Yo! I totally get where ur coming from, building a high-end rig is sooo stressful but also like the best feeling ever once it’s done. In my experience, choosing between these two basically comes down to how much u wanna spend on cooling... cuz both are absolute beasts. So background info first: Intel uses this hybrid architecture where u have P-cores for the game and E-cores for background stuff like OBS. It matters because if u dont have enough E-cores, ur stream might stutter even if the game looks fine on ur end. Here's what I recommend after trying many setups over the years:
- Intel Core i9-14900K: This is the king with 24 cores (8P + 16E) and that 6.0GHz boost, which sounds insane right?? It’s great for peace of mind, but it’s LITERALLY a space heater. - Intel Core i7-14700K: This is actually the "smart" pick imo. It has 20 cores (8P + 12E) and honestly, at 4K ur mostly GPU bound anyway, so the CPU isn't working quite as hard for the frames. I recently built a setup with the i9 and ngl it was a struggle to keep cool. I had to grab a ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360 AIO just to stop it from thermal throttling during heavy multitasking. If u go i9, u basically HAVE to get a 360mm or 420mm liquid cooler... but yeah, for the smoothest experience possible, the i9 is technically better if u can tame it. Have u looked at what motherboard ur using yet?? That matters for the power delivery too! gl! 👍

Just sharing my experience: I went through this last year. I was so hyped for the Intel Core i9-14900K but honestly? I had issues with it right away. Basically, the power draw is MASSIVE—sometimes hitting 250W-300W—and that heat matters cuz I think it can *literally* hurt your hardware's long-term reliability if you arent careful. Im still learning the technical side, so seeing 100°C constantly was just too scary for me tbh... it was not as good as expected. So, I pivoted to a safer, more budget-friendly route:
1. I ended up swapping to the Intel Core i7-14700K which I got for about $390.
2. I used the $150+ I saved to buy a high-quality Seasonic Focus GX-850 power supply to ensure system safety.
3. My 4K streaming performance feels the same since the GPU does the heavy lifting... it's just way more stable i guess. Good luck! 👍

Saw this earlier but just now responding... honestly, I’ve been pretty disappointed with how hot these 14th gen chips run. They’re basically just 13th gen refreshes pushed to the absolute limit, which makes cooling them a total nightmare. If ur gaming at 4K while streaming, the Intel Core i9-14900K is technically the best because of those extra E-cores for OBS background tasks, but the Intel Core i7-14700K is actually the sweet spot. You get 20 cores anyway, and it's way easier to manage. I've had issues with the i9 thermal throttling even with a high-end AIO like the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360 that the first guy mentioned. You might find this useful - check out HWiNFO64 once u boot up. It’s the best tool to see if ur actually hitting thermal limits. Pro tip: you highkey need a Thermal Grizzly Intel 13th/14th Gen Contact Frame. The stock Intel bracket basically bends the CPU, and this frame helps the cooler make way better contact. It dropped my temps by like 6-8C. Also, check out Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU) to try a slight undervolt. It makes a massive difference in stability without losing FPS during those long streaming sessions. TL;DR: Grab the i7-14700K unless u really need the i9's extra cores for heavy editing. Either way, get a contact frame and monitor everything with HWiNFO64 to avoid frame drops from heat!! cheers

For your situation, I would suggest thinking about the total cost of ownership before jumping straight to the top-tier chip. Basically, Intel’s 14th gen chips are notorious for pulling massive amounts of power, which means they get HOT. Like, really hot... and that heat matters because it can lead to thermal throttling where the chip slows itself down just to survive, which is exactly what you don't want while streaming. Here is why the Intel Core i7-14700K makes more sense from a practical standpoint:
* 4K gaming relies way more on your GPU than your CPU. The extra performance from the Intel Core i9-14900K at that resolution is honestly negligible for the price jump.
* The i7 has 20 cores now (8P + 12E), which is more than enough for gaming and running OBS simultaneously without dropping frames.
* The money you save on the CPU (and the crazy cooling an i9 requires) can go toward a better GPU or faster storage. I mean, if you’re worried about thermals, I’d be careful with the stock BIOS settings because many boards overvolt these chips out of the box. I guess you might want to consider the Thermalright LGA1700-BCF Contact Frame—I know frames were mentioned, but this specific one is super cheap and helps keep the chip from bending in the socket. For a cooler that won't break the bank but handles the i7 well, maybe look at the DeepCool LS720 360mm Liquid Cooler. It’s a solid alternative if you want to avoid the super pricey brands. But yeah, unless you literally have an unlimited budget, the i7 is the smarter pick for a smooth 4K experience. good luck with the build! 👍