Core i7-9850HL vs Core i5-8259U

Core i7-9850HL

6 Cores12 Thrd25 WWMax: 4.1 GHz2019

Core i5-8259U

4 Cores8 Thrd28 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2018

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-9850HL

6 / 12

7,897

+0.7%

7,843

0.0%

About PassMark

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i7-9850HL is positioned at rank 203 and the Core i5-8259U is on rank 209, so the Core i7-9850HL offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-9850HL

#191

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

372%

#192

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

366%

#193

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

336%

#194

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

335%

#195

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

331%

#197

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

320%

#198

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

307%

#199

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

306%

#200

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

298%

#203

Core i7-9850HL

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-8259U

#57

Ryzen AI 9 365

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

96%

#197

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

374%

#198

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

369%

#199

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

338%

#200

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

337%

#201

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

334%

#203

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

322%

#204

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

309%

#205

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

309%

#206

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

300%

#209

Core i5-8259U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-9850HL delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-8259U in both compute-intensive tasks (0.7% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i7-9850HL	Core i5-8259U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-HR (2019) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i7-9850HL	Core i5-8259U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

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 i7-9850HL Benchmark Check

Core i5-8259U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9850HL and Core i5-8259U

Core i7-9850HL

The Core i7-9850HL is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Junho 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-HR (2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 9 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 7,897 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i5-8259U

The Core i5-8259U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 5 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,843 points. Launch price was $320.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9850HL packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i5-8259U offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-9850HL has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Core i7-9850HL versus 3.8 GHz on the Core i5-8259U — a 7.6% clock advantage for the Core i7-9850HL (base: 1.9 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i7-9850HL uses the Coffee Lake-HR (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-8259U uses Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9850HL scores 7,897 against the Core i5-8259U's 7,843 — a 0.7% lead for the Core i7-9850HL. L3 cache: 9 MB (total) on the Core i7-9850HL vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-8259U.

Feature	Core i7-9850HL	Core i5-8259U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz+8%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	1.9 GHz	2.3 GHz+21%
L3 Cache	9 MB (total)+50%	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-HR (2019)	Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019)
PassMark	7,897	7,843

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9850HL uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-8259U uses FCBGA1528 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9850HL	Core i5-8259U
Socket	BGA1440	FCBGA1528
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—