Intel Core i9-9980HK vs Intel Core i5-1230U

Processor comparisons   20-01-2022
   You may have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i9-9980HK vs Intel Core i5-1230U and understand which is better for games or normal use for programming, video editing, streaming, rendering, machine learning. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications like Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, Furmark, PCMark 10, Gears 5, RealBench, Blender, 7zip, Blender, PassMark, Dolphin Emulator, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Prime95, 3DMark, MATLAB, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, SuperPi, WPrime, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-1230U or Intel Core i9-9980HK.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9980HK

54%

Core i5-1230U

55%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-1230U is 1% better than Core i9-9980HK. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9980HK

54%

Core i5-1230U

53%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4, Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, Battlefield V, DOTA 2A, NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), League of Legends (LOL), Metro Exodus, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Horizon Zero Dawn.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.7	94.7
Valorant	108.8	107.6
Cyberpunk 2077	60.9	60.2
Apex Legends	102.2	101.1
Call of Duty Warzone	81.6	80.7
Overwatch	88.1	87.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.0	74.2
DOOM Eternal	54.4	53.8
Warzone	84.8	83.9
Assassin's Creed	91.4	90.4
Valheim	90.3	89.3

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 participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-9980HK

86%

Core i5-1230U

435%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i5-1230U is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9980HK since it has less power consumption: 45W vs. 9W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, 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 i9-9980HK	Intel Core i5-1230U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	196	216
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1607	1591
Cinbench 20 Single-core	485	522
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3503	3613
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1186	1221
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	8370	11909

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

	Intel Core i9-9980HK	Intel Core i5-1230U
Single-Core	2657	2856
Multi-Core	15065	16672

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

	Intel Core i9-9980HK	Intel Core i5-1230U
Single-Core	1165	1177
Multi-Core	7554	6538

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-9980HK	Intel Core i5-1230U
Announcement date	July 07, 2019	January 07, 2022
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	FCBGA1440	FCBGA1744
Core name	Coffee Lake	Alder Lake-U
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	12
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	2.4 MHz	1 MHz
Cores	8	10
Threads	16	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	10 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	9800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	45 W	9 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666, LPDDR3-2133	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s Up to LPDDR5 5200 MT/s Up to LPDDR4x 4267 MT/s
Max. Memory	128 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.8 GB/s	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	16 MB	24 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-9980HK is 58% better than Core i5-1230U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-1230U has 2 more core than Core i9-9980HK. 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 i9-9980HK is better: 17
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-1230U is better: 16
However, it should be understood that all the number in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-9980HK and Intel Core i5-1230U before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i9-9980HK - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i9-9980HK specs and review.

Intel Core i5-1230U - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-1230U specs and review.