Intel lists the Core i9-14900K at 125 W Processor Base Power (PBP) and 253 W Maximum Turbo Power (MTP). Those are two different specifications, not a reading of constant power draw: test results vary with workload, settings and where power is measured. Intel’s specifications give the rated figures; independent reviews put them in the context of actual workloads.
What Intel’s 125 W and 253 W ratings mean
PBP and MTP are the two power values Intel lists for the processor. The 125 W figure is Processor Base Power; the 253 W figure is Maximum Turbo Power. Neither should be read as the amount the CPU draws at every moment.
That distinction matters when you compare a specification with a benchmark. A review’s number describes a particular test and measurement point, while Intel’s page gives the processor’s listed ratings.
How review measurements differ
Gamers Nexus measured 287 W at the EPS12V cables during an all-core Blender workload. Its reading includes power used by the CPU and voltage-regulator-module (VRM) efficiency losses. TechPowerUp reported 282 W in its stock test with both PL1 and PL2 configured to 253 W. Those readings come from different measurement methods and boundaries, so they are not interchangeable. Neither figure is a whole-PC reading from the wall. (Gamers Nexus; TechPowerUp)
| Specification or test | Power | Workload and measurement point |
| Intel PBP | 125 W | Manufacturer-listed Processor Base Power. Intel |
| Intel MTP | 253 W | Manufacturer-listed Maximum Turbo Power. Intel |
| Gamers Nexus | 287 W | All-core Blender; measured at EPS12V cables, including CPU and VRM efficiency losses. Gamers Nexus |
| TechPowerUp, stock configured-limit test | 282 W | PL1 and PL2 set to 253 W; measured draw in TechPowerUp’s test. TechPowerUp |
| TechPowerUp, stock gaming test | 144 W | Gaming workload in TechPowerUp’s test. TechPowerUp |
| TechPowerUp, gaming at a 125 W limit | 106 W | Measured gaming draw with the configured limit set to 125 W. TechPowerUp |
Gamers Nexus’s thermal test used an ASUS Z790 Dark Hero motherboard and an Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 mm cooler. In a 21°C room, the review reported CPU-core temperatures in the 70s Celsius during all-core Blender. That result belongs to its stated test setup. (Gamers Nexus)
What changed with a 125 W power limit
TechPowerUp tested the Core i9-14900K with PL1 and PL2 set to 125 W. Across its non-gaming applications, the processor averaged 92% of stock performance. In its gaming tests, performance was 2.5% lower at 720p and 1.4% lower at 1440p, on average; at 4K, it was within 1% of stock.
The same review measured 106 W during gaming at the 125 W setting, compared with 144 W in its stock gaming test. These results describe TechPowerUp’s test suite, not every game or system.
| Test category | Result versus stock | Test scope |
| Non-gaming applications | 92% of stock performance on average | TechPowerUp’s application tests at a 125 W PL1/PL2 setting. TechPowerUp |
| Gaming at 720p | 2.5% slower on average | TechPowerUp’s gaming tests at a 125 W setting. TechPowerUp |
| Gaming at 1440p | 1.4% slower on average | TechPowerUp’s gaming tests at a 125 W setting. TechPowerUp |
| Gaming at 4K | Within 1% of stock | TechPowerUp’s gaming tests at a 125 W setting. TechPowerUp |
The results point to a workload-dependent trade-off: TechPowerUp saw a larger performance difference across its non-gaming applications than in its gaming averages, especially at 4K. The 125 W setting also drew less power in its gaming test than the stock configuration.
What CPU power ratings tell you about a PSU
The 125 W PBP and 253 W MTP describe the processor, not the power demand of a complete PC. The graphics card and other components also contribute to system power, so CPU ratings alone do not determine a PSU wattage for every build.
