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Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK vs Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK: Comparison
11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK vs 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK: the l3 cache difference
The gap that matters here is l3 cache: 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK 24 MB against 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK 12 MB, which puts 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK 50% ahead. Socket is not the same on both, FCBGA1787 on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK versus FCBGA1440 on the 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK. They differ on release year too, 2021 on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK versus 2018 on the 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK. They differ on igpu too, Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK versus Intel UHD Graphics 630 on the 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK.
11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK vs 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK: which one fits your build
Take the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK for flagship gaming laptops wanting the strongest available Tiger Lake H performance with overclocking headroom. It is the wrong buy for budget-conscious buyers, the non-K 11800H, covered elsewhere on this site, delivers similar core performance for less without the overclocking headroom. Take the 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK for premium gaming and workstation laptops wanting Intel's original mobile Core i9 overclocking flexibility. Avoid it for buyers with access to the later 9th Gen i9-9980HK, that chip offers a real generational improvement.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, efficiency cores, tdp, integrated graphics, product line and form factor included, so the decision does not turn on any of those. They match on 2 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK and 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK differ on total cores?
Yes. Total Cores reads 8 on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK versus 6 on the 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK.
Is the Market Segment the same on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK and 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK?
It is. Both are listed at Laptop, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Intel
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Intel
Product Line
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Core i9
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Core i9
Form Factor
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Laptop
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Laptop
Model Number
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 11980HK
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 8950HK
Codename
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Tiger Lake
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Coffee Lake
Release Year
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 2021
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 2018
TDP
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 45 W
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 45 W
iGPU
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 (48 EU)
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Intel UHD Graphics 630
Market Segment
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Laptop
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Laptop
Microarchitecture
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Tiger Lake H, 11th Gen Intel Core
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Coffee Lake, 8th Gen Intel Core
Socket
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- FCBGA1787
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- FCBGA1440
Process Node
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 10 nm
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 14 nm
Total Cores
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 8Best
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 6
Performance Cores
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 8Best
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 6
Efficiency Cores
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 0
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 0
Total Threads
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 16Best
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 12
SMT Enabled
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Yes
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Yes
P-Core Base Clock
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 2.6 GHz
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 2.9 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 5.0 GHz
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 4.8 GHz
L3 Cache
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 24 MBBest
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 12 MB-50%
Memory Type
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- DDR4
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- DDR4, LPDDR3
Integrated Graphics
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Yes
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Yes
Which one should you pick?
Choose 11980HK if you want the higher L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
Choose 8950HK if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.