Core i9-9980HK vs Core i7-10870H

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.

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 i9-9980HK

#207

Core i9-9980HK

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-10870H

#173

Core Ultra 5 238V

MSRP: $454|Avg: $454

119%

#176

Core i9-13900HK

MSRP: $697|Avg: N/A

116%

#178

Core i7-1360P

MSRP: $480|Avg: $280

114%

#179

Core i7-1260P

MSRP: $432|Avg: $432

114%

#184

Core Ultra 7 266V

MSRP: $520|Avg: $520

110%

#185

Ryzen 7 5825C

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

108%

#187

Core Ultra 9 288V

MSRP: $600|Avg: $600

100%

#188

Core i7-10870H

MSRP: $417|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i9-9980HK leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i7-10870H is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.9% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core i9-9980HK	Core i7-10870H
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($417)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-HR (2019) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Comet Lake-H (2020) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i9-9980HK	Core i7-10870H
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($417)

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 i9-9980HK Benchmark Check

Core i7-10870H Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9980HK and Core i7-10870H

Core i9-9980HK

The Core i9-9980HK 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 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: 13,966 points. Launch price was $583.

Core i7-10870H

The Core i7-10870H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 17 September 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 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: 14,087 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i9-9980HK and Core i7-10870H share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-9980HK versus 4.8 GHz on the Core i7-10870H — a 4.1% clock advantage for the Core i9-9980HK (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i9-9980HK uses the Coffee Lake-HR (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-10870H uses Comet Lake-H (2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9980HK scores 13,966 against the Core i7-10870H's 14,087 — a 0.9% lead for the Core i7-10870H. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9980HK vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-10870H.

Feature	Core i9-9980HK	Core i7-10870H
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5 GHz+4%	4.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+9%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)+33%	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-HR (2019)	Comet Lake-H (2020)
PassMark	13,966	14,087
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,594
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,228
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	6,822

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the BGA1440 socket with PCIe 3.0.

Feature	Core i9-9980HK	Core i7-10870H
Socket	BGA1440	BGA1440
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i9-9980HK) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-10870H). The Core i7-10870H includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Core i9-9980HK requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-10870H targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i7-10870H rivals Ryzen 7 4800H.