The Intel Core i3-14100 is the objective winner of this comparison, securing victories in ten out of fourteen measured specifications. Its most significant technical advantage is its L2 cache, which is 233% larger than that of the alternative. This substantial improvement in cache capacity provides the primary performance edge for the newer architecture, allowing it to outperform the Intel Core i5-9600K across the majority of the evaluated metrics.

Users prioritizing modern efficiency and the benefits of a significantly larger L2 cache should choose the Intel Core i3-14100. Conversely, the Intel Core i5-9600K remains the appropriate selection for those whose specific workloads rely on a higher total core count, as it maintains a 50% advantage in that category. Selecting between these two processors depends entirely on whether your computing needs favor the superior cache architecture of the newer model or the increased core count of the older unit.