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Intel Core i9-10980HK

Intel Core i9-10980HK: Power in a Mobile Format. Relevance Analysis in 2025

Let's explore who might benefit from Intel's ten-year-old flagship 8-core processor in 2025 and the compromises that will need to be made.

Architecture and Technology Process: Why is 14nm Still in Play?

The Intel Core i9-10980HK processor, released in 2020, belongs to the Comet Lake-H line. Despite its outdated 14-nanometer technology by 2025 standards, it remains an example of Intel's "enhanced" architecture before the era of hybrid chips.

- 8 cores, 16 threads with Hyper-Threading support. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with a maximum Turbo Boost frequency of up to 5.3 GHz. This allowed the chip to perform effectively in both single-threaded tasks and multitasking.

- 16 MB of L3 cache — a sufficient amount for data processing without frequent memory accesses.

- Integrated Intel UHD Graphics (24 EU, frequency up to 1.25 GHz) — a weak point for gaming but suitable for basic tasks: office work, 4K video, and simple editing.

A distinctive feature of the architecture is its high reliance on cooling systems. Due to the dense layout of the 14nm die, the chip heats up quickly, which seems archaic in 2025 alongside 5nm AMD Ryzen 8000 or Apple M3.

Power Consumption and TDP: The Cost of Performance

The nominal TDP of 45W is just the tip of the iceberg. In Turbo mode, power can reach 100–120W, necessitating massive coolers in laptops.

- Real autonomy under load (gaming, rendering) rarely exceeds 1.5–2 hours.

- Energy efficiency lags behind modern chips: for example, the Ryzen 9 7940HS (4nm) consumes 30% less power at similar performance levels.

Technologies like Intel Speed Shift and SpeedStep help reduce frequency during idle states, but by 2025, this isn't enough to compete with Apple’s ARM processors or AMD’s adaptive algorithms.

Performance: What Can the Chip Do in 2025?

Geekbench 6 results (1550 / 6602) show that the i9-10980HK still handles most tasks, but requires a discrete graphics card for gaming.

- Office and Multimedia:

- Running 50+ tabs in Chrome, 4K streaming, and working in Photoshop — no delays.

- Video editing in Premiere Pro (H.264) takes 20% longer compared to the Ryzen 9 6900HX.

- Gaming:

- Paired with an RTX 4070 (laptop version) — Cyberpunk 2077 on Ultra (1080p) yields 65–70 FPS.

- Turbo mode supports stable frequencies only for the first 10–15 minutes, after which throttling begins.

Use Cases: Who Should Pay Attention?

- Budget Gamers: Laptops with i9-10980HK and RTX 4060 currently start at $1300, which is 40% cheaper than similar models with Ryzen 9 7945HX.

- Engineers and Designers: SolidWorks and AutoCAD run stably, but rendering in Blender is 15% slower than on the Apple M2 Pro.

- Students and Office Users: It offers excess power for Word/Excel, but there is room for future growth.

Autonomy: The Price of High Frequencies

During web surfing and document work (brightness 50%, "Power Save" mode), the laptop lasts 4–5 hours. This is half of what the MacBook Pro 14" (M3) achieves.

Tip: Disable Turbo Boost through power settings — this can add an extra 1–1.5 hours of runtime.

Comparison with Competitors

- AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS (4nm):

- Better energy efficiency, integrated Radeon 780M is more powerful than Intel UHD. Laptop prices start from $1600.

- Apple M3 (3nm):

- Up to 18 hours of autonomy, but limited compatibility with Windows programs.

- Intel Core i9-14980HX (Raptor Lake, 10nm):

- 40% higher multi-threaded performance with the same TDP.

Conclusion: In 2025, the i9-10980HK is a choice for those seeking a powerful laptop for $1200–$1500 and are willing to tolerate heat issues.

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- High single-threaded performance.

- Overclocking support (in some models).

- Compatibility with Windows 11 and Linux.

Weaknesses:

- Outdated technology process.

- Weak integrated graphics.

- Noisy cooling system.

Notebook Selection Recommendations

- Gaming Models: ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 (2023), MSI GP66 Leopard — ensure at least 32GB DDR4 and 1TB SSD.

- Workstations: Dell Precision 5560 — optimal for engineers.

- Important:

- Ensure the presence of a discrete graphics card (RTX 4060 or higher).

- A cooling system with 3–4 heat pipes.

Final Verdict

The Intel Core i9-10980HK in 2025 is a choice for those who need a powerful Windows laptop at a reasonable price. It will suit:

- Gamers playing on an external 1080p monitor.

- Freelancers working with demanding applications like Premiere Pro.

- Users not ready to switch to ARM architecture.

Main advantages: price, proven reliability, and compatibility without driver issues. However, if quiet operation and battery life are important to you — consider AMD Ryzen 8000 or Apple Silicon.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

April 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.

i9-10980HK

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

2.40 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.

5.30 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.

5.10 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.

4.0

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.

1.25 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

1550

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

6602

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

989

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

3950

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2811

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

15643

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i3-1115G4E

1662 +7.2%

Core i7-10700F

1604 +3.5%

Core i9-10980HK

1550

Xeon W-2295

1492 -3.7%

Core i5-8600

1442 -7%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

7483 +13.3%

Core i7-8086K

7023 +6.4%

Core i9-10980HK

6602

Xeon E5-2680 v4

6240 -5.5%

Xeon E5-2618L v4

5782 -12.4%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon Platinum 8362

1033 +4.4%

Xeon Gold 6208U

1011 +2.2%

Core i9-10980HK

989

Xeon E3-1220 v6

965 -2.4%

Ryzen 3 1300X

945 -4.4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i5-9400F

4381 +10.9%

EPYC 9274F

4148 +5%

Core i9-10980HK

3950

Core i5-1035G7

3778 -4.4%

Core i5-8500T

3618 -8.4%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i5-11320H

2953 +5.1%

Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U

2892 +2.9%

Core i9-10980HK

2811

Core i5-9600KF

2754 -2%

Ryzen 7 PRO 4750G

2715 -3.4%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Xeon E-2278G

17023 +8.8%

Core i7-10700T

16332 +4.4%

Core i9-10980HK

15643

Xeon Silver 4210R

15089 -3.5%

Xeon W-2135

14394 -8%