Intel Core i7-8650U vs Intel Core i7-9750H vs Intel Core i9-9980HK
Intel Core i7-8650U
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The Intel Core i7-8650U is a power efficient quad-core SoC for notebooks and Ultrabooks based on the Kaby Lake Refresh generation and was announced in August 2017. Contrary to its direct predecessor the Core i7-7600U, which were still dual-cores, the i7-8650U is equipped with four cores but at a lower base frequency of 1.9 GHz. The Turbo Boost can go up to 4,2 GHz and therefore also offer good short term single core speeds. The GPU is now named Intel UHD Graphics 620 but otherwise identical to the Intel HD Graphics 620. The integrated memory controller supports DDR4-2400 / LPDDR3-2133 and dual channel memory.
Architecture
Intel basically uses the same micro architecture compared to Skylake, so the per-MHz performance does not differ. The manufacturer only reworked the Speed Shift technology for faster dynamic adjustments of voltages and clocks, and the improved 14nm process allows much higher frequencies combined with better efficiency than before.
Performance
According to Intel, the new quad core models are up to 40% faster than their dual core predecessors. Due to the reduced TDP and the same 14nm+ process, the long term performance and throttling behaviour will be interesting and depending on the laptop design. Therefore, the older 35 Watt quad-core models should be faster in applications that demand longer CPU loads. The performance however is highly depending on the TDP settings and cooling solution of the laptop. Especially, longer loads will show varying results in different laptops.
Graphics
The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 (Intel Gen 9.5) is untouched from the 8th Gen Kaby Lake chips. With fast dual-channel memory it can reach the performance of a dedicated GeForce 920M.
Contrary to Skylake, Kaby lake now also supports H.265/HEVC Main 10 with a 10-bit color depth as well as Google's VP9 codec. The dual-core Kaby Lake processors announced in January should also support HDCP 2.2.
Power Consumption
The chip is manufactured in an improved 14nm process with FinFET transistors (14nm+), the same as the 7th Gen Kaby Lake processors. Intel still specifies the TDP with 15 Watts, which is typical for ULV chips. Depending on the usage scenario, the TDP can vary between 7.5 (cTDP Down) and 25 Watts.
Intel Core i7-9750H
► remove from comparisonThe Intel Core i7-9750H is a high-end processor for laptops with six cores based on the Coffee Lake architecture (2019 refresh, CFL-HR). The processor clocks at between 2.6 and 4.5 GHz (4 GHz with 6 cores) and can execute up to twelve threads simultaneously thanks to Hyper-Threading. According to Intel, the CPU is manufactured in an improved 14nm (14nm++) process. Compared to the predecessor, the Core i7-8750H, the 9750H offers improved clock rates and a larger L3 cache.
The Coffee Lake architecture is similar to Kaby Lake and differs only in the amount of cores (now max. eight cores for the high end versions) and the improved 14nm process (14nm++ according to Intel).
Performance
Multi-thread performance is most comparable to the Intel Core i9-8950HK, an expensive hexa-core processor of the previous generation. While performance gains over the outgoing 8th Gen H-class chips are unimpressive to say the least, the average Core i7-9750H in our database is much faster than the Ryzen 7 3750H and other H-class Ryzen chips AMD sells as of mid 2019.
Thanks to its decent cooling solution and a long-term power limit of around 70 W, the Walmart EVOO Gaming 17 is among the fastest laptops powered by the 9750H that we know of. It can be 40% faster in CPU-bound workloads than the slowest system featuring the same chip in our database, as of August 2023.
Graphics
The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 is supposed to offer a slightly higher performance as its clock rate has been increased by 50 MHz compared to the UHD 630 of the 8750H CPU. The architecture is identical to that of the Intel HD Graphics 630. We do expect a performance improvement, but as a low-end solution it will probably only display 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 allowed to reduce slightly, 35 W being the lowest Intel-recommended value. Doing so would result in lower clock speeds and lower performance. Either way, a proper cooling solution is a must for a CPU like this.
The hexa-core Intel CPU is made with one of the old 14 nm Intel processes for below average, as of late 2022, energy efficiency.
Intel Core i9-9980HK
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The Intel Core i9-9980HK is a high-end processor for laptops with eight cores based on the Coffee Lake architecture (2019 refresh, CFL-HR). The processor clocks at between 2.4 - 5 GHz and can execute up to sixteen threads simultaneously thanks to Hyper-Threading. The 5 GHz can only be reached using the "Thermal Velocity Boost" which allows one core to boost to 5 GHz (+100 MHz) as long as the CPU temperature is below 50°C. Multiple cores can be boosted +100 MHz? below 50°C (not verified). Compared to the predecessor, the Core i9-8950HK, the 9980H is based on the same architecture but offers 2 more cores and higher clock speeds (boost).
According to Intel, the CPU is manufactured in an improved 14nm (14nm++) process. The i9-9980HK is the fastest model of the Coffee-Lake-H (refresh) series at the time of announcement and offers an unlocked multiplier for overclocking of the CPU.
The Coffee Lake architecture is similar to Kaby Lake and differs only in the amount of cores (now max. eight cores for the high end versions) and the improved 14nm process (14nm++ according to Intel).
Performance
Due to the two additional cores, performance has increased by almost 33% compared to a similar clocked 6-core processor. According to first benchmarks, the mobile variant can reach the performance of the Core i9-9900K if the cooling is sufficient.
Graphics
The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 iGPU is supposed to offer a slightly higher performance as its clock rate has been increased by 50 MHz. The architecture is identical to that of the Intel HD Graphics 630. We do expect a performance improvement, but as a low-end solution it will probably only display current games smoothly at reduced details - if at all.
Power Consumption
Intel specifies the TDP with 45 watts and therefore the i9 is only suited for big laptops with good cooling solutions.
| Model | Intel Core i7-8650U | Intel Core i7-9750H | Intel Core i9-9980HK | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Codename | Kaby Lake Refresh | Coffee Lake-H | Coffee Lake-H | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series | Intel Kaby Lake Refresh | Intel Coffee Lake | Intel Coffee Lake | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series: Coffee Lake Coffee Lake-H |
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| Clock | 1900 - 4200 MHz | 2600 - 4500 MHz | 2400 - 5000 MHz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| L1 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 2 MB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| L3 Cache | 8 MB | 12 MB | 16 MB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8 | 6 / 12 | 8 / 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TDP | 15 Watt | 45 Watt | 45 Watt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technology | 14 nm | 14 nm | 14 nm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Socket | BGA1356 | BGA1440 | FCBGA1440 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Features | Dual-Channel DDR4 Memory Controller, HyperThreading, AVX, AVX2, Quick Sync, Virtualization, AES-NI | LPDDR3-2133/DDR4-2666 RAM, PCIe 3, 8 GT/s bus, MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX, AVX2, BMI2, ABM, FMA, ADX, VMX, SMEP, SMAP, MPX, EIST, TM1, TM2, Hyper-Threading, Turbo, SST, AES-NI, RDRAND, RDSEED, SGX | Dual-Channel DDR4 Memory Controller, HyperThreading, AVX, AVX2, Quick Sync, Virtualization, AES-NI | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| iGPU | Intel UHD Graphics 620 (300 - 1150 MHz) | Intel UHD Graphics 630 (350 - 1150 MHz) | Intel UHD Graphics 630 (350 - 1250 MHz) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Architecture | x86 | x86 | x86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| $409 U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announced | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manufacturer | ark.intel.com | ark.intel.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| max. Temp. | 100 °C | 100 °C |
Benchmarks
Average Benchmarks Intel Core i7-8650U → 100% n=32
Average Benchmarks Intel Core i7-9750H → 151% n=32
Average Benchmarks Intel Core i9-9980HK → 186% n=32
- Average benchmark values for this graphics card* Smaller numbers mean a higher performance
1 This benchmark is not used for the average calculation
