Intel Core i5-8600 vs Intel Core i7-9850HE Comparison

Intel Core i5-8600 vs Intel Core i7-9850HE pits a desktop Coffee Lake chip against a mobile Coffee Lake-HR part, and the benchmark data shows a surprisingly consistent, though narrow, victory for the desktop processor across every single test. The i5-8600 wins all six head-to-head Cinebench comparisons, with the largest margins appearing in multi-core workloads, where it leads by 1.4% in R15, R20, and R23. The i7-9850HE, despite having double the threads (12 vs 6), cannot overcome the i5-8600's higher base clock of 3.10 GHz versus 2.70 GHz, and the results stay remarkably tight throughout.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive wins for the i5-8600 come in the multi-core tests, where the extra threads of the i7-9850HE should theoretically give it an edge. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i5-8600 scores 855 against 843 for the i7-9850HE, a 1.4% delta. That pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multicore, with the i5-8600 posting 3564 versus 3515, again a 1.4% advantage. The gap widens slightly in Cinebench R23 multicore, where the i5-8600 hits 8486 and the i7-9850HE reaches 8370; the 116-point difference translates to the same 1.4% delta, showing a consistent throughput advantage for the desktop part.

Single-core performance tells a similar story, though the margins are even tighter. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the i5-8600 scores 120 versus 119, a 0.8% delta — the smallest margin of any test. The R20 single-core test shows the i5-8600 at 503 against 496, a 1.4% lead, while R23 single-core has the i5-8600 at 1198 and the i7-9850HE at 1181, also 1.4%. The consistency of that 1.4% delta across five of six tests suggests the i5-8600's higher base clock is the deciding factor, as both chips share the same 14 nm process, same 9 MB of shared L3 cache, and identical per-core L1 and L2 cache sizes.

Looking at the broader benchmark landscape, the i5-8600 holds an average benchmark score of 2454, placing it in the 48th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-1125G4 at 2451 (0.1% behind) and the Intel Xeon D-1541 at 2447 (0.3% behind), putting it in a dense cluster of mid-range performers. The i7-9850HE, with an average score of 2421, also sits in the 48th percentile, but its closest competitors are slightly different: the Intel Core i5-8500B at 2423 (0.1% ahead) and the AMD Ryzen 5 4680U at 2424 (0.1% ahead). This means the i7-9850HE is actually trailing its nearest rivals, while the i5-8600 leads its own comparison group.

The head-to-head data is unambiguous: the i5-8600 wins every benchmark, but the practical differences are minimal. In real-world terms, a 1.4% multi-core delta is within run-to-run variance for many workloads, and the 0.8% single-core margin is nearly imperceptible. The i7-9850HE's 12 threads do not translate into a win anywhere, which is notable given that hyper-threading typically benefits heavily threaded applications. The i5-8600's higher base clock (3.10 GHz vs 2.70 GHz) appears to compensate fully for the thread deficit, and its higher boost clock (4.30 GHz vs 4.40 GHz) is only slightly lower, meaning the desktop part sustains better performance across the board.

The Verdict

From the data alone, the Intel Core i5-8600 is the faster processor in every measured scenario. If you are choosing purely on benchmark performance, the i5-8600 is the clear pick, as it wins all six Cinebench tests and holds a higher average benchmark score (2454 vs 2421). The i7-9850HE never takes a single win, and its thread advantage fails to materialize into any performance edge. The i5-8600 also carries a launch MSRP of $213, which can be stated once as a reference point.

However, the context matters. The i5-8600 is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1151, designed for fixed systems with a 65 W TDP, while the i7-9850HE is a mobile chip on Intel BGA 1440 with a 45 W TDP. If the use case is a compact or battery-powered system, the i7-9850HE's lower TDP and mobile socket make it the only viable option between the two, despite its slightly lower scores. The benchmark deltas are small enough — 1.4% or less in every test — that the i7-9850HE's efficiency advantage could be more valuable than the i5-8600's raw performance in power-constrained environments.

For a desktop builder, the i5-8600 is the obvious choice, as it outperforms the i7-9850HE in every workload while offering a comparable feature set. For a mobile system integrator, the i7-9850HE is the only realistic selection, and the performance gap is small enough that most users would not notice the difference. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is not a differentiator. Both are end-of-life products, and both sit in the 48th percentile of all CPUs, meaning they are squarely mid-range in today's landscape.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the most benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-8600 wins all six head-to-head Cinebench tests, with a 1.4% lead in five of them and a 0.8% lead in the remaining single-core R15 test. The i7-9850HE does not win a single benchmark.

Q: How much faster is the i5-8600 in multi-core workloads?

A: The i5-8600 leads by 1.4% in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core tests. The scores are 855 vs 843 in R15, 3564 vs 3515 in R20, and 8486 vs 8370 in R23.

Q: Does the i7-9850HE's 12 threads help it in any test?

A: No. Despite having 12 threads versus the i5-8600's 6 threads, the i7-9850HE loses every multi-core test by 1.4%. The i5-8600's higher base clock of 3.10 GHz versus 2.70 GHz appears to offset the thread disadvantage.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each CPU?

A: The i5-8600 has an average benchmark score of 2454, while the i7-9850HE scores 2421. Both place in the 48th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Are these processors in the same market segment?

A: No. The i5-8600 is a desktop processor on Intel Socket 1151 with a 65 W TDP, while the i7-9850HE is a mobile processor on Intel BGA 1440 with a 45 W TDP.

Q: What are the closest rivals to each chip?

A: The i5-8600's nearest rival is the Intel Core i3-1125G4 at 2451 average score (0.1% behind), followed by the Intel Xeon D-1541 at 2447 (0.3% behind). The i7-9850HE's nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-8500B at 2423 (0.1% ahead), with the AMD Ryzen 5 4680U at 2424 (0.1% ahead).

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specifications. The i5-8600 has 6 cores and 6 threads, while the i7-9850HE has 6 cores and 12 threads due to hyper-threading. Base clocks differ significantly: the i5-8600 runs at 3.10 GHz, while the i7-9850HE runs at 2.70 GHz. Boost clocks are closer, with the i5-8600 at 4.30 GHz and the i7-9850HE slightly higher at 4.40 GHz. The TDP is notably different, with the desktop i5-8600 rated at 65 W and the mobile i7-9850HE at 45 W.

The socket and market segment also diverge: the i5-8600 uses Intel Socket 1151 and targets the desktop market, while the i7-9850HE uses Intel BGA 1440 and is a mobile part. The die size differs slightly, at 154 mm² for the i5-8600 and 149 mm² for the i7-9850HE. The PCIe implementation also varies, with the i5-8600 offering Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the i7-9850HE lists simply Gen 3 without a lane count.

Other differences include the release date and part number. The i5-8600 was released on 2018-02-13 and has part number SR3X0, while the i7-9850HE has no release date listed and part number SRFED. The i5-8600 has a launch MSRP of $213, while the i7-9850HE has no listed launch MSRP. Both chips share the same manufacturer (Intel), architecture (Coffee Lake), process node (14 nm), foundry (Intel), and integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630).

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on Intel's Coffee Lake architecture, but they belong to different sub-families. The i5-8600 uses the Coffee Lake codename, while the i7-9850HE uses the Coffee Lake-HR codename, reflecting its mobile-optimized variant. The generation field shows "Core i5 (Coffee Lake)" for the desktop part and "Core i7 (Coffee Lake-HR)" for the mobile part, though both are built on the same 14 nm process at Intel's foundry.

The core and cache architecture is nearly identical. Both have 6 physical cores, 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 9 MB of shared L3 cache. The key architectural difference is threading: the i5-8600 runs 6 threads, while the i7-9850HE runs 12 threads, meaning the i7-9850HE supports hyper-threading and the i5-8600 does not. Both support DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration with identical 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth, and neither supports ECC memory.

The memory support, integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), and lack of an unlocked multiplier are shared traits. The i7-9850HE's lower TDP (45 W vs 65 W) and smaller die size (149 mm² vs 154 mm²) suggest a more power-efficient design, but the benchmark data shows this does not translate into a performance advantage. Neither chip has a v-cache or L3 cache total beyond the shared 9 MB, and both are marked as end-of-life production status.