Just like before, Intel's 14th generation Core processors have also introduced a special "Little Black Box" series tailored for the mainland Chinese market, featuring the "14X90F" processors, namely the Core i5 14490F and Core i7 14790F. Now, let's take a look at the performance of the Core i7 14790F, designed for mid to high-end gamers.
Inheriting the i9 lineage, with a 36MB L3 cache design
In terms of frequency, the performance core maximum turbo frequency of the Core i7 14790F is 200MHz lower than the Core i7 14700KF, with a full core frequency of 5.3GHz, also 200MHz lower than the i7 14700KF. The major change in this generation of the Core i7 14700KF is the addition of 4 more efficiency cores, totaling 12 efficiency cores. On the other hand, the Core i7 14790F, also part of the Core i7 series, differs as it shares the same configuration as the previous Core i7 13700K, with 8 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores. Due to slightly lower frequency and core configuration, the i7 14790F is weaker in multi-threaded performance compared to the i7 14700KF.
However, the Core i7 14790F boasts up to 36MB of Intel Smart Cache, 6MB more than the previous i7 13700K and 3MB more than the i7 14700KF. In fact, its third-level cache configuration is the same as the flagship Core i9 14900K of this generation. With a larger third-level cache contributing to improved gaming performance, the actual gaming performance of the i7 14790F may not necessarily be weaker than the i7 14700KF, which we will also test.
In terms of power consumption, the Core i7 14790F has a PL1 of 125W and PL2 of 219W, slightly lower than the Core i7 14700KF. In memory support, the Core i7 14790F natively supports DDR4 3200MT/s and DDR5 5600MT/s, and players can also utilize higher frequency memory through XMP.
As part of the "Little Black Box" series, the Core i7 14790F also features the consistent black box packaging design, distinguishable at a glance from the typical blue box packaging. Additionally, this processor does not come with a heatsink.
Motherboard pairing, the Core i7 14790F, like all Intel Core 14th generation processors, continues to use the 700 series motherboards. The earlier 600 series motherboards can also support this processor after upgrading the BIOS and ME. Since it is a non-K series processor that does not support overclocking, from a cost-performance perspective, it is more cost-effective to use it with B760/B660 motherboards.
Test platform:
Processor: Intel Core i7 14790F
Motherboard: ROG STRIX Z790-F GAMING WIFI II
Memory: DDR5 6800 16GB×2
Graphics card: NVIDIA RTX 4090FE
Hard drive: 4TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Cooler: ROG RYUJIN Dragon God 3rd Gen 360 ARGB
Power supply: ROG Thor 2nd Gen 1200W
Operating system: Windows 11 Professional 23H2
The Intel Core i7 14790F is a B0 stepping processor that supports memory SA voltage adjustment.
In our comparison tests, we used the ROG STRIX Z790-F GAMING WIFI II motherboard, which is a mainstream-priced Z790 motherboard with a distinctively stylish gaming brand. In terms of power delivery, the product features a 16+1+2 power phase design, with each phase capable of delivering 90A of current to both the core and GT power sections. It is equipped with dual PROCOOL II high-intensity power connectors to ensure ample current supply to the processor, enabling stable operation at high frequencies and laying a solid foundation for overclocking. Combined with AI intelligent overclocking functionality, achieving stable overclocking close to the processor's limits is easily achievable.
The ROG STRIX Z790-F GAMING WIFI II stands out for its excellent craftsmanship and materials among mainstream-priced Z790 motherboards.
In terms of DDR5 memory support, the ROG STRIX Z790-F GAMING WIFI II motherboard not only features improved signal channels but also incorporates the new DIMM Flex technology. This technology utilizes dedicated circuits to monitor the temperature of the memory, thereby adjusting the memory frequency in different states to achieve optimal memory performance.
The ROG STRIX Z790-F GAMING WIFI II motherboard features the latest generation of esports connectivity technology, with the wireless card upgraded to WiFi 7. With MLO multi-link technology, it can achieve faster speeds, higher reliability, and greater data transmission efficiency compared to WiFi 6E.
There is still a noticeable performance gap compared to the 14700KF processor.
The single-core score of the Core i7 14790F, as seen from the CPU-Z test, reaches 883 points, which is about 3% lower compared to the Core i7 14700KF with a 200MHz higher frequency, showing a relatively small difference. In the multi-core aspect, the Core i7 14790F achieves a score of 12713 points, around 15% lower than the Core i7 14700KF due to the absence of 4 efficiency cores.
Cinebench R23 and Cinebench 2024 effectively reflect a processor's multi-threaded performance during 3D rendering output. The Core i7 14790F shows a roughly 3% lower single-thread performance compared to the Core i7 14700KF in R23, and about 5% lower in Cinebench 2024. In terms of multi-threading, the Core i7 14790F lags behind the Core i7 14700KF by approximately 15% in R23 and 14% in 2024.
In the 3DMark CPU Profile test focusing on gaming performance, the Core i7 14790F exhibits a 4% difference in single-thread performance and a 15% difference in maximum thread performance compared to the Core i7 14700KF.
The WebXPRT4 web browsing performance test primarily evaluates a processor's single-core performance. In this test, the Core i7 14790F shows a difference of around 2% compared to the Core i7 14700KF.
Productivity benchmark tests assess a processor's multi-threaded performance. In the V-Ray Benchmark, the Core i7 14790F displays a 16% difference compared to the Core i7 14700KF, while in the CORONA Benchmark, the rendering time of the Core i7 14700KF is 16% less than that of the Core i7 14790F. In Blender 4.0 Benchmark's three scenarios, the Core i7 14790F shows a difference of around 14% compared to the Core i7 14700KF. Overall, the productivity test results align with the CPU multi-thread benchmark performance differences.
CrossMark simulates real-world scenarios like document editing, video editing, image processing, and file response for benchmark testing. The total score of the Core i7 14790F is approximately 3% lower than that of the Core i7 14700KF in this test.
In summary, the Core i7 14790F shows a minor single-thread performance difference of only about 3% compared to the Core i7 14700KF. However, due to the absence of 4 efficiency cores and a lower frequency, the multi-thread performance gap widens to around 15% compared to the Core i7 14700KF, showing a relatively close difference in specifications.
In gaming performance tests, both the i7 14790F and i7 14700KF have their strengths and weaknesses.
As a mid to high-end processor, gamers are surely concerned about its gaming performance. This time, we tested a total of 18 mainstream games, including esports games, online games, and various AAA titles. From the test results, the performance of the Intel Core i7 14790F and the Intel Core i7 14700KF in games is evenly matched. The Intel Core i7 14700KF performs slightly better in frequency-sensitive games, while the Intel Core i7 14790F excels in cache-sensitive games. Even though the Intel Core i7 14790F may have slightly lower frame rates compared to the Intel Core i7 14700KF in some games, the difference is only around 2%, and there is no significant difference in the gaming experience. In fact, when averaging the frame rate comparisons of these games, the average difference between the Intel Core i7 14790F and the Intel Core i7 14700KF is less than 1%, indicating a similar gaming performance.
Temperature and power consumption tests suggest that lowering the voltage is more appropriate.
By default, the power consumption and temperature performance of the Intel Core i7 14790F are relatively high.
The default power limits for the Core i7 14790F are 125W for PL1 and 219W for PL2. For most desktop users, unlocking the power limits is common practice to unleash higher performance. After unlocking the power limits in the motherboard BIOS, and conducting a 10-minute stress test using CineBench R23 at 28°C room temperature, the power consumption of the Core i7 14790F was around 290W. The performance core all-core frequency reached 5.3GHz, while the efficiency core all-core frequency was at 4.2GHz. The package temperature was around 96°C, which is relatively high.
With the latest motherboard BIOS update, it is possible to update the CPU microcode to version 0x123, allowing the disabling of certain features like CEP on some 14th generation Intel Core processors. This feature enables users to adjust the voltage of the Core i7 14790F, potentially leading to lower temperatures without sacrificing performance.
Turning off CEP and lowering the voltage by 0.05V can result in lower temperatures and power consumption with minimal impact on performance.
By disabling the CEP feature in the BIOS and selecting an offset of -0.05V in the Actual VRM Core Voltage option, the power consumption during stress testing decreased from around 290W to about 206W, while the temperature dropped significantly to around 73°C. Despite these changes, the performance in stress tests remained stable. This voltage reduction seems to have no adverse effects on performance but significantly improves full-load temperatures, making it more favorable for the upcoming summer season.
In practical use, for gamers, the processor load is typically not very high, and even without voltage adjustments, temperatures during gaming usually stay below 70°C, which is acceptable.
It's worth noting that the Core i7-14790F processors are likely of the B0 stepping, allowing for SA voltage adjustments. This is good news for players looking to overclock their memory.
In summary, the Core i7-14790F is a good choice for mid to high-end gaming setups that prefer stability without tinkering. It's recommended to wait for price drops before making a purchase.
As a new generation of processors, the Core i7-14790F inherits the 36MB large L3 cache previously seen in the Core i9 series, offering gaming performance comparable to the more expensive Core i7-14700K/KF. For gamers who don't overclock, pairing it with a relatively affordable B760/B660 motherboard is a simpler and more cost-effective option. Additionally, turning off CEP can further improve temperature and power consumption performance.
However, it's important to note that compared to the Core i7-14700K/KF, the Core i7-14790F lacks 4 efficiency cores, resulting in a performance gap in multi-core tasks. While pairing it with a B-series motherboard reduces the overall cost, waiting for promotional offers to take advantage of price advantages when purchasing the processor individually is also a viable strategy.
