RealBottleneckCalculator

Core i9-14900K vs Core i9-13900K

The Core i9-14900K and Core i9-13900K are effectively tied in games, with frame rate limits of 182 and 180 FPS.

Quick verdict: pick on platform cost and price, not performance.

Core i9-14900K vs Core i9-13900K: Specs and Performance

▲ marks the better figure. The gaming frame rate limit is modelled; multi-core scores are only compared at a thread count both chips were benchmarked on.
Spec Core i9-14900K Core i9-13900K
Gaming frame rate limit 182 FPS 180 FPS
Multi-core score (32 threads) 15,972 15,359
Cores 24 24
Threads 32 32
Base clock 3.2 GHz 3.0 GHz
Boost clock 6.0 GHz 5.8 GHz
Socket LGA 1700 LGA 1700
Memory DDR4 or DDR5 DDR4 or DDR5
Release year 2023 2022
Generation Intel 14th Gen (Raptor Lake Refresh) Intel 13th Gen (Raptor Lake)

Estimated FPS With an RTX 5080

Average FPS with an RTX 5080, high settings Core i9-14900K Core i9-13900K
1080p
180
180
1440p
149
149
4K
99
99

A processor's gaming performance only shows when the graphics card is not the limit. With an RTX 5080, 1080p is a tie, 1440p is a tie, 4K is a tie, which is why the higher the resolution, the less the processor matters. Figures come from our performance model, not from measurements on your PC.

Frame Rate Limit in Popular Games

Game (settings)Core i9-14900KCore i9-13900K
Cyberpunk 2077 (High, no ray tracing) ~155 ~155
Fortnite (High, DirectX 12) ~230 ~225
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (High) ~200 ~200
Counter-Strike 2 (High) ~400 ~395

The most frames each processor can feed in that game with an unlimited graphics card, rounded to the nearest 5 FPS. Your real frame rate is the lower of this and what your card can render.

Verdict: Core i9-14900K or Core i9-13900K?

The Core i9-14900K and Core i9-13900K are effectively tied in games, with frame rate limits of 182 and 180 FPS. Neither will hold back a graphics card noticeably more than the other.

In multi-threaded work the Core i9-14900K scores 4% higher on 32 threads, which shows up in rendering, video encoding, compiling and streaming while gaming.

Both use the LGA 1700 socket, so moving from one to the other can be a drop-in swap with a BIOS update.

Bottom line: pick on platform cost and price, not performance.

Which Graphics Card Should You Pair With Them?

Each processor's own page lists the graphics cards it is best matched with at 1080p, 1440p and 4K, and the cards it would hold back:

Related CPU Comparisons

Core i9-14900K vs Core i9-13900K: Common Questions

Is the Core i9-14900K better than the Core i9-13900K?

Pick on platform cost and price, not performance. The Core i9-14900K and Core i9-13900K are effectively tied in games, with frame rate limits of 182 and 180 FPS.

Which is better for gaming, the Core i9-14900K or the Core i9-13900K?

Neither: they are within a few percent in games. With an RTX 5080 at 1440p both land around 149 FPS in our model.

Which is better for streaming and productivity?

On 32 threads the Core i9-14900K scores 4% higher in our multi-core benchmark data. Beyond that, the chip with more cores and threads (Core i9-14900K, 32 threads) handles streaming, rendering and encoding better.

Can I swap the Core i9-13900K for the Core i9-14900K on the same motherboard?

Usually, yes. Both use the LGA 1700 socket, though older boards may need a BIOS update first. Check your board's CPU support list.

Data last reviewed October 15, 2026. See the methodology for how every figure is produced.