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Intel Core i7-10870H

Intel Core i7-10870H: A Versatile Processor for Gaming and Work. Full Review in 2025

Intel Core i7 10th generation processors remain popular in the market for both used and new budget laptops. Among them, the Core i7-10870H stands out — an 8-core chip with support for 16 threads, which you can find in used gaming laptops and entry-level workstations in 2025. Let's take a closer look at what it can do today and who it is suitable for.

1. Architecture and Technology Process: 14 nm vs. 5 nm

Comet Lake Features

The Intel Core i7-10870H belongs to the Comet Lake-H lineup, released in 2020. It is the last generation of Intel processors based on the outdated 14 nm technology process that the company has been using since 2014. In contrast, modern AMD Ryzen 7000 and Intel Core 13th generation processors are manufactured using 5 nm and 7 nm standards.

- Cores and Threads: 8 cores and 16 threads. By 2025, this is the baseline standard for gaming and work laptops.

- Clock Speeds: Base frequency — 2.2 GHz, maximum in turbo mode — 5.0 GHz (for one core). Under full load, all cores can boost up to 4.1 GHz.

- Cache: 16 MB L3. For tasks like rendering or streaming, this is sufficient, but newer processors (like the Ryzen 9 7940HS) offer up to 64 MB.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics for the 10th generation. This is a weak point — even in 2025, the iGPU only handles office tasks and 4K video. A discrete graphics card is needed for gaming.

2. TDP 45 W: A Balance Between Power and Heat

The nominal thermal design power (TDP) of the processor is 45 W, but in turbo mode, power consumption can reach 80–90 W. This creates two problems:

1. Heating: In compact laptops (like the MSI Stealth 15M), the chip often throttles due to overheating.

2. Noise: Cooling systems operate at high speeds.

Tip: When buying a laptop with the i7-10870H in 2025, choose models with massive heat sinks and 3-4 heat pipes (for example, the Acer Predator Helios 300).

3. Performance: Real Tests in 2025

Office and Multimedia

- Chrome with 50 tabs + Zoom: The processor handles it without lag, but consumes 25–30 W.

- 4K Editing in DaVinci Resolve: Rendering a 10-minute video takes about 12 minutes. In comparison, the Apple M2 Pro does this in 8 minutes.

Gaming

With a discrete graphics card like the NVIDIA RTX 3060:

- Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, High): 55–60 FPS (with DLSS).

- Elden Ring (1440p, Ultra): 45–50 FPS.

Important: In gaming, the processor will not be a bottleneck, but in CPU-intensive projects (like Microsoft Flight Simulator), it falls short compared to the Ryzen 7 6800H.

Turbo Boost Mode

The maximum frequency of 5.0 GHz is achieved only at temperatures below 75°C. In thin laptops (like the Dell XPS 15), turbo mode operates unstably.

4. Usage Scenarios: Who is the i7-10870H Suitable for in 2025?

- Budget Gamers: Laptops with this CPU and RTX 3060 currently cost $700–900 (new ones are rare, but refurbished models are available).

- Freelancers: Suitable for video editing and 3D modeling, but not for complex projects.

- Students: Capable of running Matlab and AutoCAD, but battery life will be poor (see below).

Not recommended: For AI tasks (neural networks, Stable Diffusion), it is better to choose laptops with Ryzen 9 or Intel Core 12+ generation.

5. Battery Life: The Price of Performance

Under heavy load (gaming, rendering), a laptop with the i7-10870H works on battery for 1–1.5 hours. In power-saving mode (office tasks, web surfing), it lasts up to 4–5 hours.

Power Efficiency Technologies:

- Intel SpeedShift: Dynamically changes frequencies to reduce power consumption.

- C-states: Disables unused cores.

Problem: Even at idle, the processor consumes 5–7 W, while the Apple M1 consumes 2–3 W.

6. Comparison with Competitors

AMD Ryzen 7 5800H (2021)

- Pros: 7-nm technology process, better performance/watt ratio.

- Cons: No Thunderbolt support.

- Conclusion: The Ryzen 7 5800H is 15% more energy-efficient in multi-threaded tasks.

Apple M1 Pro (2021)

- Pros: Battery life up to 10 hours, runs cool.

- Cons: Limited compatibility with Windows software.

- Conclusion: For mobile tasks, the M1 Pro excels on all fronts.

7. Advantages and Disadvantages of Intel Core i7-10870H

Strengths:

- High multi-threaded performance.

- Support for Thunderbolt 3 and PCIe 3.0.

- Affordable price on the used market.

Weaknesses:

- Outdated 14-nm technology process.

- Low battery life.

- Integrated graphics are unsuitable for gaming.

8. How to Choose a Laptop with This Processor in 2025?

- Gaming Models: Look for options with RTX 3060/3070 and good cooling (e.g., Lenovo Legion 5).

- Workstations: 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD are essential.

- Ultrabooks: Not recommended — the processor is too hot for thin cases.

Prices:

- Refurbished laptops: $600–800.

- New devices (rare): starting from $900.

9. Conclusion: Who is This Processor For?

The Intel Core i7-10870H in 2025 is an option for those looking for a budget gaming laptop or a workhorse for less demanding tasks. Its key advantages are low cost and proven reliability. However, you will pay a price in terms of battery life and fan noise.

Alternatives for 2025:

- For gaming: Laptops with Ryzen 5 7640HS + RTX 4050 ($1000–1200).

- For work: MacBook Air M2 ($999) or Dell XPS 13 with Intel Core Ultra 5 ($1100).

If your budget is tight and you need a dependable platform, the i7-10870H can still serve well. However, the future lies with 5-nm architectures.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

September 2020

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i7-10870H

Code Name

Comet Lake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

2.20 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

5.00 GHz

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Frequency

Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 identifies the best performing core(s) on a processor and provides increased performance on those cores through increasing frequency as needed by taking advantage of power and thermal headroom. Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 frequency is the clock frequency of the CPU when running in this mode.

4.80 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0

Yes

L3 Cache

16 MB

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCBGA1440

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

14 nm

TDP

45 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100°C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

3.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

Up to 1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8+2x4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR4-2933

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

128 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

8 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

45.8 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® UHD Graphics for 10th Gen Intel® Processors

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

350 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.20 GHz

4K Support

Yes | at 60Hz

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096 x 2304@30Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096 x 2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

4096 x 2304@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP/DP/HDMI/DVI

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

16 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel Flex Memory Access

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.5

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

1434

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

6085

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

1068

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

6218

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2689

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

14578

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i3-9350KF

1544 +7.7%

Ryzen 5 4600GE

1486 +3.6%

Core i7-10870H

1434

Core i7-9700T

1386 -3.3%

Core i5-10600T

1352 -5.7%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i3-1220P

6895 +13.3%

Core i7-12700TE

6438 +5.8%

Core i7-10870H

6085

Core i5-11600T

5699 -6.3%

Core i7-10850H

5397 -11.3%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon Silver 4309Y

1113 +4.2%

Xeon Gold 5220T

1089 +2%

Core i7-10870H

1068

Core i7-7700

1044 -2.2%

Ryzen 5 5500U

1022 -4.3%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Ryzen 5 3600X

7043 +13.3%

Opteron 6180 SE

6604 +6.2%

Core i7-10870H

6218

Xeon E-2186G

5943 -4.4%

Xeon E5-2675 v3

5743 -7.6%

Passmark CPU Single Core

EPYC 9124

2765 +2.8%

Ryzen 3 5400U

2735 +1.7%

Core i7-10870H

2689

Core i3-10105F

2658 -1.2%

Xeon E-2126G

2611 -2.9%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Ryzen 7 5700U

15856 +8.8%

Xeon Silver 4116

15187 +4.2%

Core i7-10870H

14578

Core i7-1370PRE

14103 -3.3%

Xeon E-2176G

13543 -7.1%