Intel is presenting its full 14th Gen mobile and desktop processor lineup today, including the latest HX-series mobile processors that will power some of 2024’s gaming laptops. Not to be confused with Intel’s new Core Ultra CPUs for laptops, the 14th Gen models are a refresh of the Raptor Lake 13th Gen mobile versions we saw at CES last year.
The flagship Intel Core i9-14900HX will ship in more demanding game laptops, complete with 24 cores (eight performance cores and 16 efficiency cores) and an up to 5.8GHz turbo frequency. These latest chips also support up to 192GB of DDR5-5600, plus discrete Wi-Fi 7 support, Bluetooth 5.4, and Thunderbolt 5 support.
Much like the PC versions, Intel is bumping the core count on the Core i7 variant. The Core i7-14700HX processor now comes with 20 cores in total (eight speed cores and 12 efficiency cores). That’s four more efficiency cores than the 13th Gen Core i7 model and should improve multithreaded applications and game performance.
Intel has decided to compare its latest Core i9-14900HX with AMD’s Ryzen 9 7945HX — the first mobile processor to feature AMD’s 3D V-Cache. At 1080p, Intel’s i9-14900HX beats the 7945HX in most of Intel’s tests, with the exception of Horizon Zero Dawn, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Intel hasn’t offered up any references to its 13th Gen chips, though. When we reviewed the 14th Gen desktop chips, we found they were largely a refresh in name and nature, with not enough speed to beat AMD’s best desktop gaming CPU. We’ll have to wait on reviews to see exactly how Intel manages on mobile this year.
Speaking of desktop CPUs, Intel is also launching its standard 14th Gen desktop CPUs today. Eighteen new processors will be offered, including the $549 flagship Core i9-14900 processor with 24 cores (eight performance / 16 efficiency). These are the less power-hungry 14th Gen desktop processors, running at a base power of 65 watts, with the Core i9 model taking up to 219 watts.
Much like the K variant, the Core i7-14700 ships with 20 cores in total (eight performance / 12 economy). The top Core i5, i7, and i9 chips support up to DDR5-5600 and 192GB of memory, and all are backward-compatible with current Intel 600- and 700-series motherboards.