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Intel Core i7-11390H

Intel Core i7-11390H: Compact Power for Mobile Tasks

April 2025

In the world of mobile processors, the balance between performance and energy efficiency is critically important. The Intel Core i7-11390H, released in 2021, remains a relevant solution for ultrabooks and thin workstations. Let’s explore who this chip is suitable for in 2025 and what tasks it can handle.

Architecture and Process Technology: 10nm SuperFin and Hybrid Efficiency

The processor is based on the Tiger Lake microarchitecture, manufactured using Intel's 10nm SuperFin technology. This process has allowed Intel to increase transistor density and reduce power consumption while maintaining high clock speeds.

- Cores and Threads: 4 cores, 8 threads (Hyper-Threading).

- Clock Speeds: Base frequency — 3.4 GHz, max turbo frequency — up to 5.0 GHz for a single core.

- Cache: 12 MB L3, which speeds up data processing in multitasking scenarios.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel Iris Xe with 96 EU (Execution Units). Supports DirectX 12, 4K displays, and AI acceleration technologies in applications.

A feature of Tiger Lake is its optimization for AI workloads due to support for Intel DL Boost instructions and GNA 3.0 (neural network accelerator). This is useful for noise suppression in video chats or photo processing in Adobe Lightroom.

Power Consumption and TDP: Balance for Slim Devices

The processor has a TDP of 28W, classifying it as a chip for "high-performance ultrabooks." In reality, TDP can vary from 15W (in power-saving mode) to 35W (under aggressive turbo conditions).

- Thermal Output: Requires a quality cooling system. In compact laptops (e.g., Dell XPS 13), passive cooling with fans is often used, which can result in noise under load.

- Plus for Mobility: Compared to the 45W H-series, the i7-11390H is better suited for devices less than 18mm thick.

Performance: From Office Tasks to Light Gaming

Office Work and Multitasking:

- In PCMark 10 tests, the processor scores around 5200 points, ensuring smooth operation with dozens of browser tabs, office applications, and video conferences.

- Example: Running Zoom, Excel with large spreadsheets, and Chrome with 20+ tabs simultaneously shows no noticeable stuttering.

Multimedia:

- Rendering a 4-minute video in 1080p (Premiere Pro) takes about 3-4 minutes thanks to Iris Xe and Quick Sync hardware encoding.

- Photo editing in Photoshop with filters (e.g., Content-Aware Fill) is done on the fly.

Gaming:

- Iris Xe handles games on low to medium settings:

- CS:GO — 90-110 FPS (1080p, low settings);

- GTA V — 50-60 FPS (1080p, medium settings);

- Fortnite — 45-55 FPS (720p, medium settings).

- Turbo mode supports high frequencies for up to 10-15 minutes, after which throttling may occur in thin laptops without strong cooling.

Use Scenarios: Who is the i7-11390H Suitable For?

1. Students and Office Workers: For studying, document work, and light media creation.

2. Freelance Designers: Photo editing, vector graphics (Illustrator), and short video editing.

3. Casual Gamers: Games with moderate requirements or streaming through cloud services (GeForce Now).

4. Frequent Travelers: Laptops weighing 1.2-1.5 kg with 8-10 hours of battery life.

Not Suitable For:

- 3D Modelers and Engineers (too few cores for rendering in Blender).

- Streamers who play and broadcast simultaneously (limitations in multi-threaded performance).

Battery Life: How Long Will the Battery Last?

With a 60 Wh battery capacity:

- Web browsing and office tasks: 8-10 hours (brightness at 150 nits, Wi-Fi on).

- Video playback (YouTube, 1080p): 6-7 hours.

- Heavy tasks (rendering): 1.5-2 hours.

Power-Saving Technologies:

- Intel Speed Shift: Dynamic frequency switching to minimize latency.

- Adaptix Thermal Framework: Smart temperature management to extend battery life.

- Display Power Savings: Automatic reduction of brightness and frame rates in static scenes.

Comparison with Competitors: AMD, Apple, and Previous Generations

- AMD Ryzen 7 5800U (8 cores, 16 threads):

- Pros: Better performance in multi-threaded tasks (e.g., rendering is 20-30% faster).

- Cons: Integrated Vega 8 graphics are weaker than Iris Xe (~15-20% difference in games).

- Apple M2 (8 cores):

- Pros: Higher battery life (up to 18 hours), optimized for macOS.

- Cons: Limited compatibility with Windows programs, more expensive (laptops starting at $1299).

- Intel Core i7-10750H (6 cores, 14nm):

- Outdated Comet Lake architecture: Higher thermal output, worse energy efficiency.

Prices in 2025: Laptops with i7-11390H range from $800-1100, while equivalents with Ryzen 7 5800U range from $750-1000, and Apple MacBook Air M2 starts at $999.

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- High single-threaded performance (Geekbench 6 Single Core — 1986).

- Powerful integrated graphics for less demanding games.

- Optimal for thin and light devices.

Weaknesses:

- Only 4 cores: Lags behind in multi-threading compared to Ryzen and Apple M series.

- Generates heat under load: Requires thoughtful cooling.

- Aging platform: Lacks support for PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 in some models.

Laptop Selection Recommendations

1. Device Type: Ultrabooks (Asus ZenBook, HP Spectre x360) or business laptops (Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon).

2. Cooling: Look for models with dual fans and copper heat pipes.

3. Screen: IPS panel with 100% sRGB for designers, 300 nits brightness for outdoor work.

4. Battery: At least 60 Wh capacity for 8+ hours of battery life.

5. Memory and SSD: 16 GB DDR4/3200 MHz + NVMe SSD 512 GB (minimum).

Examples of 2025 Models:

- Dell XPS 13 (9315): $1099, 1.2 kg, 14-inch 4K display.

- Acer Swift 5: $899, 1.4 kg, touchscreen display.

Final Conclusion

The Intel Core i7-11390H is an ideal choice for those who value portability but do not want to compromise on performance for everyday tasks. It is suitable for:

- Students for studying and entertainment.

- Office workers dealing with large data volumes.

- Travelers needing a lightweight laptop with long battery life.

Key Advantages: Powerful single-threaded performance, decent graphics without a discrete GPU, compatibility with the Windows ecosystem. If your tasks do not demand 8+ cores, the i7-11390H remains a compelling option even in 2025.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

June 2021

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.

i7-11390H

Code Name

Tiger 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.

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 Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

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

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.

Yes

L3 Cache

12 MB

CPU Socket

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

FCBGA1449

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.

10 nm SuperFin

TDP

28 W

Max. Operating Temperature

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

100°C

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

Microprocessor PCIe Revision

Gen 4

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.

DDR4-3200 | LPDDR4x-4267

Max Memory Size

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

64 GB

Memory Channels

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

Bus Speed

4 GT/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® Iris® Xe Graphics eligible

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.

1.40 GHz

DirectX Support

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

12.1

Execution Units

The Execution Unit is the foundational building block of Intel’s graphics architecture. Execution Units are compute processors optimized for simultaneous Multi-Threading for high throughput compute power.

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.

4096x2304@60Hz

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.

7680x4320@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.

4096x2304@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

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

eDP 1.4b | MIPI-DSI 2.0 | DP 1.4 | HDMI 2.0b

Miscellaneous

Intel Image Processing Unit

6.0

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 | Intel® AVX-512

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.

12 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 High Definition Audio

Yes

Intel Volume Management Device (VMD)

Intel® Volume Management Device (VMD) provides a common, robust method of hot plug and LED management for NVMe-based solid state drives.

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 Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

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 Control-Flow Enforcement Technology

CET - Intel Control-flow Enforcement Technology (CET) helps protect against the misuse of legitimate code snippets through return-oriented programming (ROP) control-flow hijacking attacks.

Yes

Intel Deep Learning Boost (Intel DL Boost)

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.

4.6

OpenCL Support

OpenCL (Open Computing Language) is a multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for heterogeneous parallel programming.

3.0

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

1986

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

5462

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

1296

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

3817

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2904

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

10099

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Ryzen 9 5900X

2174 +9.5%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5965WX

2073 +4.4%

Core i7-11390H

1986

Core i9-11900H

1886 -5%

Core i9-10900K

1753 -11.7%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i5-1245UL

6224 +14%

Xeon W-2133

5775 +5.7%

Core i7-11390H

5462

Xeon E-2278GE

5160 -5.5%

Ryzen 5 5625C

4866 -10.9%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Ryzen 5 7535U

1404 +8.3%

EPYC 9334

1341 +3.5%

Core i7-11390H

1296

Core i7-10875H

1261 -2.7%

Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U

1214 -6.3%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i3-9350K

4259 +11.6%

Core i3-10320

4014 +5.2%

Core i7-11390H

3817

Xeon E3-1280 v6

3676 -3.7%

Xeon W3690

3556 -6.8%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Ryzen 7 5825U

3059 +5.3%

Ryzen 9 5900H

2977 +2.5%

Core i7-11390H

2904

Core i5-1250PE

2823 -2.8%

Core i7-7740X

2764 -4.8%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core 3 100U

11049 +9.4%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

10559 +4.6%

Core i7-11390H

10099

Core i3-1215UE

9643 -4.5%

Core i5-8400

9241 -8.5%