CPU
INTEL CORE i9-14900K
Intel’s Core i9-14900K might be one of the hottest chips around (seriously, we’ve not actually seen this thing not run at 100C under full load), but it’s one of the fastest. With eight performance cores, 16 threads, 16 efficient cores, and 36MB of smart-cache, this insane little number will quite happily crank itself up to 6 GHz, depending on workloads, and rip-roar through any task you throw at it.
It unequivocally dominates the gaming scene right now, and although it isn’t exactly the best value option out there, if you’re after the ultimate performance on a mainstream platform, then the 14900K is the chip to beat. $540, www.intel.com
Motherboard
NZXT N7 Z790X
It might be on the ‘cheaper’ end of the Z790 spectrum, but this motherboard hits the right notes. With support for Intel 14th and 13th gen
