Intel Core i7-10870H vs Intel Core i9-10850K

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   For example you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i7-10870H vs Intel Core i9-10850K and see which is better for games or normal use for programming, video editing, machine learning, streaming, rendering. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications such as Handbrake, AIDA64, MATLAB, 7zip, Furmark, Blender, PCMark 10, SuperPi, Gears 5, PassMark, WPrime, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, RealBench, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Prime95, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Dolphin Emulator.
   And how good the processors are in games:

Overwatch
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Fallout 76
Cyberpunk 2077
Last Man Standing
Valheim
Fortnite
Watch Dogs Legion
DOOM: Eternal
Red Dead Redemption 2
Valorant
Borderlands 3
Death Stranding
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Apex Legends
Halo Infinite
Rainbow Six Siege
Grand Theft Auto V

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10850K or Intel Core i7-10870H.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i7-10870H

54%

Core i9-10850K

57%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-10850K is 5% better than Core i7-10870H. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-10870H

54%

Core i9-10850K

56%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which CPU comparisons were performed: League of Legends (LOL), Half-Life: Alyx, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, Monster Hunter World, NBA 2K20, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Ghostrunner, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V, Metro Exodus.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	96.0	99.8
Valorant	109.1	113.4
Cyberpunk 2077	61.1	63.5
Apex Legends	102.5	106.6
Call of Duty Warzone	81.8	85.1
Overwatch	88.3	91.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.3	78.3
DOOM Eternal	54.5	56.7
Warzone	85.1	88.5
Assassin's Creed	91.6	95.3
Valheim	90.5	94.1

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-10870H

94%

Core i9-10850K

36%

To make a finishing decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i7-10870H is more energy efficient than the Core i9-10850K as it consumes less power: 45W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU turns on all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i7-10870H	Intel Core i9-10850K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	208	229
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1522	2616
Cinbench 20 Single-core	499	536
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3457	6318
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1167	1367
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	11396	16820

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i7-10870H	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	2734	3074
Multi-Core	15954	23350

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i7-10870H	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	1271	1383
Multi-Core	7816	11578

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-10870H	Intel Core i9-10850K
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	April 01, 2020
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1440	FCLGA1200
Core name	Comet Lake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	10	10
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz	5.1 MHz
Frequency	2.2 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	8	10
Threads	16	20
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	6800 millions	9200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	45 W	125 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	45.8 GB/s	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	16 MB	20 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-10850K is 38% better than Core i7-10870H in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10850K has 2 more core than Core i7-10870H. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-10870H is better: 2
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10850K is better: 27
The summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i7-10870H and Intel Core i9-10850K before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i7-10870H specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-10850K specs and review.