Intel Core i9-9980HK vs Intel Core i7-8086K

Processor comparisons 20-01-2022

   If there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Core i9-9980HK vs Intel Core i7-8086K and decide which is better for games or normal use for programming, video editing, machine learning, rendering, streaming. Here you can find useful information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications like PCMark 10, Blender, AIDA64, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Handbrake, SuperPi, PassMark, Furmark, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, MATLAB, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime, Blender, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, 7zip, RealBench, 3DMark, Dolphin Emulator.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8086K 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 i7-8086K

54%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9980HK

54%

Core i7-8086K

54%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. 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, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Control, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Ghostrunner, Battlefield V, NBA 2K20, Monster Hunter World, Hitman 3, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, League of Legends (LOL), Forza Horizon 4.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.7	96.2
Valorant	108.8	109.3
Cyberpunk 2077	60.9	61.2
Apex Legends	102.2	102.8
Call of Duty Warzone	81.6	82.0
Overwatch	88.1	88.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.0	75.4
DOOM Eternal	54.4	54.7
Warzone	84.8	85.3
Assassin's Creed	91.4	91.8
Valheim	90.3	90.8

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 tested computers 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. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-9980HK

86%

Core i7-8086K

50%

To make a finishing choice 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 i9-9980HK is more energy efficient than the Core i7-8086K as it consumes less power: 45W vs. 95W. Power consumption is particularly 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, streaming, programming, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. 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. 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 i7-8086K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	196	219
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1607	1448
Cinbench 20 Single-core	485	467
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3503	3292
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1186	1321
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	8370	10209

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

	Intel Core i9-9980HK	Intel Core i7-8086K
Single-Core	2657	2896
Multi-Core	15065	14705

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

	Intel Core i9-9980HK	Intel Core i7-8086K
Single-Core	1165	1427
Multi-Core	7554	8056

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 later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-9980HK	Intel Core i7-8086K
Announcement date	July 07, 2019	April 01, 2018
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1440	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Coffee Lake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	8
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz	5 MHz
Frequency	2.4 MHz	4 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	45 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666, LPDDR3-2133	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.8 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	16 MB	12 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 i7-8086K is 40% better than Core i9-9980HK in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9980HK has 2 more core than Core i7-8086K. 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: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8086K is better: 18
Although it should be understood that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-9980HK and Intel Core i7-8086K before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

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 i7-8086K - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-8086K specs and review.