Core i7-9850H vs Ryzen 5 4500U

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 i7-9850H

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +39.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 5 4500U needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌200% higher power demand at 45W vs 15W.

Ryzen 5 4500U

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 45W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9850H across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,692 vs 10,862).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9850H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9850H

2019

Ryzen 5 4500U

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +39.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 5 4500U needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 45W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌200% higher power demand at 45W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9850H across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,692 vs 10,862).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9850H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-9850H better than Ryzen 5 4500U?

Yes. Core i7-9850H is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 39.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1.6% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-9850H is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 39.7% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-9850H is the better fit. You are getting 1.6% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Core i7-9850H still looks like the safer overall buy. Core i7-9850H is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 39.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Ryzen 5 4500U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 i7-9850H Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 4500U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9850H	Ryzen 5 4500U
1080p
low	180 FPS	169 FPS
medium	149 FPS	138 FPS
high	122 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	152 FPS	146 FPS
medium	124 FPS	118 FPS
high	101 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	86 FPS	68 FPS
medium	76 FPS	59 FPS
high	60 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i7-9850H Open Ryzen 5 4500U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9850H	Ryzen 5 4500U
1080p
low	272 FPS	254 FPS
medium	272 FPS	213 FPS
high	272 FPS	186 FPS
ultra	269 FPS	147 FPS
1440p
low	272 FPS	215 FPS
medium	272 FPS	185 FPS
high	272 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	272 FPS	180 FPS
medium	262 FPS	160 FPS
high	239 FPS	139 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	109 FPS

Open Core i7-9850H Open Ryzen 5 4500U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9850H	Ryzen 5 4500U
1080p
low	272 FPS	267 FPS
medium	272 FPS	267 FPS
high	272 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	267 FPS
1440p
low	272 FPS	267 FPS
medium	272 FPS	267 FPS
high	272 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	263 FPS
4K
low	272 FPS	267 FPS
medium	272 FPS	238 FPS
high	272 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	239 FPS	159 FPS

Open Core i7-9850H Open Ryzen 5 4500U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9850H	Ryzen 5 4500U
1080p
low	272 FPS	267 FPS
medium	272 FPS	267 FPS
high	272 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	267 FPS
1440p
low	272 FPS	267 FPS
medium	272 FPS	267 FPS
high	272 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	267 FPS
4K
low	272 FPS	267 FPS
medium	272 FPS	267 FPS
high	272 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	267 FPS

Open Core i7-9850H Open Ryzen 5 4500U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9850H and Ryzen 5 4500U

Core i7-9850H

The Core i7-9850H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-HR (2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,862 points. Launch price was $149.

Ryzen 5 4500U

The Ryzen 5 4500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,692 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9850H packs 6 cores / 12 threads, matching the Ryzen 5 4500U's 6 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i7-9850H versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 4500U — a 14% clock advantage for the Core i7-9850H (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i7-9850H uses the Coffee Lake-HR (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 4500U uses Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9850H scores 10,862 against the Ryzen 5 4500U's 10,692 — a 1.6% lead for the Core i7-9850H. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9850H vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 4500U.

Feature	Core i7-9850H	Ryzen 5 4500U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 6
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+15%	4 GHz
Base Clock	2.6 GHz+13%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-HR (2019)	Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021)
PassMark	10,862+2%	10,692
Geekbench 6 Single	1,250	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,000	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9850H uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 4500U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9850H	Ryzen 5 4500U
Socket	BGA1440	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9850H) / not specified (Ryzen 5 4500U). The Core i7-9850H includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen 5 4500U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9850H targets High Performance Laptop.