Core i7-1280P vs Core i7-11800H

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i7-1280P

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 45W, a 17W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $482 MSRP, while Core i7-11800H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11800H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-11800H

2021

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 750, while Core i7-1280P needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-1280P across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,838 vs 20,043).
❌60.7% higher power demand at 45W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core i7-1280P moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Core i7-1280P

2022

Core i7-11800H

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 45W, a 17W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 750, while Core i7-1280P needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $482 MSRP, while Core i7-11800H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11800H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-1280P across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,838 vs 20,043).
❌60.7% higher power demand at 45W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core i7-1280P moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-1280P better than Core i7-11800H?

Yes. Core i7-1280P is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 16.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-1280P is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 16.9% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-1280P is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 20 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i7-1280P is the smarter buy today. Core i7-1280P is at an unclear MSRP at $482 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 16.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (41.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i7-1280P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2021), a healthier platform with FCBGA1744 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1787, and more multi-core headroom with 14 cores / 20 threads instead of 8/16. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i7-1280P Benchmark Check

Core i7-11800H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-1280P	Core i7-11800H
1080p
low	267 FPS	165 FPS
medium	257 FPS	145 FPS
high	213 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	183 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	229 FPS	143 FPS
medium	197 FPS	121 FPS
high	159 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	80 FPS
medium	136 FPS	74 FPS
high	106 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i7-1280P Open Core i7-11800H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-1280P	Core i7-11800H
1080p
low	320 FPS	303 FPS
medium	272 FPS	260 FPS
high	230 FPS	220 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	200 FPS
1440p
low	265 FPS	259 FPS
medium	234 FPS	230 FPS
high	203 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	177 FPS	174 FPS
4K
low	164 FPS	160 FPS
medium	146 FPS	144 FPS
high	138 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	121 FPS

Open Core i7-1280P Open Core i7-11800H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-1280P	Core i7-11800H
1080p
low	501 FPS	496 FPS
medium	501 FPS	496 FPS
high	501 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	462 FPS	367 FPS
1440p
low	501 FPS	496 FPS
medium	501 FPS	430 FPS
high	485 FPS	385 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	320 FPS
4K
low	498 FPS	372 FPS
medium	416 FPS	314 FPS
high	373 FPS	275 FPS
ultra	314 FPS	217 FPS

Open Core i7-1280P Open Core i7-11800H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-1280P	Core i7-11800H
1080p
low	501 FPS	496 FPS
medium	501 FPS	496 FPS
high	501 FPS	496 FPS
ultra	501 FPS	496 FPS
1440p
low	501 FPS	496 FPS
medium	501 FPS	496 FPS
high	501 FPS	496 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	464 FPS
4K
low	501 FPS	492 FPS
medium	469 FPS	443 FPS
high	415 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	361 FPS	337 FPS

Open Core i7-1280P Open Core i7-11800H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-1280P and Core i7-11800H

Core i7-1280P

The Core i7-1280P is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 February 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-P (2022) architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 20,043 points. Launch price was $299.

Core i7-11800H

The Core i7-11800H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 19,838 points. Launch price was $395.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-1280P packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the Core i7-11800H offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i7-1280P has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i7-1280P versus 4.6 GHz on the Core i7-11800H — a 4.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-1280P (base: 1.8 GHz vs 1.9 GHz). The Core i7-1280P uses the Alder Lake-P (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i7-11800H uses Tiger Lake-H (2021) (10 nm SuperFin). In PassMark, the Core i7-1280P scores 20,043 against the Core i7-11800H's 19,838 — a 1% lead for the Core i7-1280P. Both processors carry 24 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-1280P	Core i7-11800H
Cores / Threads	14 / 20+75%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+4%	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	1.8 GHz	1.9 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)	24 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-30%	10 nm SuperFin
Architecture	Alder Lake-P (2022)	Tiger Lake-H (2021)
PassMark	20,043+1%	19,838
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	12,180
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,896
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	7,795

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-1280P uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-11800H uses FCBGA1787 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-1280P	Core i7-11800H
Socket	FCBGA1744	FCBGA1787
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-1280P) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-11800H). The Core i7-11800H includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 750), while the Core i7-1280P requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-11800H targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i7-11800H rivals Ryzen 7 5800H.