Intel Core i9-9980HK vs Intel Core i7-10870H

Processor comparisons 20-01-2022

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i9-9980HK vs Intel Core i7-10870H and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, streaming, video editing, programming, machine learning. Here is useful information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like Dolphin Emulator, WPrime, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, Gears 5, MATLAB, PCMark 10, AIDA64, Prime95, UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, Furmark, RealBench, Blender, 7zip, 3DMark, Handbrake, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-10870H 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 i7-10870H

54%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9980HK

54%

Core i7-10870H

54%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary 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	95.7	96.0
Valorant	108.8	109.1
Cyberpunk 2077	60.9	61.1
Apex Legends	102.2	102.5
Call of Duty Warzone	81.6	81.8
Overwatch	88.1	88.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.0	75.3
DOOM Eternal	54.4	54.5
Warzone	84.8	85.1
Assassin's Creed	91.4	91.6
Valheim	90.3	90.5

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. Therefore, 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 i9-9980HK

86%

Core i7-10870H

94%

To make a final resolution 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 i7-10870H is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9980HK as it consumes less power: 45W vs. 45W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. 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 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 i9-9980HK	Intel Core i7-10870H
Cinbench 15 Single-core	196	208
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1607	1522
Cinbench 20 Single-core	485	499
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3503	3457
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1186	1167
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	8370	11396

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

	Intel Core i9-9980HK	Intel Core i7-10870H
Single-Core	2657	2734
Multi-Core	15065	15954

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

	Intel Core i9-9980HK	Intel Core i7-10870H
Single-Core	1165	1271
Multi-Core	7554	7816

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about 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. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-9980HK	Intel Core i7-10870H
Announcement date	July 07, 2019	October 01, 2020
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	FCBGA1440	FCBGA1440
Core name	Coffee Lake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	10
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz	5 MHz
Frequency	2.4 MHz	2.2 MHz
Cores	8	8
Threads	16	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	6800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	45 W	45 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666, LPDDR3-2133	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.8 GB/s	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	16 MB	16 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
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 8% better than Core i7-10870H in terms of CPU frequency. 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: 5
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-10870H is better: 22
Although it should be realized that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i9-9980HK and Intel Core i7-10870H before making a choice 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 i7-10870H specs and review.