Intel Core i9-8950HK vs Intel Core i5-14401TE vs Intel Core i9-13900K

Intel Core i9-8950HK

The Intel Core i9-8950HK is a high-end processor for laptops with six cores based on the Coffee Lake architecture and was announced early 2018. The processor clocks at between 2.9- 4.8 GHz (4.3 GHz with 6 cores) and can execute up to twelve threads simultaneously thanks to Hyper-Threading. The 4.8 GHz can only be reached using the "Thermal Velocity Boost" which allows one core to boost to 4.8 GHz (+200 MHz) as long as the CPU temperature is below 50°C. Multiple cores can be boosted +100 MHz below 50°C.

According to Intel, the CPU is manufactured in an improved 14nm (14nm++) process. The i9-8950HK is the fastest model of the Coffee-Lake-H series at the time of announcement and offers an unlocked multiplier for overclocking of the CPU.

The Coffee Lake architecture is similar to Kaby Lake and differs only in the amount of cores (now six cores for the high end versions) and the improved 14nm process (14nm++ according to Intel).

Performance

Due to the two additional cores, performance has increased by almost 50% compared to a similar clocked Kaby Lake processor.

Graphics

The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 iGPU is supposed to offer a slightly higher performance as its clock rate has been increased by 50 MHz. The architecture is identical to that of the Intel HD Graphics 630. We do expect a performance improvement, but as a low-end solution it will probably only display current games smoothly at reduced details - if at all.

Power Consumption

Intel specifies the TDP with 45 watts and therefore the i9 is only suited for big laptops with good cooling solutions.

Intel Core i5-14401TE

The Intel Core i5-14401TE is a peculiar Raptor Lake family desktop processor (SoC) that has 6 performance cores but 0 efficient cores. It's the lack of E-cores that makes 14X01 chips special.

The product has decently sized level 2 and 3 caches at 12 MB and 24 MB, respectively. Its CPU cores run at up to 4.5 GHz. The UHD 730 serves as the integrated graphics solution. There is no 'proper' NPU here.

The i5 chip is manufactured using the Intel 7 process which is fairly old, as of mid 2025. Its base TDP sits at 45 W by default meaning at least one fan is required to keep it cool.

Performance

While we have not tested a single 14X01 processor as of May 2025, we do know that a single 4.6 GHz Raptor Cove core, like that of an i5-13450HX is good for 102 Cinebench 2024 points and 246 Cinebench R15 points. (The 14401TE is limited to 4.5 GHz, to remind you.) If we multiply the values by 6, we get a reasonably fair projection that sees the 14401TE going neck-and-neck with newer but not particularly powerful chips like Intel's Ultra 5 228V (Lunar Lake product family) as well as older chips of the more powerful kind, like AMD's Ryzen 7 5800H (Cezanne family, Zen 3 architecture). While not particularly impressive, this is most certainly sufficient for any tasks and applications one could run in 2025, top games included.

Intel Core i9-13900K

The Intel Core i9-13900K is a fast high-end desktop processor of the Raptor Lake series. It includes a hybrid architecture for the CPU cores with combined 24 cores and 32 threads. Eight fast Raptor Cove performance cores (P-cores) with HyperThreading and a clock speed of 3 - 5.8 GHz and sixteen Gracemont efficiency cores without HyperThreading and a clock speed of 2.2 - 4.3 GHz.

Thanks to the faster P-cores and more E-cores, the i9-13900K is significantly faster than the old i9-12900K (especially in multi-threaded workloads). Compared to the Raphael AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (Zen 4), the 13900K offers a slightly higher multi-thread-performance and a slightly lower single core performance. In games, the Intel CPU is currently the clear winner (at the time of announcement of the 7950X).

The 13900K is rated at 125 Watt TDP base power (PL1) and 253 Watt Turbo Power (PL2) and therefore slightly higher than the old i9-12900K.