The Intel Core i9 14900K offers both Intel's highest core count and the second highest clocks in the business in a package that many critics claim is essentially a more readily available version of the limited-release and now-replaced Intel Core i9 13900KS. It does currently represent the fastest readily-available Intel consumer-grade CPU on offer and regardless, is a price cut on the elusive Intel Core i9 13900KS for users looking to upgrade to a 6GHz CPU.
While it does come in a slightly faster but premium-priced, cherry-picked flavor that ups the ante to 6.2 GHz on single cores in the shape of the Intel Core i9 14900KS, that CPU is a limited-release option that favors enthusiasts and overclockers looking to eke out the most of out a silicon lottery winning version of the 14900K.
The Intel Core i9 processor is the fastest CPU from Intel but does fall considerably short in all major metrics when it comes to anything that involves GPU-intensive tasks when it depends on its iGPU. While the integrated Intel UHD 770 Graphics chip can do a passable job on basic functionality and support for DirectX 12, it can not really game, render, or run tasks that require a discrete GPU adequately. This means that most users, irrespective of whether they pick the 14900K, 14900KS, or 14900KF, would be looking for a GPU to pair with their new CPU upgrade.
Intel Core i9 14900K 24-Core, 32-Thread CPU
A 6 GHz Odyssey
The Intel Core i9 14900K 24-Core, 32-Thread CPU is Intel's highest-end 14th generation CPU and offers the highest boost clocks for a consumer-grade CPU from Intel to date, clocking in at an impressive 6 GHz natively.
It succeeds the limited-release Intel Core 13900KS as the first mainstream 6 GHz CPU, even as it brings a large power draw and thermal requirement to reach said clock speed.
- Brand
- Intel
- CPU Model
- Core i9 14900K
- CPU Socket
- LGA 1700
- Cores
- 24 (8P + 16E)
- Threads
- 32
- Architecture
- Raptor Lake (Refresh)
- Process
- Intel 7 (10 nm)
- Base Clock Speed
- 3.2 GHz
- Boost Clock Speed
- 6 GHz
- Cache
- 32MB L2 + 36MB L3 Cache
- PCIe
- PCI-E 4.0/5.0 supported
- Graphics
- Intel UHD Graphics 770
- TDP
- 253 W
- Is currently Intel's fastest 24-core 32-thread CPU
- Can push up to 6GHz on Single-Core frequencies
- Offers higher clock speeds than the 13900K
- Delivers better performance at the same MSRP as the 13900K
- Has increased power and thermal requirements versus its predecessor
- A relatively minor upgrade for users that already have a 13900K/KS
User demand will vary based on a mix of individual needs, budget, and thermal constraints in play for the system that the graphics card is for, making it different from a one-size-fits-all solution. This makes for multiple candidates, all of whom are capable performers in their target price brackets while catering to different end-user requirements.
The team at Game ZXC has compiled an updated list of some of the best GPUs one can pair with the Intel Core i9 14900K for a variety of performance tiers below:
The Best GPUs for The Intel Core i9 14900K
ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4080 SUPER OC
A TUF Value Offering
The ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4080 SUPER OC is an excellent aftermarket take on the RTX 4080 SUPER, offering a higher boost clock than the stock option even as it clocks in an additional $100 on MSRP. It offers excellent reliability, power delivery, and one of the best aftermarket coolers one can get for Nvidia's higher-end RTX 4000 series GPUs.
- Brand
- ASUS
- Cooling Method
- Tri-Fan Air-Cooled
- Memory
- 16GB GDDR6X 256-Bit
- Boost Speed
- 2610 MHz / 2640 MHz (OC)
- Interface
- PCI Express 4.0
- Power
- 320W TDP
- CUDA Cores
- 10240
- Can run most, if not all modern titles at 4K with ease
- Runs silent and cool even under peak load
- Offers considerably better value than the RTX 4080 it replaces
- Has 16GB of VRAM for more demanding workloads and games
- Larger than some of its competition, limiting its use to small cases
- Trades at a $100 premium over the MSRP of the GPU
The ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4080 SUPER OC is a beefed-up version of Nvidia's latest consumer-grade GPU released in 2024. ASUS's take involves adding a considerably beefy liquid cooler replete with a complete vapor chamber in tow. It comes factory overclocked, pushing a boost clock speed gain of approximately 90 MHz over the stock unit from Nvidia.
The TUF Gaming OC version of the RTX 4080 SUPER runs quieter, cooler, and faster out of the box to make up for the $100 premium it charges versus both the Founder's Edition (also known as RTX 4080 SUPER FE) and its non-OC TUF gaming SKU. It does, versus the FE, offer better durability, lower temperatures, and more silent operation out of the box.
However, it has a downside: It is larger than most competing products in its price range and power class, which limits its use in most small form factor cases and builds that will struggle to accommodate the larger GPU. Users might also want to find space to place the anti-sag bracket for a GPU this large, which might not be possible altogether in older or smaller cases that were not built to spec for what is one of the largest GPUs in terms of volume in the market currently.
As Nvidia's penultimate consumer-grade GPU that can handle content in 4K with ease thanks to the considerable amount of muscle it has on offer in addition to the 16GB of fast GDDR6X VRAM Nvidia bundles with it, the RTX 4080 SUPER is one of the best GPUs that one can pair with Intel's Core i9 14900K as it offers better pricing and slightly better performance compared to its predecessor. ASUS's factory overclocked offering merely ups the ante even further by offering a higher-end SKU of the same that delivers optimal performance, thermals, and tweaking potential to end users.
The Best Motherboards For The 14900K
These are some of the best motherboards you can pair with Intel's fastest consumer-grade CPU.
XFX Speedster MERC319 RX 7800 XT Black
Mid-Range RDNA3 Performer
The XFX Speedster MERC319 RX 7800 XT Black is a mid-tier offering in the Radeon 7000 series of graphics cards. It features a base clock speed of 1624 MHz and a boost clock speed of 2565 MHz. It has 16GB of VRAM on a 256-bit memory bus with speeds up to 19.5 Gbps.
Targeting 1440p gaming, the XFX Speedster MERC319 RX 7800 XT Black has a triple-fan cooler design and AMD recommends at least a 700W PSU with this card.
- Brand
- XFX
- Base Clock Speed
- 1624
- Boost Clock Speed
- 2565
- Cooling
- Triple fan vapor chamber
- Graphics RAM Size
- 16GB
- Architecture
- Navi 32
- Ray Accelerators/Cores
- 60
- Stream Processors
- 3840
- Memory Bus
- 256
- Memory Bandwidth
- up to 19.5 Gbps
- Offers excellent value for money relative to most current-generation options
- Has significantly more VRAM than all of its immediate competition
- Offers a much better vapor chamber-cooled take on the stock RX 7800XT
- Boosts higher than most of its peers
- Has weaker Ray Tracing performance vs Nvidia's competing GPUs
For users looking for a more price-conscious pick in 2024, the XFX Speedster MERC319 RX 7800 XT Black is an excellent mid-range GPU that matches the RTX 4080's VRAM offerings in addition to delivering some of the best value for money for a current generation GPU. It is based on AMD's new RDNA3-based Navi III architecture which offers greater efficiency, and much better Ray Tracing performance than its predecessor while building on the RX 6000 series' penchant for value-centric performance.
It offers a significantly higher amount of VRAM (16GB) than its direct competition from Nvidia (RTX 4070 and RTX 4070 SUPER) while delivering arguably better performance in rasterization across multiple titles. It does, however, much like other AMD GPUs, not extend this advantage to Ray Tracing. While the RX 7000 series is a marked improvement over its predecessors, it still lags considerably versus Nvidia's offerings in Ray Tracing to date.
All in all, the RX 7800XT is an excellent GPU for get for gaming and/or productivity use cases with the Intel Core i9 14900K, offering well-rounded performance, plenty of VRAM, and a newer, more efficient architecture that is only starting to scratch at the surface of what is possible with newer FSR3-enabled games in 2024.
With a small $20 price cut versus its previous price point, the XFX Speedster MERC319 RX 7800 XT Black continues to hold its position as a great recommendation for users looking for a performant but budget alternative to most of its sub-$1000 competitors even as it offers plenty of advantages versus both, the stock 7800XT as well as it competition.
MSI GeForce RTX™ 4060 VENTUS 2X BLACK 8G OC
Low Profile Budget Gamer
The MSI GeForce RTX 4060 VENTUS 2X BLACK 8G OC is an excellent GPU offering as far as RTX 4060 offerings go. It offers an excellent, balanced take on Nvidia's entry-level Ada Lovelace-based RTX 4000 series, offering low power consumption, a compact design, and a single 8-pin power connector to handle its power needs, making it a silent performer that delivers on its promise.
- Brand
- MSI
- Cooling Method
- Dual Fan Air-Cooled
- GPU Speed
- 1830Mhz
- Interface
- PCI-Express 4.0
- Memory
- 8GB GDDR6
- Power
- 115 W
- Boost Speed
- MSI Center Clocks: 2505 MHz, Boost Clocks: 2490 MHz
- CUDA Cores
- 3072 Cores
- Offers a decent overclock out of the box
- Comes in a relatively compact, low-profile form factor
- Readily available at MSRP at most retailers
- Offers significant gains thanks to DLSS 3/3.5 in play
- Offers less VRAM on offer than the RTX 3060
- Has no performance gains versus the RTX 3060 in titles that do not implement DLSS
Not all users require immense amounts of power for their workloads or games, with the latter often being a secondary function for power uses. The MSI GeForce RTX™ 4060 VENTUS 2X BLACK 8G OC covers users with decent Ada Lovelace-based performance under the hood and comes in at just $300 while offering all the DLSS 3.5 benefits that its more expensive siblings do.
It also benefits from being readily available versus the RTX 4080 SUPER and 4090, which are sometimes trading at a premium due to shortages induced by an uptick in demand due to last year's China GPU ban affecting higher-end options by the US government. It makes for a decent entry-level upgrade to a DLSS 3-supporting GPU that can game to a certain degree while not having the same limited throughput of the UHD 770 chip onboard the 14900K.
It does make some compromises to get there, however. The RTX 4060 offers no notable performance gains over the RTX 3060 when DLSS is taken out of the equation and does trade downwards on memory, offering only 8GB of VRAM versus the RTX 3060's 12GB on offer.
Despite this, MSI's RTX 4060 Ventus 2X Black OC offers a higher-clocked RTX 4060 SKU with all the DLSS 3/3.5 goodies and performance on offer even as it offers the same MSRP as Nvidia's stock option making it a better option versus most of its peers.
Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER
Aesthetic-Focused Ada Lovelace Play
The Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a stock-clocked alternative to the Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti Super Founder's Edition that offers RGB lighting, better thermals, and a die-cast metal backplate in tow.
It also features an Idle fan stop, which is built into its fan curve as well as an increased amount of customization thanks to it featuring 5 zones of RGB lighting and a slight power limit increase in tow at MSRP.
- Brand
- Zotac
- Cooling Method
- Tri-Fan Air Cooled
- GPU Speed
- 2340 MHz
- Interface
- PCI Express 4.0
- Memory
- 16GB GDDR6X
- Power
- 285 W
- Boost Speed
- 2610 MHz
- CUDA Cores
- 8448
- Trades slightly below MSRP for an RTX 4070 Ti SUPER
- Better price-to-performance ratio than its predecessor
- Offers excellent RGB lighting out of the box
- Comes with a free ARGB GPU support stand
- Has plenty of VRAM (16 GB) on offer
- Runs at the same clock speeds as the stock FE option
For users needing a more mid-range option to pair with their Intel Core i9 14900K CPU, the Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER delivers excellent value for money as it ups the ante on both performance and adds another 4GB of VRAM versus the outgoing RTX 4070 Ti. Zotac's offering delivers a decent tri-fan air cooler and plenty of RGB lighting in addition to an RGB-lit sag holder, making it a welcome consideration for most aesthetic-first consumers in 2024.
It also trades marginally cheaper ($10-20) versus the MSRP of the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER FE from Nvidia itself as it presents what is arguably the best value-added RTX 4000 SUPER series GPU on the market given that it checks so many boxes at the same time. The primary ones are its ability to handle 4K gaming with ease, support for DLSS 3/3.5 that older and competing GPUs lack, and plenty of VRAM on offer to tackle all but the most demanding of game presets with ease.
It does, however, run at the same clocks as the FE, something that users might not be too keen to consider, especially when the competition has OC models in the same price range sans the RGB extras. For most users, however, the Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a hard-to-beat product and one that pairs exceptionally well with the Intel Core i9 14900K from the get go.
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition
The ROG Emperor
The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition may be one of its largest GPUs ever, but the patented design supports the most potent overclocking potential out of its peers.
With a vapor chamber in tow, the ROG Strix comes in both black and white and does not disappoint in either looks or power. It is easily the most powerful 4090 out there, clocking at a stable 3120 MHz in Game ZXC's in-house testing.
- Brand
- Asus
- Cooling Method
- Air-Cooled w/Vapor Chamber
- GPU Speed
- 2640 Mhz
- Interface
- PCI-E 4.0
- Memory
- 24 GB GDDR6X
- Power
- 600W
- Boost Speed
- 2640 Mhz
- CUDA Cores
- 16384
- The most powerful consumer-grade RTX 4090 SKU on offer
- Has the best cooling mechanism of all vapor chamber-based RTX 4090s
- Has plenty of overclocking headroom
- Comes with 24GB of VRAM to support high resolutions and demanding render workloads
- Trades at a significant premium compared to other RTX 4090 models
- Difficult to track down at MSRP due to scalping
The ASUS ROG Strix lineup is synonymous with the highest tier of ASUS products for gamers and professionals alike. The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition, however, happens to be one of the fastest RTX 4090 models on offer that also can at times be elusive to find. While the Strix OC is notorious for being scalped and out of stock periodically, this is primarily due to the card's reputation for being a cut above most RTX 4090 units it compares with directly.
The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC offers the highest clocks for a consumer-grade GPU in the sub $2k bracket, a very well-engineered vapor chamber to keep temperatures in check, and an aesthetic that is either hit or miss for most end users. As the SKU to beat for most of its competitors, it also happens to be the best performance-grade RTX 4090 on offer with most retailers.
ASUS does have a higher-end RTX 4090 variant meant for enthusiast overclockers known as the RTX 4090 Matrix. It does however cost an extra $1200, while not offering comparable performance, and is perpetually out of stock as an incredibly limited-release product.
While the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition does trade at a premium, 3rd party price gouging on the units has somewhat dialed down as supplies have normalized allowing users to pick it up for just $2000 at certain retailers. This makes it a compelling buy for users who simply must have the highest-end possible consumer-grade GPU where it is the de facto leader or as close as possible to the pinnacle without paying through the nose for a limited-release enthusiast-grade alternative as listed above.
For users needing a white-themed SKU to match their build, ASUS has them covered with a white edition of the same that also comes with an extra goodie: An exclusive ROG-themed ring. Users can also read Game ZXC's in-depth, gamer-focused review of the ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC to make a more informed decision.
If users are looking for a similar VRAM option to the RTX 4090 above and equivalent horsepower to an RTX 4080/RTX 4080 SUPER under the hood, AMD has players covered with the RX 7900XTX, which flexes its RDNA 3 muscle thanks to FSR3, strong rasterization performance, and its GDDR6X memory offerings.
The Sapphire AMD Radeon NITRO+ RX 7900 XTX Vapor-X offers an upgrade to what AMD is already promising with better cooling, higher and more consistent boost clocks, and build quality that surpasses any other AMD RX 7900XTX-based GPU to date. It remains the fastest AMD card on offer to date and pairs exceptionally well with the Intel Core i9 14900K and the Core i9 14900KF and exhibits value for money that is hard to beat for most of its similarly-priced competition from both, other AMD AIB partners and Nvidia's current batch of GPUs trading at the sub-$1000 price mark.
While it does offer a sizable VRAM upgrade at 24GB as it positions itself between the 12GB RTX 4070 Ti and the 16GB RTX 4080 (and the newer SUPER) in terms of pricing, it does have somewhat middling Ray Tracing performance in most titles, with the 16GB RTX 4080 SUPER beating it handily in RT intensive game benchmarks. But if raw power is a concern for users, the RX 7900XTX meets and exceeds expectations, making it a potent marriage of Team Blue and Red based on raw processing power alone, even if it can't hold a candle to the high-end RTX 4090 currently.
While the RX 7900 XTX has seen price cuts across the board for multiple SKUs, Sapphire's high-end SKU has seen prices relatively stagnate. There could be a good reason for this: The Sapphire AMD Radeon NITRO+ RX 7900 XTX Vapor-X is arguably the best consumer-grade AMD GPU money can buy and given its positioning, attempts to command a premium that few other SKUs can currently do in a market where the RTX 4080 SUPER continues to upset the apple cart with a sub-$200 price cut versus its predecessor.
RTX 4080 vs RTX 4090 - Which Should You Buy?
Nvidia's Flagship RTX 4090 and its lower-end sibling, the RTX 4080 have captured the high end GPU market with relative ease but how do they compare?
FAQ
Q: What Is The Fastest GPU I Can Pair With The Intel Core i9 14900k?
The fastest GPU users can pair with the Intel Core i9 14900K is the RTX 4090. The ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC happens to be the fastest RTX 4090 available for purchase currently at multiple retailers.
Q: Do I Need A GPU With The Intel Core i9 14900K?
While the Intel Core i9 14900K does have an iGPU unlike its GPU-less 14900KF sibling, it is limited to basic DX12 support and very limited performance. If users intend to use it for any gaming or professional-grade work that requires a GPU, a discrete graphics card is more or less a necessary for users aiming to get the most out Intel's fastest CPU to date.