Intel has unveiled its complete lineup of 14th generation mobile and desktop processors, headlined by the latest HX-series chips that will power some of the most powerful gaming laptops set to hit the market in 2024.

The new lineup comes a year after Intel first debuted its 13th gen Raptor Lake architecture for mobile at CES 2023. While easy to confuse with the recently announced Intel Core Ultra processors designed for thin and light laptops, these new 14th gen HX variants are very much performance-focused successors.

Leading the pack is the flagship Intel Core i9-14900HX, destined for the most demanding gaming notebooks. It packs a total of 24 cores consisting of 8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores, which can hit turbo clock speeds over 5.8GHz. The chip also enables up to 192GB of cutting-edge DDR5-5600 memory, Wi-Fi 7, Thunderbolt 5, and more bandwidth for connecting high-speed accessories and external graphics.

Similar to the 14th gen desktop family, Intel has also increased the core count of the Core i7 mobile model. The Core i7-14700HX now wields 20 total cores comprised of 8 performance and 12 efficiency cores. That’s four more efficient cores than its 13th gen predecessor, which should translate to better multi-threaded throughput and higher frame rates while gaming.

For competitive benchmarking, Intel compared performance between the Core i9-14900HX and AMD’s recent Ryzen 9 7945HX. The latter features AMD’s updated 3D V-Cache technology, making it an intriguing matchup. At 1080p resolution, Intel claims faster speeds across most games tested, except Horizon Zero Dawn, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2.

However, Intel did not provide any direct generational testing between the 14th gen and 13th gen HX models. Intel’s 14th gen desktop family found the performance uplift rather modest — still trailing behind AMD’s latest Ryzen offerings in areas like power efficiency. We’ll be eager to validate whether these new mobile chips can push gaming laptop performance forward more substantially once independent benchmarks are available.

Alongside the new laptop chips, Intel also took the wraps off of the 14th gen mainstream desktop processor led by the $549 Core i9-14900. Topped out at 24 total cores (8 performance/16 efficiency) and 219 watts power limit, these 65-watt chips slot in under the more enthusiast-class K-series aimed at extreme overclocking.

The flagship Core i7-14700 similarly sees a core increase to 20 total (8 performance/12 efficiency). And like their laptop counterparts, the highest-end 65W desktop chips add compatibility for fast DDR5-5600 memory up to 192GB in size, while retaining backward support for existing 600 and 700-series motherboards after a firmware update.

The breadth of Intel’s new 14th gen silicon underscores its commitment to delivering meaningful performance and platform advancements across both mobile and desktop form factors as we progress through 2024 and beyond.