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Intel Core i9-11980HK

Intel Core i9-11980HK: Power in a Compact Form Factor. A Comprehensive Review of the Flagship Mobile Processor

Introduction

The Intel Core i9-11980HK processor, introduced in 2021, remains a relevant solution for high-performance laptops. Despite the emergence of newer generations (such as Intel Meteor Lake), this model maintains its popularity due to a balanced power-output and compatibility. Let's explore who will benefit from this CPU in 2025 and which tasks it can handle.

1. Architecture and Process Technology: 10 nm SuperFin and Willow Cove

Cores, Threads, and Cache

The Core i9-11980HK is built on the Willow Cove architecture and the 10 nm SuperFin process technology. It features 8 cores with 16 threads, making it ideal for multitasking. The base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with a maximum turbo frequency of 5.0 GHz (for a single core). All cores can boost up to 4.5 GHz with adequate cooling.

Architecture Features

- L3 Cache 24 MB — reduces latency when working with data.

- PCIe 4.0 Support — 20 lanes for fast SSDs and discrete graphics.

- Intel UHD Integrated Graphics for the 11th Generation — 32 EUs (Execution Units), supports 4K@60 Hz, HDMI 2.0b. It delivers 40-60 FPS at low settings for less demanding games (CS:GO, Dota 2).

2. TDP 45W: Power Consumption and Heat Management

Base TDP and Real-World Loads

The nominal TDP of 45W is an average figure. During turbo mode, power consumption can reach 65-85W, requiring an effective cooling system. For example, in the MSI GE76 Raider gaming laptop with two fans and six heat pipes, the processor maintains a stable 4.2 GHz under load.

Dynamic Management

Intel Dynamic Tuning 2.0 technology automatically adjusts power based on the task:

- In office applications, it reduces the frequency to 2.8 GHz to lower heat output.

- In gaming or rendering, it utilizes maximum power but requires active cooling.

3. Performance: From Office Tasks to 4K Rendering

Office and Multimedia

- Geekbench 6: 2071 (single-threaded), 9184 (multi-threaded). For comparison, the Ryzen 9 5900HX scores around ~1950/8900.

- Running 50 tabs in Chrome plus streaming 4K video — no lag.

Gaming

- Paired with an RTX 3080 (laptop version): Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra, DLSS) — 70-80 FPS at 1440p resolution.

- Turbo mode maintains stable FPS in CPU-intensive games (e.g., Microsoft Flight Simulator).

Professional Tasks

- Rendering a 10-minute video in Premiere Pro (4K, H.265) takes about 12 minutes compared to 15 minutes for the i7-11800H.

- In Blender (BMW scene) — 4 minutes 20 seconds, which is 18% faster than the Ryzen 9 5900HX.

4. Use Cases: Who Needs the i9-11980HK?

- Gamers: For gaming paired with discrete GPUs (RTX 3070 and above).

- Video Editors and 3D Designers: Faster rendering due to 16 threads.

- Streamers: Stream encoding through Quick Sync (hardware encoder built into iGPU).

- VR Users: Thunderbolt 4 support for headset connections.

5. Battery Life: The Price for Power

Battery and Energy Saving

Under light loads (web surfing, office tasks), a laptop with the i9-11980HK and a 90 Wh battery lasts about 5-6 hours. In maximum performance mode — 1.5-2 hours.

Energy Saving Technologies

- Intel Speed Shift: Switching between P-states in microseconds.

- Adaptix Dynamic Tuning: Machine learning for optimizing power consumption.

Tip: Disable Turbo Boost in Windows power settings to extend battery life by 20-30%.

6. Comparison with Competitors

AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX (Zen 3, 8 cores)

- Pros: Better multi-threaded performance (+10% in Cinebench R23).

- Cons: Weaker in single-threaded tasks (-15% in Geekbench 6).

Apple M1 Max (10 cores)

- Pros: 2-3 times better battery life, cool operation.

- Cons: Limited compatibility with Windows software.

Intel Core i9-12900HK (Alder Lake)

- Pros: +25% performance in multi-threaded scenarios.

- Cons: Higher price (laptops from $2200 compared to $1800 for the i9-11980HK).

7. Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Record single-threaded performance (relevant for gaming and Adobe Photoshop).

- Support for Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 6E.

- Overclocking capability (in models with unlocked BIOS).

Weaknesses:

- Heating up to 95°C under load (requires regular cleaning of coolers).

- High price of laptops (from $1800 for 2025 models).

8. How to Choose a Laptop with i9-11980HK?

- Gaming Laptop: Look for models with a GPU no less than RTX 3070 and a display of 144+ Hz (e.g., ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15, $1900).

- Workstation: Must have 32+ GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD (Dell XPS 17, $2100).

- Ultrabook: Beware! Thin chassis (e.g., Razer Blade 15) may throttle under sustained loads.

What to Pay Attention To:

- Number of heat pipes (minimum 4).

- Fan operation modes (adjustable via proprietary software).

- Screen matrix: IPS or OLED with 100% sRGB for color correction.

9. Final Conclusion

The Core i9-11980HK in 2025 is suitable for those who need maximum performance in a compact form factor. It is ideal for:

- Gamers, who value high FPS and mobility.

- Professionals, working with 3D graphics and 4K video.

- Enthusiasts, willing to tolerate heat for power.

Key Benefits:

- Best in its class IPC (outperforms even some 12th generation CPUs).

- Flexibility in use: from energy-efficient mode to extreme overclocking.

- Long-term relevance: Support for DDR4-3200 and PCIe 4.0 ensures longevity for 3-4 years.

If you are looking for a "future-proof" laptop and are willing to invest $1800-2500, the i9-11980HK remains a worthwhile option even in 2025.

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.

i9-11980HK

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

45 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

2071

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

9184

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

1513

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

8431

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

3287

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

22896

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-12700E

2252 +8.7%

Core i5-12500E

2168 +4.7%

Core i9-11980HK

2071

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX

1982 -4.3%

Ryzen 7 6800H

1877 -9.4%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i5-13600H

10485 +14.2%

Xeon Gold 6254

9765 +6.3%

Core i9-11980HK

9184

Core i5-1350P

8684 -5.4%

EPYC 7F32

8252 -10.1%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i7-11700F

1644 +8.7%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5945WX

1583 +4.6%

Core i9-11980HK

1513

Ryzen 7 6800H

1438 -5%

Ryzen 7 5800U

1376 -9.1%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Ryzen 7 5800X

9570 +13.5%

Xeon W-11955M

9004 +6.8%

Core i9-11980HK

8431

Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H

8006 -5%

Xeon Silver 4116T

7655 -9.2%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Ryzen 7 PRO 7840HS

3430 +4.4%

EPYC 9274F

3347 +1.8%

Core i9-11980HK

3287

Xeon Silver 4416+

3222 -2%

Ryzen 9 5900HS

3173 -3.5%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Xeon Gold 5415+

25012 +9.2%

Snapdragon X Plus

23650 +3.3%

Core i9-11980HK

22896

M1 Max

22081 -3.6%

Ryzen 7 7735U

21372 -6.7%