kaby Lake now supports hardware decoding for H.265/HEVC Main 10 with a 10-bit color depth as well as Google's VP9 codec. The dual-core Kaby Lake processors, which were announced in January, should also support HDCP 2.2.

Power Consumption

The chip is manufactured in an improved 14nm process with FinFET transistors, which improves the efficiency slightly. Intel still specifies the TDP with 91 Watts, which is a lot more than the 45 Watts of the mobile Kaby-Lake-H CPUs.

Intel Core i9-14900K

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a high-end processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, similar to the Intel Core i9-13900K last year. The base clock is 3.2 GHz and can reach up to 6 GHz under optimal conditions. The total of 32 threads are still divided into 8 P and 16 E cores. The 8 performance cores (P-cores) also offer hyperthreading, which means that a total of 32 threads can be processed simultaneously in conjunction with the 16 energy-efficient E-cores. As before, the K models continue to offer a freely selectable multiplier, which simplifies overclocking. The Intel Core i9-14900K uses the same CPU socket (LGA 1700) as the Intel Core i9-13900K. This means you don't necessarily need a new motherboard, as the 600 series chipsets support the new processors after a BIOS update. There is also still the option of using DDR4 for the RAM.

Performance

Compared to the Intel Core i9-13900K, the Core i9-14900K still offers 8 P-cores, which are relieved by 16 additional E-cores for demanding applications and thus ensure very high multi-thread performance. In comparison, however, the Intel Core i9-14900K can only gain a slight lead. The e-cores primarily take care of background applications. The hybrid architecture relies on the Intel Thread Director, which is responsible for the correct allocation of tasks. Meanwhile, the IPC could only be increased slightly. As an innovation with the Intel Core i9-14900K, the manufacturer is increasingly relying on AI, which is also used for overclocking. With one click in the Intel Extreme Utility, the tool checks the entire system and makes the necessary settings.

Graphics unit

Like the Intel Core i9-13900K, the Intel Core i9-14900K offers an integrated graphics unit. The Intel Iris Xe architecture continues to serve as the basis. In terms of performance, however, nothing has changed with the Intel UHD Graphics 770.

Power consumption

The Intel Core i9-14900K is specified with a TDP of 125 watts, which corresponds to the PL1 value. In Boost mode, the processor's performance can increase to up to 253 watts (PL2). However, this requires very good cooling. Compared to the Intel Core i9-13900K, the specified power consumption does not increase if the limits are adhered to. The situation is different if the limits are deactivated. As this value depends on the overall system, we cannot make an exact statement on this.

Intel Core i7-7500U

The Intel Core i7-7500U is a dual-core processor of the Kaby Lake architecture. It offers two CPU cores clocked at 2.7 - 3.5 GHz and integrates HyperThreading to work with up to 4 threads at once. The architectural differences are rather small compared to the Skylake generation, therefore the performance per MHz is very similar. The SoC includes a dual channel DDR4 memory controller and Intel HD Graphics 620 graphics card (clocked at 300 - 1050 MHz). It is manufactured in an improved 14nm FinFET process (14nm+) at Intel. Compared to the old Skylake Core i7-6500U (2.5 - 3.1 GHz), the i7-7500U clock speed is up to 400 MHz higher.