The 10 fastest Intel CPUs for gaming in our database, ranked by performance index. The Core i9-14900K is first.
Updated October 5, 2026
Index: Ryzen 7 9800X3D = 100. Launch prices are in US dollars.
| # | Processor | Index | Cores / threads | Socket | Year | Launch price | Index per $100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Core i9-14900K | 24 / 32 | LGA1700 | 2023 | $589 | 14.6 | |
| 2 | Core i9-13900K | 24 / 32 | LGA1700 | 2022 | $589 | 14.4 | |
| 3 | Core Ultra 9 285K | 24 / 24 | LGA1851 | 2024 | $589 | 14.1 | |
| 4 | Core i7-14700K | 20 / 28 | LGA1700 | 2023 | $409 | 20.3 | |
| 5 | Core i7-13700K | 16 / 24 | LGA1700 | 2022 | $409 | 19.8 | |
| 6 | Core Ultra 7 265K | 20 / 20 | LGA1851 | 2024 | $394 | 20.3 | |
| 7 | Core i9-14900 | 24 / 32 | LGA1700 | 2024 | $549 | 14.6 | |
| 8 | Core i7-14700 | 20 / 28 | LGA1700 | 2024 | $384 | 20.3 | |
| 9 | Core i5-14600K | 14 / 20 | LGA1700 | 2023 | $319 | 24.5 | |
| 10 | Core i7-13700 | 16 / 24 | LGA1700 | 2023 | $384 | 20.1 |
The Core i9-14900K is first in this list with an index of 86 (the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is 100). It launched in 2023 at $589 with 24 cores, 32 threads, up to 6 GHz and a 125 W rating.
The gap from first to tenth is 12%: the Core i7-13700 scores 77. 124 Intel CPUs for gaming matched our filter, and the table shows the ten fastest.
The best value is the Core i5-14600K, with 24.5 index points per $100 of launch price against 14.6 for the Core i9-14900K. It scores 78 and launched at $319.
For comparison, the fastest AMD desktop chip in our database is the Ryzen 7 9800X3D at 100, 16% above the first row here.
A K at the end of the name (Core i5-14600K) means the chip can be overclocked, and those chips usually ship without a cooler in the box. An F (Core i5-14400F) means no built-in graphics, which costs less and does not matter in a gaming PC that has a graphics card anyway. Both letters together, KF, mean both things.
Check the socket column before you buy. A processor only fits a motherboard with the same socket, so a chip from one Intel generation can need a new board even when the name looks similar.
Intel desktop processors with a known launch price, ranked by gaming index. The index is our own estimate of gaming performance, so it is a guide to which part is faster and not a benchmark result. Prices are launch prices in US dollars, not today's shelf prices. The methodology page explains how the index is built.
By our index it is the Core i9-14900K, which scores 86 and launched at $589.
The Core i5-14600K, at 24.5 index points per $100 of launch price.
No. The K only allows overclocking. A non-K chip of the same model is usually a little cheaper and reaches almost the same frame rates in games out of the box.