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Intel Core i9-11950H

Intel Core i9-11950H: A Powerful Processor for Professionals and Gamers. Practical Review of 2025

Introduction: Why Is the Intel Core i9-11950H Still Relevant in 2025?

Despite the release of new generations of processors, the Intel Core i9-11950H remains a sought-after solution for those seeking a balance between performance and mobility. This chip, released in 2021, is still found in premium laptops and workstations. Let's explore who it is suitable for in 2025 and what tasks it can tackle.

Architecture and Process Technology: 10 nm SuperFin and 8 Cores

The Intel Core i9-11950H processor is built on the Tiger Lake-H architecture and the 10-nanometer SuperFin process technology, which has been a breakthrough for Intel. This technology has reduced power consumption and increased clock speeds due to improved transistor structure.

Key Specifications:

- Cores and Threads: 8 cores, 16 threads.

- Frequencies: Base — 2.6 GHz, maximum in Turbo Boost — 5.0 GHz (single core).

- Cache: L3 — 24 MB.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics for the 11th generation (32 EU, frequency up to 1.45 GHz).

Architectural Features:

- PCIe 4.0 Support: Up to 20 lanes, critical for fast SSDs and external GPUs.

- Thunderbolt 4: Allows the connection of up to four 4K monitors or external drives at speeds up to 40 Gbps.

- AI Acceleration: Intel DL Boost instructions optimize neural network operations in photo and video processing applications.

iGPU: The integrated UHD graphics are suitable for office tasks and light gaming (for example, CS:GO on medium settings delivers 40-50 FPS), but serious gaming requires a discrete graphics card.

Power Consumption and TDP: 35 Watts with Caveats

The nominal TDP of the processor is 35 W, but in reality, it can consume up to 65-80 W in Turbo Boost mode. This creates two key nuances:

1. Heat Generation: An effective cooling system is needed for stable operation. In thin ultrabooks, clock speeds may decrease due to overheating.

2. Performance Balance: In laptops with improved cooling (for example, the MSI GE76 Raider), the processor lives up to its potential but increases the weight and thickness of the device.

Performance: From Office Work to Gaming

Office Tasks and Multimedia:

- Chrome with 50+ tabs + Zoom + Excel: The processor handles this without lag thanks to its 16 threads.

- 4K Editing in DaVinci Resolve: Rendering a 10-minute video takes about 12 minutes (for comparison, Apple M1 Pro does it in about 9 minutes).

Gaming:

- Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, low settings) + NVIDIA RTX 3060: 55-60 FPS.

- Turbo Boost in Games: Frequencies remain at 4.2-4.5 GHz, but after 30-40 minutes of play, throttling starts in compact cases.

Turbo Mode: Pros and Cons

- Peak Performance: In short-term tasks (like code compilation), it speeds up operations by 25-30%.

- Thermal Risks: In laptops without vapor/heat pipes (for example, Dell XPS 15), Turbo Boost is almost inactive.

Use Cases: Who Needs the i9-11950H?

1. Professionals: Video editors, programmers, CAD engineers.

2. Gamers: For gaming when paired with discrete graphics (RTX 3060 and above).

3. Mobile Users: Those who need power in a compact design (for example, Razer Blade 15).

Example: A laptop based on the i9-11950H priced at $1500-1800 (2025) presents an alternative to more expensive models with Intel Core i7-13700H.

Battery Life: How Long Will the Battery Last?

- Average Runtime: 5-7 hours under moderate load (web browsing, office work).

- Power-saving Technologies:

- Intel Speed Shift: Dynamically adjusts frequencies based on load.

- Adaptix Thermal Framework: Manages fans to minimize noise.

Tip: To extend battery life, disable Turbo Boost in the power settings—this can add 1-2 hours of use.

Comparison with Competitors: AMD, Apple, and Previous Generations

AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX (2021):

- Pros: Better multithreaded performance (+15% in Cinebench R23).

- Cons: Weaker in single-threaded tasks (-10% in Geekbench 6).

Apple M1 Pro (2021):

- Pros: Battery life up to 12 hours, silent operation.

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

Intel Core i7-11800H (2021):

- Lags behind by 12-18% in multithreaded scenarios due to smaller cache.

Pros and Cons of the Processor

Strengths:

- High single-thread performance.

- Support for Thunderbolt 4 and PCIe 4.0.

- Optimal for hybrid tasks (gaming + work).

Weaknesses:

- Demands effective cooling.

- Integrated graphics fall short compared to AMD Radeon 680M.

- In 2025, it may seem excessive for basic tasks (like office work).

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

1. Type of Device:

- Gaming Laptop: ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 (price starting from $1600).

- Workstation: Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (price starting from $1900).

- Ultrabook: HP Spectre x360 (price starting from $1400, but throttling may occur).

2. What to Pay Attention To:

- Cooling System: At least two fans and four heat pipes.

- Battery: Minimum of 80 Wh for 6+ hours of autonomy.

- Display: For professional work—a 4K display with 100% sRGB color coverage.

Final Conclusion: Is It Worth Getting a Laptop with i9-11950H in 2025?

This processor is suitable for those who:

- Seek a balance between price and performance: On the second-hand market, laptops with i9-11950H are priced 20-30% lower than similar models with new chips.

- Work with "heavy" applications: For example, AutoCAD or Premiere Pro.

- Value versatility: The ability to game and work without compromises.

Key Benefits: Power for multitasking, support for modern interfaces, and relative affordability in 2025. However, if battery life and quiet operation are priorities—consider laptops with Apple Silicon or AMD Ryzen 7000.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

May 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.

i9-11950H

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 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.

5.00 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0

Yes

L3 Cache

24 MB

CPU Socket

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

FCBGA1787

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

35 W

Max. Operating Temperature

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

100°C

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.

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+1x4 | 2x8+1x4 | 1x8+3x4

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.

Up to 3200 MT/s

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).

51.2 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 11th 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.

1.45 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 | 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.

24 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 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 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.

4.6

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

1967

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

8295

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

1436

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

7361

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

3199

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

21379

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core Ultra 5 125U

2165 +10.1%

Xeon Gold 5412U

2065 +5%

Core i9-11950H

1967

EPYC 9124

1864 -5.2%

Xeon W-1290

1742 -11.4%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon E5-2699R v4

9227 +11.2%

Xeon w3-2425

8701 +4.9%

Core i9-11950H

8295

EPYC 7262

7810 -5.8%

Ryzen 9 5900H

7376 -11.1%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i7-1265UL

1575 +9.7%

Core i3-1220P

1505 +4.8%

Core i9-11950H

1436

Ryzen 5 5500

1371 -4.5%

Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U

1315 -8.4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i5-12400F

8138 +10.6%

Xeon E-2356G

7750 +5.3%

Core i9-11950H

7361

Core i5-10600KF

6985 -5.1%

Core i7-7800X

6578 -10.6%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Pentium Gold 8505

3321 +3.8%

Ryzen 7 6800H

3256 +1.8%

Core i9-11950H

3199

Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U

3109 -2.8%

Core i9-9900KS

3040 -5%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Ryzen 7 PRO 3700

22938 +7.3%

Ryzen 5 5600X3D

22115 +3.4%

Core i9-11950H

21379

Core i7-1280P

20599 -3.6%

Core i5-11600K

19647 -8.1%