The Intel Core i3-14100 is the objective winner of this comparison, securing victory in ten out of fourteen measured specifications. Its most significant technical advantage over the Intel Core i5-8600K is its L2 cache, which is 233% larger. This substantial improvement in cache capacity provides the primary performance edge for the newer processor, allowing it to outperform the older model across the majority of the evaluated hardware metrics.

Users prioritizing modern architecture and the efficiency of a larger L2 cache should select the Intel Core i3-14100 for their build. Conversely, the Intel Core i5-8600K remains the appropriate choice for those who specifically require a higher total core count, as it maintains a 50% advantage in that category. Choosing between these two components depends entirely on whether your specific workload benefits more from the superior cache architecture or the increased number of physical cores.