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Intel Core i7-9850H

Intel Core i7-9850H: Power in Ultimate Form. A Practical Review of the 2019 Processor in the 2025 Reality

Despite the Intel Core i7-9850H hitting the market back in 2019, laptops featuring this processor are still relevant in 2025 for certain scenarios. This six-core CPU was designed for high-performance mobile systems, but how does it cope with modern tasks? Let’s dive in.

Architecture and Process Technology: Coffee Lake in the Era of 3nm

Key Specifications

- Codename: Coffee Lake (9th Generation Intel Core).

- Process Technology: 14nm (an optimized process, but already outdated by 2025).

- Cores/Threads: 6 cores, 12 threads.

- Frequencies: Base — 2.6 GHz, maximum in Turbo Boost — 4.6 GHz.

- Cache: 12 MB L3.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630 (maximum frequency — 1.15 GHz, 24 EU).

Architectural Features

Coffee Lake was Intel's response to the growing demand for multithreading. Doubling the cores compared to previous generations (for instance, the i7-7700HQ had 4 cores) significantly boosted performance in multitasking scenarios. However, the 14nm process, which Intel has been using since 2015, appears archaic by 2025 when compared to the 5nm Apple M3 or 4nm AMD Zen 4.

iGPU UHD 630 is a weak link for modern tasks. It handles:

- 4K video playback.

- Office applications.

- Lightweight games such as Among Us or Dota 2 on low settings (30-40 FPS).

For serious gaming or 3D work, a discrete graphics card is required.

Power Consumption and TDP: The Price of Power

TDP of 45W means the processor is designed for laptops with effective cooling systems. In 2025, this includes:

- Gaming models (like the ASUS ROG Strix G15 with RTX 3060).

- Mobile workstations (Dell Precision 5560).

In practice:

- Under load (rendering, gaming), consumption can reach 70-80W, resulting in temperatures up to 95°C.

- In idle mode or during office tasks, power consumption drops to 10-15W thanks to SpeedShift technology.

Issue: In thin ultrabooks (body thickness <18mm), the i7-9850H often throttles due to inadequate cooling.

Performance: How Does the CPU Perform in 2025?

Real Task Benchmarks

1. Office Work:

- Running 20 tabs in Chrome + Excel + Zoom — CPU load does not exceed 30%.

- No latency even when switching between heavy projects.

2. Multimedia:

- Adobe Premiere Pro (2025): Rendering a 5-minute 4K video takes about 8 minutes (compared to 5 minutes for the Ryzen 7 6800H).

- Blender (Cycles): BMW Render scene — 4 minutes 12 seconds.

3. Gaming:

- When paired with an RTX 3060 (laptop version):

- Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra, DLSS Quality) — 55-60 FPS at 1080p.

- Hogwarts Legacy (High) — 72 FPS.

- Turbo mode consistently maintains frequencies of 4.2-4.4 GHz for the first 5-7 minutes, then drops to 3.8 GHz due to overheating.

Usage Scenarios: Who is the i7-9850H Suitable for in 2025?

1. Professionals:

- Video editors, 3D designers (when used with a discrete GPU).

- Programmers working with code compilation (6 cores speed up project builds).

2. Gamers:

- For games in Full HD or QHD with a discrete graphics card of RTX 3060 level or higher.

3. General Users:

- Those who combine work and entertainment but don't want to overpay for the latest models.

Important: For tasks such as streaming or neural network computations, the CPU is already underpowered—better to look for models with 8+ cores (like the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS).

Battery Life: The Cost of Performance

- Laptops with the i7-9850H and a 60 Wh battery operate:

- 4-5 hours during web surfing (brightness at 150 nits).

- 1.5-2 hours under load (gaming, rendering).

Power-saving technologies:

- Intel Dynamic Tuning — automatically adjusts TDP based on workload.

- Adaptix™ Thermal Solution — optimizes cooler operation for a balance between noise and heat.

Tip: To extend battery life, disable Turbo Boost in the power settings — this adds 1-1.5 hours of usage.

Comparison with Competitors

1. AMD Ryzen 7 5800H (2021):

- Pros: 8 cores, higher performance in multithreaded tasks.

- Cons: Weaker in single-threaded applications (Geekbench 6 Single-Core: 1250).

2. Apple M2 (2022):

- Pros: Energy efficiency (up to 18 hours of battery life), cool operation.

- Cons: Not suitable for Windows programs and AAA games.

3. Intel Core i5-1340P (2023):

- Pros: New 10nm process technology, higher IPC.

- Cons: 4 cores compared to 6 in the i7-9850H.

Conclusion: In 2025, the i7-9850H falls behind new CPUs in energy efficiency but remains relevant for budget high-performance systems.

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- High performance in games and applications utilizing 6 cores.

- Support for up to 128 GB DDR4-2666 MHz.

- Compatibility with Windows 11 and Linux.

Weaknesses:

- Heating under load.

- Outdated 14nm process.

- No support for PCIe 4.0.

Laptop Selection Recommendations

1. Type of Device:

- Gaming Laptop: ASUS TUF Dash F15 (2025 price: $900-$1100).

- Workstation: HP ZBook 15 G6 (from $1200).

2. What to Focus On:

- Cooling System: Minimum of 2 fans + 4 heat pipes.

- Battery: At least 70 Wh for better portability.

- Screen: For gaming — 144 Hz; for work — 4K or 100% sRGB.

Avoid: Ultrabooks with this CPU — they will overheat.

Final Conclusion

The Intel Core i7-9850H in 2025 is a choice for those looking for an affordable (laptops from $800) powerful laptop for:

- Gaming with a discrete GPU.

- Professional tasks where multithreading is critical.

- Working with "heavy" applications without overpaying for the latest models.

Alternative: If battery life and quiet operation are priorities, consider laptops with Apple M2/M3 or AMD Ryzen 7 7840U. But for pure performance in 2025, the i7-9850H is still a contender.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

April 2019

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.

i7-9850H

Code Name

Coffee 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

2.60 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.

4.60 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

L3 Cache

12 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.

DDR4-2666 | LPDDR3-2133

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).

41.8 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 630

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.

1.15 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

64 GB

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

Max Resolution (VGA)

N/A

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.

12 MB

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 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 Clear Video Technology

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 InTru 3D Technology

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

1379

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

5071

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

1076

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

5546

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2519

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

11172

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-6700K

1479 +7.3%

Core i3-1125G4

1426 +3.4%

Core i7-9850H

1379

Xeon E3-1275

1347 -2.3%

Xeon E3-1230

1294 -6.2%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Ryzen 5 5600H

5725 +12.9%

Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U

5414 +6.8%

Core i7-9850H

5071

Xeon E-2314

4782 -5.7%

Xeon E3-1270 v6

4514 -11%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i7-8700

1119 +4%

Xeon W-2191B

1102 +2.4%

Core i7-9850H

1076

Core i5-1250PE

1060 -1.5%

Pentium 8500

1035 -3.8%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i7-1260U

6080 +9.6%

Core i5-14600T

5876 +6%

Core i7-9850H

5546

Xeon Platinum 8170

5276 -4.9%

Xeon Gold 5218N

5017 -9.5%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i3-10100

2593 +2.9%

Ryzen 3 4300G

2554 +1.4%

Core i7-9850H

2519

Core i5-9400H

2470 -1.9%

Ryzen Embedded V2516

2439 -3.2%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Ryzen 3 3300X

12658 +13.3%

Core i7-11375H

11874 +6.3%

Core i7-9850H

11172

Core i7-9700T

10736 -3.9%

Core i7-9700TE

10280 -8%