Is the 14900K worth it over the 14700K for gaming?

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FRfragtasticOP

Posted Mar 24, 2025, 9:00 AM

Planning an upgrade from my 12700K. Currently torn between the 14900K and 14700K.

I game at 4K 144Hz with a 4090. At 4K I know the CPU matters less, but I also play some CPU-heavy games like Cities: Skylines 2 and Factorio.

The 14900K is about $120 more. Is the extra performance worth it or should I put that money toward better cooling?

2 Replies

SI silicon_sarah

SIsilicon_sarah

Mar 24, 2025, 10:30 AM#1

For pure gaming? The 14700K is the better value. The 14900K's extra E-cores help in heavily threaded workloads but add minimal gaming performance - we're talking 2-5% at most. Put that $120 toward a 360mm AIO instead.

RE renderqueen

RErenderqueen

Mar 24, 2025, 12:00 PM#2

If you do ANY content creation alongside gaming, the 14900K pulls ahead meaningfully. But for pure gaming, Sarah is right - save the money or invest in cooling.