14th Generation Flagship Intel Core i7-14700K and MSI MEG Z790 ACE MAX Unboxing Review

This time, we bring you the unboxing test of Intel Core i7-14700K, the new generation of Intel 14th Core series processor using Raptor Lake-S Refresh architecture, Intel 7 process, 10 nm process, with 8 Performance-Core (P-Core), 12 Efficient-Core (E-Core) and 28 Threads, and slightly improved 28 MB L2 and 33 MB L3 cache. Efficient-Core (E-Core) and 28 threads, as well as slightly improved 28 MB L2 and 33 MB L3 cache specifications. In order to compare the performance gap with the previous two generations of i9-12900K and i9-13900K, the author has prepared a MSI MEG Z790 ACE MAX motherboard, a MAG CORELIQUID E360, and a MEG Z790 ACE MAX motherboard. CORELIQUID E360 all-in-one water cooler, T-FORCE XTREEM DDR5 memory and other components to build a test platform to provide reference test results for gamers to see if there is a need to upgrade from the 12th i9 and 13th i9 to the 14th i7!

New Generation(?) Raptor Lake-S Refresh architecture Intel Core i7-14700K processor unboxing

This time, we have borrowed the Intel Core 14th debut model i7-14700K, which is the high-end positioning processor. It has 8 P-Core and 12 E-Core cores, which is 4 E-Core more than the previous generation i7-13700K, and it is the only CPU in the 14th debut model that has an increase in the number of cores (won the Best Improvement Award of Intel Core Class this year). Intel Core Class of the Year).

The i7-14700K has 20 cores (8+12) and 28 threads, four more threads than the 13700K, and a slight increase in L2 and L3 cache, which means that the i7-14700K will have more performance gains than the previous generation of i7s than other 14th models with the frequency increase strategy.

Current Generation Intel The Turbo Boots Max 3.0 frequency of the i7-14700K is up to 5.6 GHz, while the full-core frequency part is P-Core 5.5. GHzE-Core 4.3 The K-Series processors are also equipped with Intel UHD 770 internal graphics.



∆ 14th Specification Table.

The i7-14700K processor is codenamed Raptor Lake-S Refresh, and it supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, with the word “Refresh” meaning "not much change in the architecture design", and uses the same 10 nm Intel 7 processor as 13th. Using the same 10 nm Intel 7 processor as the 13th, it's no wonder that motherboard makers are not interested in updating this generation of processors.

∆ The sub-flagship processor “i7-14700K” in the first model.

∆ 8+12 Core, 24 Thread, 28 MB L2, 33 MB L3, LGA 1700.

Wi-Fi 7 upgraded and re-launched! MSI MEG Z790 ACE MAX motherboard unboxing!

MSI MEG Z790 ACE MAX Specification:
Size: E-ATX 277 mm x 304.8 mm
Processor Support: 12th / 13th / 14th Gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold, Celeron
Processor Pin: LGA1700
CPU Power Phase: 24+1+2 105A Duet Rail Power System (DRPS)
Chipset: Z790
Memory: 4x DDR5 DIMMs, 192GB max, DDR5 7800+(OC) MT/s
Memory Certification: Intel XMP 3.0 (Extreme Memory Profile), iEXPO (EXTended Profiles for Overclocking)
Display output: Type-C, 2x Thunderbolt 4 (Intel JHL8540)
Expansion slots: PCIe 5.0 x16, PCIe 5.0 x8, PCIe 4.0 x4
Storage Slots: 6x SATA 6Gb/s, M.2_1 22110/2280/2260 PCIe Gen4 x4, M.2_2 2280/2260 PCIe Gen4 x4, M.2_3 2280/2260 PCIe Gen4 x4 and SATA, M.2_4 2280 PCIe Gen5 x4, M.2_5 22110/2280/2260 PCIe Gen4 x4 and SATA
Network: 2x Intel I226-V 2.5Gbps LAN
Wireless: Intel Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4 (Qualcomm QCNCM865)
Audio: Realtek ALC4082 + ESS ES9280AQ DAC/HPA 7.1 Channel
USB Ports (Front Expansion): 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (supports front four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports), 2x USB 2.0 (supports front four USB 2.0 ports)
USB Ports (Rear I/O): 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C, 7x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (Display port)
RGB: 3x JARGB_V2 (ARGB 5v-3Pin), 1x JRGB (RGB 12v-4Pin)
FAN: 1x 4-Pin CPU Fan, 2x 4-Pin PUMP FAN, 5x 4-Pin System FAN

As one of the top three motherboard manufacturers, MSI has followed the Intel Core 14th processor update and launched the “Z790 MAX” series of motherboards. This time, the author has also borrowed the MEG Z790 ACE MAX motherboard from MSI to unbox it, and the author has also unboxed the MEG Z790 ACE MAX motherboard previously. I have also unboxed the MEG Z790 ACE MAX motherboard as the successor model, the difference between the two versions is less than the difference between the Z690 and Z790.

The Z690 and Z790 motherboards have a slightly improved PCIe channel count, and with the 14th generation of motherboards, almost all brands have updated their Wi-Fi 7 cards and appearance, while the rest of the motherboards are almost identical to their predecessors in terms of expandability and so on.

∆ MSI MEG Z790 ACE MAX motherboard.

∆ Next Gen CPU Ready!

∆ LUSTROUS AESTHETICS PURE PERFORMANCE.

∆ Product features are printed on the back of the box.

The MEG Z790 ACE MAX also maintains the E-ATX board size of 277 x 304.8 mm, and the design language also uses the MSI flagship series “MEG” logo combination, with RGB light panels on the upper left corner of the Dragon Spirit, ACE, and the lower right corner of the PCH heatsinks, and the appearance of the MEG Z790 ACE MAX / MEG Z790 ACE models remains basically unchanged. Z790 ACE MAX / MEG Z790 ACE models are basically unchanged, only a small part of the heat sink pattern has been changed.

MEG Z790 ACE “MAX” in ∆ E-ATX specification.

∆ Motherboard Reinforced Backplane.

The ∆ ACE MAX character.

The power supply uses the same 24+1+2 Duet Rail Power System (DRPS) 105A architecture with 24 RENESAS RAA22010540 105A SPS responsible for the VCORE, 1 VCCGT supply using a RENESAS RAA220075 75A SPS, and 2 VCCAUX supplies. The MPS MP87670 80A SPS is used for VCORE and the RAA229131 PWM controller is used for VCCGT supply.

The processor dual 8-Pin power supply slots are located above the DDR5 memory slots, and the 4 DIMM memory slots support up to 192GB of capacity, that is, a single 48GB of non-ECC, unbuffered memory, and the memory overclocking portion of the memory boasts support for up to 7800 MT/s, and gamers can also turn on Intel XMP 3.0 (Extreme Memory Profile) through the BIOS to perform one-touch overclocking when they purchase a mainstream dual-channel memory kit. If gamers purchase mainstream dual-channel memory kits, they can also turn on Intel XMP 3.0 (Extreme Memory Profile) in the BIOS for one-click overclocking.

The Z790 MAX series motherboards and 14th processors use the same LGA 1700 foot print, which means that if you want to upgrade either the motherboard or the processor, you can just use the old Z690 motherboard or the 12th processor.

∆ 24+1+2 DRPS 105A power architecture, dual 8-Pin CPU power supplies, 4 DIMM DDR5 memory slots.

∆ follows LGA 1700.

∆ MEG Z790 ACE MAX with Intel Core i7-14700K.

The rear I/O of the motherboard hasn't changed much either, providing Clear CMOS, Flash BIOS, Smart Function Keys, USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C Display port), 2x 2.5G LAN, 7x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps (Type-A), 2x Thunderbolt 4 40Gbps (Type-C), 2x Mini Display input, Wi-Fi, Optical S/PDIF Out, and Audio ports. Thunderbolt 4 40Gbps (Type-C), 2x Mini Display input, Wi-Fi, Optical S/PDIF Out, Sound port.

The special part is that the wireless transmission chip has been upgraded to the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, and the Wi-Fi card uses Qualcomm's QCNCM865 wireless card. I've heard that the Wi-Fi antenna of the marketed version has been revised, but the one that I have in my hands is the media beta version that doesn't have the new antenna as standard yet.

The RJ-45 for the wired connection also uses the Intel I226-V networking chip, which provides two 2.5G LAN holes, but I remember that the MEG Z790 ACE MAX, which was shown at Computex 2023, boasts a 5G LAN.

∆ Rear I/O upgraded to Wi-Fi 7 wireless card with Bluetooth 5.4.

The MEG Z790 ACE MAX offers three metal-reinforced x16 form factor slots, but each PCIe slot offers a different bandwidth: PCIe 5.0 x16, PCIe 5.0 x8, and PCIe 4.0 x4. The first two PCIe slots offer the latest PCIe 5.0 form factor, which is directly connected by the processor; the third PCIe 4.0 x4 slot is directly connected by the PCH channel. The first two PCIe slots offer the latest PCIe 5.0 specification and are connected directly by the processor.

Gamers should be aware of one thing, since PCI_E1 shares channel bandwidth with PCI_E2 & M2_4 slots, PCI_E1 slot will be automatically downgraded to PCIe 5.0 x8 bandwidth if there is a device installed in PCI_E2 or M2_4 slot, and PCI_E2 & M2_4 can only be used by selecting one of them, and can't be used by the expansion device at the same time. This is the same as the MEG Z790 ACE.

∆ PCIe 5.0 x16, PCIe 5.0 x8, PCIe 4.0 x4 slots.

∆ PCH heat sink totem.

There are a total of five M.2 SSD mounting locations on the board, M.2_1/M.2_4 mounting locations are through the processor direct connect channel, the fourth M.2_4 supports PCIe Gen5 x4 2280 NVME SSDs, so if you want to use the latest PCIe Gen5 x4 SSDs in the future, you have to remember to mount them in this location, and the remaining four support the 2280/2260 size PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD installation, and if you want to install a longer 22110 SSD, you can install it in M.2_1/M.2_5. The other four strips support 2280/2260 size PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD installations. For longer 22110 SSDs, they can be installed in M.2_1/M.2_5, and earlier M.2 SATA SSDs can be expanded from M.2_3/M.2_5.

∆Total of five M.2 SSD mounting locations, supporting one PCIe Gen5 x4 and four PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD mounts.

∆ EZ M.2 CLIP.

Then we also show the lighting effect of the MEG Z790 ACE MAX motherboard itself. There is not much change in the lighting area of the motherboard itself, which is also dominated by heat sinks such as VRAM, M.2_1, PCH, etc. The motherboard is also equipped with the MEG Z790 ACE MAX, which is the most advanced and most powerful motherboard in the world.

Both ∆ VRAM and M.2_1 heatsinks have RGB.

The ∆ PCH heatsink totem also glows.

Eclipse Wheel MSI MAG CORELIQUID E360 All-in-One Water Cooling Unboxing

MSI MAG CORELIQUID E360 All-in-one water cooling specification:
Intel feet: LGA 1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/1700
AMD feet: AM5/AM4/TR4/sTRx4
Pump RPM: 3000 ± 10% RPM
Water-cooling head size: 41 x 47.6 mm
Water-cooling head contact surface: copper
Dimensions of water cooler: 394 x 119.2 x 27 mm
Water Cooler Material: Aluminum
Fan size: 120 x 120 x 25 mm
Fan Speed: 1800 RPM ± 10%
Maximum airflow: 75.04 CFM
Maximum wind pressure: 2.52 mmH₂O
Cooler and Fan Power Supply: Water-cooled Head 4-Pin / Fan PWM 4-Pin
Average fan life: 50,000 hours
Warranty: five years

In addition to the motherboard, the author has also borrowed a newer model, the MAG CORELIQUID E series water cooler, which is also launched by MSI, is available in 240mm and 360mm. The design of the water cooling head is inspired by the concept of the eclipse and the passage of time is like quicksand, the MAG CORELIQUID E360 / 240 integrated water cooler has increased the number of micro-channels in contact with the copper base of the head. The MAG CORELIQUID E360 / 240 all-in-one water cooling system increases the contact area between the micro-channel and the copper base of the cooling head, allowing the water cooling liquid to carry more heat away from the processor quickly. Gamers can also configure the lighting effects of the water cooling system and the fans through the MSI CENTER software, and the fan speed curves can be adjusted according to their own needs in using the system.

∆ MAG CORELIQUID E360.

∆ The maximum speed of the water pump is 3000 RPM ± 10% and the maximum speed of the fan is 1800 ± 200 RPM.

∆ This time I borrowed the black model.

The 270-degree rotatable water-cooling head design allows the logo to be corrected according to the mounting position, so gamers with obsessive-compulsive disorder don't have to compromise on appearance anymore.

∆ Rotatable water cooling head.

∆ Fully covered copper base water cooler requires application of the included thermal paste.

∆ PWM power supply and 5V 3-Pin ARGB cable connects to the motherboard, completing the synchronized setting of rotation speed and lighting effect.

The water cooler uses the common 27 mm thin rows with 12 high-density water channels in a C-shape to divert hot and cold water.

∆ 27 mm thick water-cooled rows.

∆ Single-wave fins.

MAG CORELIQUID E360 not only has ARGB lighting effects on the water cooling head, but also provides 5V 3-Pin ARGB cables on the fan itself, which can be connected to ARGB slots on motherboards and controllers to create customized lighting effects according to the settings.

∆ MAG CORELIQUID E360 Overall lighting effect.

∆Eclipse RGB.

Metal badges are ultra-quality! Non-Binary T-FORCE XTREEM DDR5 Memory Unboxing

T-FORCE XTREEM DDR5 8000 MT/s 2x24GB memory specification:
Capacity: 48 GB (2x24GB)
Speed: DDR5 8000 MT/s
Chronology: CL 38-49-49-84
Voltage: 1.40 V
Specification: 288-Pin DDR5 UDIMM
Size: 48.8 mm x 134.5 mm x 8.2 mm
Overclocking Support: Intel XMP 3.0 Certified (Extreme Memory Profile)
Warranty: Lifetime Limited Warranty

The extra memory I have is only DDR5 6000 MT/s, it's a bit embarrassing to test the flagship processor with this frequency, so I borrowed something cool from TEAMGROUP, that is, the XTREEM DDR5 memory that its gaming sub-brand, T-FORCE, has just released at the beginning of this month!

The design of the XTREEM DDR5 memory is based on the sandblasted aluminum fins with basalt texture and the T-FORCE LAB badge, which makes the XTREEM DDR5 memory quite attractive in appearance. The model is available in 8000 MT/s 2x16GB and 8200 MT/s 2x24GB specifications, and the one I borrowed this time is the XTREEM DDR5 8000 MT/s 2x24GB non-binary memory!

In the software, you can see that this memory set not only has Extreme Memory Profile's DDR5 8000 frequency, but also has DDR5-6000 spare frequency to prevent users' platforms from being branded (such as today's combination), and there will be a chance to unbox this memory set for gamers' reference later.

∆The look and the frequency, don't say anything...please give it to me as a gift! Thank you!

∆ SPD Information View: JEDEC 5600, XMP 8000 CL38, XMP 6000 CL38 using SK Hynix memory cells.

Introduction of test platform and related settings

In addition to the Intel Core i7-14700K processor with 8 P-Core and 12 E-Core, totaling 20 cores and 28 threads, the author also tests the Intel Core i9-13900K with 24(8P+16E) cores and 32 threads, and the Intel Core i9-12900K with 16(8P+8E) cores and 24 threads, the two flagship processors of the previous two generations of consumer products. 12900K, the two flagship processors of the previous two generations of consumer-grade processors, so that gamers can see how much of a performance gap there is between the new generation i7-14700K and these two i9 processors.

The platform settings maintain the motherboard settings: CPU GAME BOOTS_Off (not specifically enabled to keep the default setting), CPU Cooler Tuning_Water Cooler (PL1/PL2: 4096W no power consumption limit), and the all-in-one water cooling is manually set to run the PUMP and fan at full speed.

Another special case is the T-FORCE XTREEM DDR5 memory, because this set of memory is too new and may not have been sent to MSI for QVL testing and adjustments, so it is not possible to pass the self-test of the motherboard by directly applying the XMP 8000 CL38 parameter to the MEG Z790 ACE MAX 4 DIMM motherboard. Therefore, the author manually adjusted the overclocking to 7600 MT/s CL36 for testing, and it just so happens that XTREEM DDR5 memory also has 7600 MT/s CL36 2x24GB model, so I can provide another way for gamers to refer to. (But for the DDR5 8000 frequency, I used another MEG Z690I UNIFY which can be directly XMP tested.)

∆ I borrowed a lot of hardware especially for this unboxing, I hope you can give your support, thank you.

Testing Platform
Processor: Intel Core i7-14700K, i9-13900K(QS), i9-12900K
Cooler: MSI MAG CORELIQUID E360 (PUMP/FAN FULL RUN)
Motherboard: MSI MEG Z790 ACE MAX (BIOS version: E7D86IMS.A0B)
Memory: T-FORCE XTREEM DDR5 8000 MT/s 24GBx2 (manually adjusted to 7600 CL36)
Graphics: MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X CLASSIC 24G
Operating System: Windows 11 Professional 22H2
System disk: PLEXTOR PCIe 3.0 x4 500 GB
Gaming Disk: Intel 670P 2TB M.2 2280 PCIe SSD (Solidigm)
Case: STREACOM BC1 Benchtable V2
Power Supply: MONTECH TITAN GOLD 1200W
Graphics driver: GeForce Game Ready4 537.42

∆Testing platform display.

∆The 14700K scored 140 points using MSI's CPU Force 2.

The ∆ P-Core Beyond 6GHz single-core one-touch 6G feature is not currently seen on the 14700K.

The ∆ Memory Extension Mode function is now available on the Z690.

CPU Computing, Rendering, and Score Software Tests

firstly CPU-Z Viewing the hardware information of this test platform, Intel Core i7-14700K processor has 8P+12E cores and 28 threads, series code name is Raptor Lake-S Refresh using Intel 7(10 nm) process, motherboard uses MEG Z790 ACE MAX supporting PCI-E 5.0 lanes, BIOS is E7D86IMS.A0B version, memory uses T-FORCE XTREEM DDR5 7600 MT/s CL36 with 48 GB of dual-channel capacity. A0B version, T-FORCE XTREEM DDR5 7600 MT/s CL36 dual-channel memory with a total capacity of 48 GB, and CPU-Z built-in test Version 17.01.64, the CPU scored 907.8 points for single-threaded and 14841.7 points for multi-threaded.

∆ CPU-Z information at a glance and Version 17.01.64 built-in test score results.

AIDA64 Memory and Cache TestsIn this test, XTREEM DDR5 8000 MT/s 24GB x2 CL38 dual-channel memory was used, but as mentioned earlier, the 4 DIMM MSI MEG Z790 ACE MAX can't boot up directly with XMP parameters yet, so the author adjusted the frequency down to DDR5 7600 CL36, and paired with an i7-14700K for testing. The read speed is 108.59 GB/s, the write speed is 99,552 MB/s, the copy speed is 99,660 MB/s, and the latency is 68.2 ns.

∆ AIDA64 cache and memory test for i9-12900K.

∆ AIDA64 cache and memory test for i7-14700K.

∆ AIDA64 Cache and Memory Test i9-13900K(QS).

Processor score test software CINEBENCH R23It is often used to evaluate the 3D rendering and graphics performance of the processor itself, which was developed by MAXON based on Cinema 4D.

In the CINEBENCH R23 version of the i7-14700K, the i7-14700K scored 35491 pts in multi-core and 2169 pts in single-core, with the multi-core part being 32.6% stronger than the 12900K; it is about 11% weaker than the 13900K, and the single-core performance is 9% stronger than the 12900K; it is about 3% weaker than the 13900K. The single-core performance is 9% stronger than the 12900K and about 3% weaker than the 13900K.

∆ CINEBENCH R23 i9-12900K.

∆ CINEBENCH R23 i7-14700K.

∆ CINEBENCH R23 i9-13900K (QS).

new version CINEBENCH 2024 The Cinema 2024 code and the Redshift rendering engine were used to test the GPU and CPU rendering performance. Due to the differences in code and compiler, and the scenes used, the results of the two versions are not comparable.

In the new version 2024, the 14700K scores are 2004 pts multi-core and 130 pts single-core, 31% stronger than the 12900K and 11% lower than the 13900K.

∆ CINEBENCH 2024 i9-12900K.

∆ CINEBENCH 2024 i7-14700K.

∆ CINEBENCH 2024 i9-13900K (QS).

V-Ray 5 V-Ray Engine Test Software is an image rendering program developed by Chaos Group. The free Benchmark examines the rendering speeds of the CPU and GPU on the V-Ray Engine, which tests the rendering performance of the processor.

∆ V-Ray 5 Benchmark i9-12900K.

∆ V-Ray 5 Benchmark i7-14700K.

∆ V-Ray 5 Benchmark i9-13900K (QS).

Indigo Bench The Indigo 4 rendering engine is a free software that uses the OpenCL architecture to support NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel graphics cards and processors for rendering performance testing. The test provides two sample rendering scenarios for bedroom and car racing, and the results are in terms of rendering completion units per second, so the higher the result the better. The i7-14700K scored 3.743 (M samples/s) in the bedroom category and 10.835 (M samples/s) in the sports car category.

∆ Indigo Bench i9-12900K.

∆ Indigo Bench i7-14700K.

∆ Indigo Bench i9-13900K (QS).

blender benchmark launcher 3.6.0 It is a free benchmark software provided by blende, a 3D graphics software. In the benchmark, users can choose whether they want to test the CPU or the GPU, and the test process consists of three scenarios, namely monster, junkshop, and classroom, in which the higher the score, the better.

∆ blender benchmark launcher 3.6.0 i9-12900K.

∆ blender benchmark launcher 3.6.0 i7-14700K.

∆ blender benchmark launcher 3.6.0 i9-13900K(QS).

UL Procyon There are two benchmarks used in the test, Video Editing Benchmark video editing test and Photo Editing Benchmark, both of which require the use of a legitimate Adobe software installed on the system to conduct the benchmark test.

Video Editing Benchmark The video editing test is conducted using Adobe Premiere Pro on the computer. For editing media workers, Adobe Pr has never had a standardized test reference, and in this benchmark test, two video files will be imported, edited, adjusted, and set up special effects, and then exported in H.264 (Youtube 1080P) / H.265 (4K). test to get the total score.

∆ UL Procyon Video Editing Benchmark video editing score comparison.

∆ UL Procyon Video Editing Benchmark video editing score comparison.

∆ UL Procyon Video Editing Benchmark video editing score comparison.

Photo Editing Benchmark The first item of the photo editing test will import the Digital Negative into Adobe Lightroom Classic and then crop, stretch and modify the DNG image to test, while the second item will use Adobe Photoshop to apply multiple layers of editing effects and then export them to derive a photo retouching score / batch processing score. Batch Processing Score.

The ∆ UL Procyon Photo Editing Benchmark photo editing score is against the i9-12900K.

The ∆ UL Procyon Photo Editing Benchmark photo editing score is against the i7-14700K.

∆ UL Procyon Photo Editing Benchmark Photo Editing Score for vs. i9-13900K (QS).

Geekbench 6 CPU Benchmark can be used to test CPU and memory performance, including data compression, image processing, machine learning, optical tracking, and many other daily use and professional productivity tests.

∆ Geekbench 6_ CPU Benchmark i9-12900K.

∆ Geekbench 6_ CPU Benchmark i7-14700K.

∆ Geekbench 6_ CPU Benchmark i9-13900K (QS).

3DMark score test

Next, we used the 3DMark series of software, which is the most important indicator of gaming scores, to compare the theoretical scores of the same graphics platform with different processors through a series of tests with different picture quality and different GPU APIs, but I don't know why the scores of the 4090 with the 13900K are unusually low, so we suggest that gamers should directly look at the physical scores/CPU scores to see the performance gap between the processors. Therefore, we suggest players to observe the physical score / CPU score directly to check the performance difference between processors.

3DMark CPU Profile This test will test the performance of MAX, 16, 8, 4, 2, and 1 threads respectively, while the performance of 16 threads and above belongs to the 3D rendering or audio/video professional work, the current mainstream of the DirectX 12 Game performance can mostly be seen in the 8-thread score, whereas the 4- and 2-thread scores are related to the use of the DirectX 9 Development of old games related.

∆ 3DMark CPU Profile i9-12900K.

∆ 3DMark CPU Profile i7-14700K.

∆ 3DMark CPU Profile i9-13900K (QS).

3DMark Fire Strike Includes two tests using the DirectX 11 GPU API, a physical test and a combined CPU and GPU test, each testing theoretical game performance at 1080p.

∆ DirectX 11 Fire Strike i9-12900K.

∆ DirectX 11 Fire Strike i7-14700K.

∆ DirectX 11 Fire Strike i9-13900K(QS).

3DMark Time Spy The DirectX 12 GPU API is also benchmarked for gaming at 2K 1440p.

∆ DirectX 12 Time Spy i9-12900K.

∆ DirectX 12 Time Spy i7-14700K.

∆ DirectX 12 Time Spy i9-13900K(QS).

Three FPS-type gaming games to test

Three iconic games have been selected for testing in the FPS gaming category.Battle Attack 2_Overwatch 2, _Rainbow Six: Operation Siege_Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, and theApex LegendsThe APEX is set to the "highest" setting in the game, and the APEX is set to the maximum frame rate of 144 fps by default, so manually input the code to the maximum of 300 fps.

With a standardized resolution of Full HD 1920×1080 to allow for side-by-side comparisons of processor performance under stress, average (AVG) and 1% Low fps were collected via NVIDIA GeForce's free FrameView software.

The only FPS gaming game in the test was theRainbow Six: Operation SiegeThere's a significant difference in average fps, the other two games are basically maxed out on average fps, and 1% Lows fps for some reason 14700K in theBattle Attack 2The "Lows" are very prominent, which in turn leads to the 1% Lows fps outperforming the 13900K in the overall average.

∆ Three FPS-type gaming games tested: highest texture effects, FHD 1080×1920 resolution.

∆ AVG / 1% Low total average fps comparison for three FPS-type gaming tests.

Ten AAA Masterpiece Games Tested

To test the AAA genre, which emphasizes on the experience of graphic performance and storytelling, the author chose to play "The Battle of the Birds", which is the first game in the AAA genre.Assassin's Creed: Illusions_ Assassin's Creed Mirage, _Assassin's Creed: Viking Age_Assassin's Creed Valhalla_, theHowl of War 6_Far Cry 6, _Watch Dogs: Freedom Corps_Watch Dogs: Legion, Thewar god_God of War, _Horizon: Expecting Dawn_Horizon Zero Dawn_, _Horizon Zero Dawn_, _Horizon Zero Dawn_.The Hogwarts Legacy_Hogwarts Legacy, TheThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt_The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, TheElectric Renegade 2077_Cyberpunk 2077, TheBloodshed 2_Red Dead Redemption 2" and other ten 3A masterpieces for game testing.

Considering the fact that most gamers pursue the most beautiful image performance rather than the highest frame rate when playing 3A games, the author also set the built-in "Highest" texture effects option in AAA games, and some games with light tracking settings also enable the "Highest" setting, and test the games with Full HD 1920×1080 resolution.

Most of the ten games support NVIDIA DLSS technology set to "Quality/Picture Quality"; AMD FSR is in "Quality" mode to get a certain degree of frame rate increase while maintaining screen performance as much as possible, and the frame rate is collected using the same NVIDIA GeForce FrameView software to record average (AVG) and 1% Low fps.

This time added by Ubi just launched the AAA masterpiece new product "Assassin's Creed: Illusion" to test, but Ubi's new game will always have one to two years of optimization pain period, the author in the process of testing, each round has many times and very obvious drop frame condition, the above provides players with reference.

Ten games to explain one by one is really too much trouble, need players can directly click into the game to see the performance, in the ten AAA type game test total average frame rate, the 14700K average fps than 12900K 8.1%, compared to the 13900K lower than the 3% or so.

∆ Ten AAA games tested: highest texture effects, FHD 1080×1920 resolution.

∆ AVG / 1% Low total average fps comparison of ten AAA type games tested.

Processor Temperature and Power Consumption Tests

The test platform was set up on a 24°C room barebones test platform with the water cooling setup running at full speed for the CPU temperature and power consumption tests. The author used Cinebench R23 (Multi Core_one round), AIDA64 FPU, AIDA64 CPU,Electric Renegade 2077Cyberpunk 2077", "Standby" and other different scenarios were tested, while the data collection was done using HWiFO64 to collect and record the maximum temperature CPU Package temperature and CPU Package Power, and convert the information into graphs for gamers' reference.

The 14700K's temperature is similar to that of the previous two generations of i9 processors in both the short rendering Cinebench R23 (Multi Core) and the long stress test AIDA64 FPU, while the extreme stress power consumption has officially exceeded 300W to become a new member of the 300W club, which is expected to be optimized by the future board makers!

∆ Processor Temperature Graph.

∆ Processor power consumption chart.

Conclusion

This time, the Intel Core i7-14700K, no matter in the professional computing and rendering or gaming performance test, is in a stronger class than the 12900K, but a little weaker than the 13900K, which in fact can be judged directly from the core specifications, etc. Therefore, "if" you have a 12900K processor in hand, and then want to further upgrade the CPU, the author would recommend Reference to see 14700K and 13900K second-hand price difference, now 14700K new price than the second-hand price of 13900K the same level of distance, that really can not think of any reason to choose 14700K, after all, 13900K performance in all aspects are better, and temperature and power consumption are basically at the same level, then pinch a thousand or two thousand to pick up the second-hand 13900K is indeed a more affordable strategy. The more you pay a couple thousand dollars to pick up a used 13900K is really a more affordable strategy.

MEG Z790 ACE MAX Yes The 24+1+2 SPS 105A power supply specification easily meets the power needs of both the two generations of i9 and the new generation of i7 processors, and provides unlimited performance for the flagship processors, as well as a wide range of motherboard expansion capabilities for the heavy PC gamers, but it depends on when Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Development (MDD) will open up the bandwidth for the specially updated WiFi 7. The rest of the expansion specs can be found in the earlier MEG Z790 ACE Open the box.。

MSI MAG CORELIQUID E360 all-in-one water cooler is a new product that I was quite surprised to see, and it is able to keep the temperature down to 100℃ in the face of the i9-13900K and i7-14700K, which have a power consumption of more than 300W. I was surprised to see all three CPUs kept below 71°C in daily use, and the cooling performance of the all-in-one watercooler exceeds that of the flagships within the $5,000 price range.

T-FORCE XTREEM DDR5 8000 MT/s 2x24GB memory is the only hardware in this unboxing that is not able to give full play to its full potential. It's a pity that the memory is too new and has not been added to the QVL compatibility test of the motherboards, and the overclocking performance of the memory with the 4 DIMM motherboards this time is definitely not as strong as that of the 2 DIMM motherboards, so I can only adjust the frequency to DDR5 7600 for the whole test. DDR5 7600 for the whole test, in the future, if there is a chance to use this set of memory with the author's usual MEG Z690I UNIFY for overclocking test, but it's a real looker...