Which should you buy?
Buy the Core i7-14700K if you want the faster gaming CPU: it's 5% ahead at 1080p with a high-end card. The Core i7-13700K makes sense if it costs at least 5% less, or if you pair it with a mid-range GPU that hides the difference. Already own the Core i7-13700K? Going to the Core i7-14700K gains 5% at 1080p, which is too small to justify replacing it. It drops into the same motherboard.
Buy the Core i7-14700K if…
- you play at high refresh rates: 5% more FPS at 1080p with a fast GPU.
- you care about smoothness: 1% lows of 110 vs 105 FPS at 1080p.
- you play strategy, sims or MMOs: 87 vs 82 FPS in CPU-heavy games.
- you also stream, edit video or compile code: 20 cores / 28 threads vs 16 / 24.
Buy the Core i7-13700K if…
- it costs at least 5% less, or you game at 1440p and above where the gap shrinks.
- you pair it with a mid-range card: with an RTX 5070 at 1440p the two are level.
Check your build
These numbers use an RTX 5090 to isolate the processor. Your own graphics card, resolution and settings change the result, so run your exact parts through the calculator.
Popular builds with these CPUs
Core i7-14700K vs Core i7-13700K: quick answers
Is the Core i7-14700K better than the Core i7-13700K for gaming?
Yes. The Core i7-14700K is about 5% faster at 1080p with an RTX 5090 and 5% faster at 1440p. The gap is smaller with a mid-range graphics card, which becomes the limit first.
How many FPS do the Core i7-14700K and Core i7-13700K get?
Paired with an RTX 5090 at High settings, the Core i7-14700K averages about 158 FPS at 1080p and 155 at 1440p in AAA games, and 411 FPS in esports titles. The Core i7-13700K averages 150, 148 and 390 FPS.
Which graphics card should I pair with the Core i7-14700K or Core i7-13700K?
For a CPU bottleneck under 10% at 1440p, the Core i7-14700K keeps up with cards up to the RTX 4090 and the Core i7-13700K keeps up with cards up to the RTX 4090. Any slower card is a safe match. At 4K both CPUs can drive faster GPUs, and at 1080p they need slower ones.