Intel 14th Gen Core Non-K Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs Break Cover At Retail
by
Thiago Trevisan
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Friday, December 29, 2023, 10:52 AM EDT
As is with tradition with Intel CPUs, a varied and well-balanced lineup is afforded every new generation of products. Covering the gamut from casual users to enthusiast gamers, it is quite a number of use cases to satisfy. That's to say, more Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs are coming. To that end, a retail leak has unveiled the upcoming non-K SKUs of Intel's 14th generation products ahead of their announcement from Spanish retailer Coolmod.
These CPUs, such as the Intel Core-i9 14900, cater to a slightly different crowd than the unlocked CPUs. There are a myriad of advantages to these, including lower TDP power draw for smaller PC builds that aren't overclocking-focused. With a variety of CPUs such as the Core i3-14100, to the top-spec Core i9-14900, there is a healthy price to performance spectrum available.
@momomo_us shares on X the leaked retail Intel CPUs
To reflect on some of its inherent differences, the non-K SKUs typically will be priced lower than the comparable "K" SKU. In the past, Intel has also included an air cooler for its non-K CPUs, but it is yet unclear if the same will hold true for these 14th generation products. The CPUs such as the Core i9-14900K do not include air coolers, since they require more advanced cooling methods to keep under control.
Ranging from 10-core to 24-core CPUs, these bank heavily on power limits to keep them efficient. The Core i9-14900K can easily hit 253W when unleashed, compared to the more well-manned 65W of the typical non-K CPUs. Keep in mind that varying motherboards can still have some control over the final power draw with their own tweaks in the BIOS.
Non-K CPUs are perfect for small form factor PCs
Why would a consumer choose a lower spec CPU to save a few bucks? One of the biggest reasons will be to comfortably use in small form factor PC builds, where thermals can be an issue. With gaming-centric performance there are often very minor drawbacks to limiting the power in this manner, with a significant drop in heat output as a bonus.
CPUs such as the Core i9-14900K are known to operate at much higher temperatures, due in part to its tremendous multi-core performance. With games focusing more on single-core speeds and higher clocks, this is not as much of an issue. With the rise in popularity of mini-ITX PC builds, a use case can certainly be made to use these well-behaved CPUs.
These products may launch as soon as January 2024, and with a busy CES 2024, it is shaping up to be a very exciting beginning to the new year for tech.
