Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more
Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK vs Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK: Comparison
8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK vs 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK total cores compared
There is no decisive spec gap here. Total cores splits them by a margin most buyers will never feel, 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK 6 against 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK 8. Add l3 cache to that, 12 MB on the 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK versus 16 MB on the 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK, and the pattern holds. There is a split on microarchitecture as well, Coffee Lake, 8th Gen Intel Core on the 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK versus Coffee Lake, 9th Gen Intel Core on the 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK. Memory type is not the same on both, DDR4, LPDDR3 on the 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK versus DDR4-2666, LPDDR3-2133 on the 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK.
Which should you buy, 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK or 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK?
Take the 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK for premium gaming and workstation laptops wanting Intel's original mobile Core i9 overclocking flexibility. It is the wrong buy for buyers with access to the later 9th Gen i9-9980HK, that chip offers a real generational improvement. Take the 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK for premium gaming and workstation laptops wanting Intel's first unlocked mobile 8-core chip. Avoid it for buyers not planning to overclock, the standard i9-9880H delivers similar practical performance without the overclocking premium.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, efficiency cores, tdp, integrated graphics, socket and product line included, so the decision does not turn on any of those. They match on 5 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK and 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK differ on performance cores?
Yes. Performance Cores reads 6 on the 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK versus 8 on the 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK.
Is the Form Factor the same on the 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK and 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK?
It is. Both are listed at Laptop, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Intel
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- Intel
Product Line
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Core i9
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- Core i9
Form Factor
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Laptop
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- Laptop
Model Number
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 8950HK
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- 9980HK
Codename
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Coffee Lake
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- Coffee Lake
Release Year
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 2018
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- 2019
TDP
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 45 W
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- 45 W
iGPU
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Intel UHD Graphics 630
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- Intel UHD Graphics 630
Market Segment
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Laptop
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- Laptop
Microarchitecture
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Coffee Lake, 8th Gen Intel Core
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- Coffee Lake, 9th Gen Intel Core
Socket
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- FCBGA1440
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- FCBGA1440
Process Node
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 14 nm
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- 14 nm
Total Cores
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 6
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- 8Best
Performance Cores
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 6
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- 8Best
Efficiency Cores
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 0
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- 0
Total Threads
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 12
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- 16Best
SMT Enabled
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Yes
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- Yes
P-Core Base Clock
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 2.9 GHz
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- 2.4 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 4.8 GHz
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- 5.0 GHz
L3 Cache
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 12 MB-25%
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- 16 MBBest
Base Power
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- 45 W
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- 45 W
Memory Type
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- DDR4, LPDDR3
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- DDR4-2666, LPDDR3-2133
Integrated Graphics
- Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK
- Yes
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9 9980HK
- Yes
Which one should you pick?
Choose 8950HK if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Choose 9980HK if you want the higher L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).