Compare the Intel Core i9-14900K CPU with the Intel Core i9-10850K in terms of core types, core counts, frequencies, and cache capacities, along with their overclocking, PCIe, and DDR support.
Core i9-14900K
Intel Core i9-14900K
Core i9-10850K
Intel Core i9-10850K
Performance of the Core i9-14900K vs. Core i9-10850K
| Core Count: | 24 |
|---|---|
| Thread Count: | 32 |
| L3 Cache: | 36 MB |
| Max Turbo Freq. (1 Core): | 6.00 GHz |
| P-Core Count: | 8 |
| Base P-Core Freq.: | 3.20 GHz |
| Max Turbo P-Core Freq.: | 5.60 GHz |
| Core Count: | 10 |
|---|---|
| Thread Count: | 20 |
| L3 Cache: | 20 MB |
| Base Freq.: | 3.60 GHz |
| Max Turbo Freq. (1 Core): | 5.20 GHz |
Cores
14900K: Based on our evaluation, the 14900K's 8 Performance cores and 16 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance overall.
10850K: Based on our evaluation, the 10850K's 10 cores allow for excellent performance overall.
Learn more about Core Counts
below.
Base Frequency
14900K: The 14900K has a 3.20 GHz P-core base frequency, which is the speed before boosting.
10850K: The 10850K has a 3.60 GHz base frequency, which is the speed before boosting.
Learn more about CPU Clock Speeds below.
Single-Core Turbo Frequency
14900K: Based on our evaluation, the 14900K's 6.00 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance overall. You can maintain these frequencies with a high-end cooler.
10850K: Based on our evaluation, the 10850K's 5.20 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance overall. You can maintain these frequencies with a high-end cooler.
Learn more about CPU Clock Speeds below.
P-Core Turbo Frequency
14900K: Based on our evaluation, the 14900K's 5.60 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores is excellent for performance overall. P-core turbo boost frequencies can be maintained with a high-end cooler.
10850K: The 10850K does not have Performance cores.
Learn more about CPU Clock Speeds below.
Overclocking Support
14900K: Based on our evaluation, the 14900K CPU's support for overclocking can be excellent for performance overall.
10850K: Based on our evaluation, the 10850K CPU's support for overclocking can be excellent for performance overall.
Learn more about Overclocking below.
DDR Support
14900K: Based on our evaluation, the 14900K CPU's support for DDR5 with a max stock speed of 5600 MHz can be excellent for performance overall.
10850K: Based on our evaluation, the 10850K CPU's support for DDR4 with a max stock speed of 2933 MHz can be mediocre for performance overall.
Learn more about DDR Support below.
PCIe
14900K: Based on our evaluation, the 14900K CPU's support for PCIe 5.0 can be excellent for performance overall, when using the fastest SSDs and graphics cards.
10850K: Based on our evaluation, the 10850K CPU's support for PCIe 3.0 can be poor for performance overall, as it will limit the potential of the latest SSDs and graphics cards.
L3 Cache
14900K: Based on our evaluation, the 14900K's impressive 36 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance overall.
10850K: Based on our evaluation, the 10850K's 20 MB of L3 cache is good for performance overall.
Learn more about Cache Sizes below.
Use Cases of the Core i9-14900K and Core i9-10850K
Considerations for Gaming
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-14900K CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-10850K CPU for gaming, you can expect good game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
While a good GPU is critical for gaming performance, your CPU will also have a significant impact. If the CPU is too slow, it can be a bottleneck for your GPU, which can reduce your framerate or cause stuttering. The most important CPU capabilities for gaming are single-core max turbo boost frequency and the number of cores.
Depending on the game, the CPU will often handle tasks including scene management, gameplay logic, physics calculations, and asset loading. We took these factors into account when assessing the expected CPU performance for gaming.
Having multiple CPU cores can improve performance with games that utilize them. However, developers cannot split up every task to take advantage of a growing number of cores. Most modern games don't benefit from having more than 6–8 cores. Game performance will experience diminishing returns as you add more CPU cores.
Considerations for General Apps
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-14900K CPU for general apps, you can expect excellent app performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-10850K CPU for general apps, you can expect good app performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
If you're only planning to stream shows, use office apps, or browse the internet, you won't need a top-end CPU to get good performance. The most important CPU capability for general app usage is the single-core max turbo boost frequency.
Browsers depend on your CPU to quickly load pages and video content and manage multiple browser tabs. Higher single-core turbo boost frequencies can speed up page load times.
Office and web applications are typically single-threaded, so running a single application won't take advantage of a many-core CPU.
The more cores a CPU has, the more applications you can run simultaneously without noticing a performance impact.
Office and web applications rarely max out the CPU for long periods. These applications can use turbo boost speeds when a burst of processing power is needed, returning to the more efficient base frequencies afterward.
We took all of these factors into account while assessing the expected CPU performance for general apps.
Considerations for Professional Tools
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-14900K CPU for professional tools, you can expect excellent tool performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-10850K CPU for professional tools, you can expect good tool performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
Video editors, 2D and 3D graphics tools, software compilers, and engineering tools require high-performing CPUs.
Professional tools are often well optimized to use many cores. CPU cores allow tools to parallelize processing tasks. Increasing the number of cores can divide the time required to process a task if the tool has good multi-threading support.
To maximize performance with professional tools, you'll want to use a CPU with a high turbo boost frequency and many CPU cores. Good heat dissipation is needed to maintain turbo boost frequencies for extended periods. We took these factors into account while assessing the expected CPU performance for professional tools.
While graphics applications use your GPU for some rendering tasks, most calculations and data operations are still dependent on your CPU.
Considerations for Choosing Between the 14900K and 10850K
Core Count
Intel's Core i9-14900K CPUs have 8 Performance cores (P-cores) and 16 Efficiency cores (E-cores) for a total of 24 cores.
Intel's Core i9-10850K CPUs have 10 cores.
We found that, in general, more cores do provide better performance in professional tools and when running multiple applications simultaneously.
Increased core counts can improve the performance of games and professional tools that use them. Most modern games don't benefit from having more than 6–8 cores. Even general apps can benefit from many cores when numerous applications are open simultaneously. Web browsers don't significantly take advantage of multiple cores when loading a single page. However, more CPU cores can improve performance when running demanding web apps in multiple windows.
Intel's 12th generation and newer CPUs have performance cores (P-cores) and efficiency cores (E-cores). The P-cores are comparable to previous generation cores. E-cores are focused on adding additional threads in an energy-efficient manner. They take up much less room on the CPU and generate less heat. However, their smaller cache and minimal interconnect capabilities make them more appropriate for offloading background tasks. E-cores do not support hyper-threading.
CPU Clock Speeds
The Intel Core i9-14900K's 8 Performance cores have a 3.20 GHz base frequency and support a 5.60 GHz max turbo boost frequency.Its 16 Efficiency cores have a 2.40 GHz base frequency and support a 4.40 GHz max turbo boost frequency.The Core i9-14900K has a 6.00 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency.
The Intel Core i9-10850K has a 3.60 GHz base frequency and supports a 5.20 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency.
We've experienced that single-core performance is essential for some games, as many don't take full advantage of multiple cores. Similarly, we have experienced that professional tools depend on high single and multi-core turbo frequencies to maximize their processing speed.
Turbo boost frequencies are only achieved under ideal circ*mstances. However, with adequate cooling, you may be able to maintain speeds near the max boost frequency.
Check out my article, Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for Intel's Core i9-14900K, for recommended coolers that can maintain these boost frequencies on the 14900K.
Check out my article, Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for Intel's Core i9-10850K, for recommended coolers that can maintain these boost frequencies on the 10850K.
Higher vs. Lower Base Frequencies
We've found that lower base clock speeds result in lower power consumption.
A CPU's base frequency refers to the clock speed at which its cores run under normal operating conditions. However, the actual clock speed of the CPU can vary depending on the workload and the system power state.
A lower base frequency can lead to better power savings overall since the clock speed decreases when the load is low, resulting in lower power consumption. However, a CPU may run slower than the base frequency to conserve power or reduce heat generation. For example, modern CPUs use technologies like Intel SpeedStep or AMD Cool'n'Quiet to dynamically adjust the CPU's clock speed based on the system's workload and power state.
A CPU with a lower base frequency may generate less heat under normal operating conditions, enabling it to boost some cores to higher frequencies while remaining within its thermal limits. This lower base frequency results in better performance than a CPU with a higher base frequency, which may not be able to sustain its boost frequency for long periods due to thermal throttling. However, this is mostly only relevant if your system's cooling solution can only partially dissipate the heat produced by all cores being fully boosted.
DDR Support
The 14900K CPU's fastest supported DDR memory type is DDR5, with a max stock speed of 5600 MHz.
The 10850K CPU's fastest supported DDR memory type is DDR4, with a max stock speed of 2933 MHz.
You can exceed these stock speeds officially supported by CPUs when overclocking memory, such as with an XMP profile. Motherboard specifications will indicate their supported overclocked-memory speeds. To be able to overclock DDR memory, your motherboard chipset needs to support memory overclocking.
Faster PC memory can improve game and professional tool performance by reducing the time it takes to perform calculations and data operations.
We've experienced that using the quickest RAM may not have as much of an impact as upgrading your CPU and graphics card or adding more RAM.
Learn more about DDR in DDR4 vs. DDR5? Which You Should Buy.
Learn about our recommended RAM for the 14900K in Best RAM for the Intel Core i9-14900K CPU.
Learn about our recommended RAM for the 10850K in Best RAM for the Intel Core i9-10850K CPU.
Cache Size
The Intel Core i9-14900K has an L3 cache capacity of 36 MB.
The Intel Core i9-10850K has an L3 cache capacity of 20 MB.
A CPU's cache is a small amount of memory, close to the CPU cores, containing recently used data. An L3 cache capacity of at least 20 MB is ideal for games and professional tool performance.
Games and professional tool performance can improve as cache size increases, as it can reduce delays when retrieving commonly used assets from memory. While nearly any task will use a CPU's cache, our research indicates that a large cache becomes less impactful for general PC usage, such as browsing webpages.
Remember that cache sizes often increase with core counts, so if you want to increase your L3 cache, you may need to get a CPU with more cores.
Overclocking
The 14900K supports overclocking.
The 10850K supports overclocking.
Overclocking is mainly relevant for PC gamers who want to maximize their game framerates. CPU overclocking increases frequencies past their default limits. Excellent heat dissipation via fans or another solution is required to maintain system stability while overclocking. While we felt a sense of excitement and anticipation when we pushed the limits of our CPU's performance, it's essential to remember that overclocking comes with the risk of damaging your system components or voiding warranties.
Professional tools can benefit from overclocked frequencies. However, overclocking may introduce some possibility of system instability, which may be less acceptable in business scenarios. We've found out the hard way that losing work due to system instability is a pain.
Where to Buy the Core i9-14900K and Core i9-10850K
Core i9-14900K
Intel Core i9-14900K
Core i9-10850K
Intel Core i9-10850K
Find the Core i9-14900K at Best Buy. Find the Core i9-10850K at Best Buy.
Find the Core i9-14900K at Newegg. Find the Core i9-10850K at Newegg.
Learn More About the Intel Core i9-14900K
- Motherboard: Choosing the Best Motherboard for Intel's Core i9-14900K
- Chipset: Which Chipsets Work With Intel's Core i9-14900K CPU?
- Cooler: Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for Intel's Core i9-14900K
- Power Supply: Choosing the Best Power Supply for Intel's Core i9-14900K
- RAM: Best RAM for the Intel Core i9-14900K CPU
- TDP: What Is the TDP of the Core i9-14900K CPU?
- Gaming: Is the Core i9-14900K CPU Good for Gaming?
Learn More About the Intel Core i9-10850K
- Motherboard: Choosing the Best Motherboard for Intel's Core i9-10850K
- Chipset: Which Chipsets Work With Intel's Core i9-10850K CPU?
- Cooler: Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for Intel's Core i9-10850K
- Power Supply: Choosing the Best Power Supply for Intel's Core i9-10850K
- RAM: Best RAM for the Intel Core i9-10850K CPU
- TDP: What Is the TDP of the Core i9-10850K CPU?
- Gaming: Is the Core i9-10850K CPU Good for Gaming?
