17/03/2026 12:10 am
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im finally upgrading my setup this weekend and i'm stuck on the cpu choice... i've been looking at the 14900k since everyone says its the top dog for high refresh rate stuff like cs2 and val but then i see benchmarks saying the 14700k is almost identical in games. i'm going to microcenter on saturday so i need to decide fast. i really care about those 1% lows because stutters kill me in competitive play but i also dont want to deal with the crazy power draw and heat of the i9 if the benefit is tiny. is the i9 actually worth the extra cash for a strictly gaming build or should i just stick with the i7?
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17/03/2026 12:10 am
Ive used both and tbh the Intel Core i7-14700K 20-Core LGA 1700 is the better value play. You get nearly identical performance in CS2 compared to the Intel Core i9-14900K 24-Core LGA 1700 but without the massive heat issues. The i9 is technically faster for 1% lows but the difference is barely noticeable unless youre a pro. Just grab the i7 and a decent cooler.
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17/03/2026 12:25 am
Im very satisfied with the Intel Core i7-14700K 20-Core LGA 1700. Savings from the i7 let me get faster memory instead. It works well and ive had zero complaints.
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17/03/2026 1:15 am
Can vouch for this
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17/03/2026 1:15 am
Saw this earlier but had to chime in. I went with the Intel Core i9-14900K 24-Core LGA 1700 and ngl, its been a headache with those stability bugs everyone is talking about lately. You might want to be careful and just grab the Intel Core i7-14700K 20-Core LGA 1700 instead. It runs cooler and saves you a ton of cash at Microcenter, specially with their bundle deals... Way safer bet for a reliable rig.
