Intel Core i7-10870H vs Intel Core i7-10850H vs Intel Core i5-10200H

Intel Core i7-10870H

The Intel Core i7-10870H is a higher-end, octa-core processor of the Comet Lake product family. The Hyper-Threading-enabled processor was unveiled in 2020. It is designed for use in large gaming laptops and DTRs; its CPU cores run at 2.2 GHz (base clock speed) to 5 GHz (max. Boost frequency). The all-core Boost frequency sits at 4.2 GHz.

Core i7-10870H is slightly inferior to Core i7-10875H in that the former has a 100 MHz lower base clock speed, 100 MHz lower Boost clock speed and no support for Intel's proprietary security features: vPro, TXT, SIPP.

Last but not the least, this H-class processor features the 24 EU UHD Graphics 630 iGPU.

Architecture

Comet Lake is a yet another revision of the dated Skylake architecture (much like the previous Coffee Lake, Whiskey Lake, Kaby Lake product families) for similar feature set and performance-per-MHz figures.

Still, 10th Generation Core processors have their advantages. The upgraded memory controller is one such advantage; it can officially host memory clocked at 2,933 MHz, an upgrade over the 2,666 MHz limitation of the outgoing Coffee Lake product family. Intel recommends using no more than 128 GB, for reference.

The 10870H is manufactured on Intel's third-gen 14 nm process. The octa-core CPU is compatible with Thunderbolt 3; it has sixteen PCI-Express 3.0 lanes for connecting discrete graphics cards, SSDs and other devices. Four PCI-Express 3.0 lanes allow for read/write rates of up to 3.9 GB/s provided a suitably fast NVMe SSD is used.

Please note this isn't a user-replaceable CPU. It gets soldered permanently on to the motherboard (BGA1440 socket interface) and is thus pretty much impossible to replace.

Performance

The average 10870H in our database is close to the Ryzen 5 5600H and the Core i9-9980HK, as far as multi-thread banchmark scores are concerned. The i7 thus is absolutely capable of handling any task that requires significant processing muscle, as of late 2021.

Thanks to its decent cooling solution and a long-term CPU power limit of 95 W, the MSI GE76 Raider 10UH is among the fastest laptops featuring the 10870H that we know of. It can be about 30% faster in CPU-bound workloads than the slowest system built around the same chip in our database, as of August 2023.

Graphics

The Intel UHD Graphics 630 is an old acquaintance of ours; this 24 EU iGPU was used in many H-class Intel Core processors of previous years, like a Core i7-9750H.

In the case of 10870H, the UHD Graphics runs at 350 MHz to 1,200 MHz. It will let you use up to 3 displays simultaneously. The highest resolution supported here is 4K (4096 by 2304 pixels). This graphics adapter will happily hardware-decode VP9, AVC, HEVC, MPEG-2 and other popular video codecs; the latest AV1 codec did not make the list.

UHD Graphics 630 was not made for gaming; it is not fast enough to handle most triple-A titles of 2019 and 2020, even if you set the resolution to 1024 x 768 and select the lowest quality preset possible.

Power consumption

The i7-10870H has a 45 W TDP (also known as the long-term Power Limit). Laptop makers are allowed to reduce that value somewhat, the lower limit being 35 W, with clock speeds and performance taking a hit as a result. As far as short-term loads are concerned, the CPU will happily consume 70 or even 100 W when Boosting, making quality active cooling solution a must.

This 10th generation Intel chip is manufactured on one of the old 14 nm Intel processes for low, as of late 2022, energy efficiency.

Intel Core i7-10850H

The Intel Core i7-10850H is a high-end processor for laptops with six cores based on the Comet Lake architecture (CML-H, 4th generation of Skylake). The processor clocks at between 2.7 and 5.1 GHz (with Thermal Velocity Boost and Turbo Boost 3.0). Using only Turbo Boost 3.0 (when the temperatures don't allow the the Thermal Velocity Boost) a single core can reach 4.9 GHz. All six cores can reach 4.4 GHz. The processor is still manufactured on the old 14nm (14nm++) process. 

The Comet Lake architecture is similar to Coffee Lake and offers the same features and is produced on the same 14nm process. Other than the improved clock rates, the memory controller now also supports faster DDR4-2933 RAM. More information on Comet Lake and all the models and articles on it can be found here.

The Core i7-10850H supports the management features vPro, TXT and SIPP.

Performance

The average 10850H in our database proves to be a somewhat disappointing CPU, only matching the Core i5-10500H and the Ryzen 5 5500U in multi-thread performance. While the Core i7 will have no issue running any app or any game you can install in 2021, there are better options out there both in terms of sheer power and in terms of power efficiency.

Your mileage may vary depending on how high the CPU power limits are, and how competent the cooling solution of your system is.

Graphics

The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 iGPU is supposed to offer a similar performance as the UHD 630 in the Core i7-9750H. As a low-end solution it will only run current games smoothly at reduced details - if at all.

Power consumption

This Core i7 series chip has a default TDP, also known as the long-term power limit, of 45 W, a value that laptop makers are free to reduce somewhat (with 35 W being the minimum Intel-recommended value) resulting in lower clock speeds and lower performance. Either way, the CPU is way too power-hungry to be the heart of a passively cooled mini-PC, laptop, tablet.

The i7-10850H is manufactured on one of the old 14 nm Intel processes leading to subpar, as of early 2023, energy efficiency.

Intel Core i5-10200H

The Intel Core i5-10200H is a fast quad-core processor for laptops with four cores based on the Comet Lake-H series (4th generation of Skylake architecture). The processor clocks at between 2.4 and 4.1 GHz  and can execute up to eight threads simultaneously thanks to Hyper-Threading. According to Intel, the CPU is manufactured on 14nm (14nm++) process.

The Comet Lake architecture is similar to Coffee Lake and offers the same features and is produced in the same 14nm process. Other than the improved clock rates, the memory controller now also supports faster DDR4-2933 RAM. More information on Comet Lake and all the models and articles on it can be found here.

The Core i5-10200H supports no vPro, TXT or SIPP. These business features are available in the faster (and later released) Core i5-10400H (2.6 - 4.6 GHz).

Performance

The performance is only minimal better than the Core i5-9300H thanks to the support for faster DDR4-2933 RAM. This means, the CPU is well suited for demanding tasks, although the faster versions offer a significantly higher Turbo Boost clock speed for faster single core execution. 

Power consumption

This 10th gen Comet Lake processor has a default TDP (also known as the long-term power limit) of 45 W, a value that laptop manufacturers are allowed to reduce somewhat, 35 W being the lower limit. Doing so will result in lower clock speeds and lower performance. Either way, this CPU is too power-hungry to be used as the base of a passively cooled laptop.

Intel Core i5-10200H is built with an old, as of late 2022, 14 nm Intel process for subpar energy efficiency.