Intel Core i7-10870H vs Intel Core i9-9880H Comparison

The Intel Core i7-10870H and Intel Core i9-9880H are both 8-core, 16-thread mobile processors aimed at high-performance laptops, but they come from different generations of Intel's lineup. The i7-10870H is built on the Comet Lake architecture, while the i9-9880H uses the older Coffee Lake-HR design. Despite the i9's higher tier naming, benchmark data consistently shows the i7-10870H pulling ahead in every measured test, making it the stronger performer in this direct comparison. The data shows a clear generational uplift, with the i7-10870H winning all 8 head-to-head benchmark comparisons against the i9-9880H.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock speed?

A: The Intel Core i7-10870H has a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, which is higher than the Intel Core i9-9880H's boost clock of 4.80 GHz.

Q: Are both processors based on the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i7-10870H and Intel Core i9-9880H are manufactured on Intel's 14 nm process node.

Q: How do the two chips compare in multi-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i7-10870H leads in all multi-core tests, with the biggest margin seen in Geekbench multicore, where it scores 7357 compared to the i9-9880H's 6248, a 17.7% advantage.

Q: Do these processors support ECC memory?

A: No, both the Intel Core i7-10870H and the Intel Core i9-9880H do not support ECC memory.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: Both processors feature the same amount of L3 cache, with 16 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The Intel Core i7-10870H is listed as "Active," while the Intel Core i9-9880H is marked as "End-of-life."

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results present a one-sided picture. The Intel Core i7-10870H wins every single head-to-head benchmark comparison against the Intel Core i9-9880H, taking all 8 wins. This means there is no workload category where the i9-9880H comes out ahead in this dataset.

The i7-10870H's dominance is most pronounced in Geekbench multicore, where its 7357 score represents a substantial 17.7% lead over the i9-9880H's 6248. This suggests a significant advantage in heavily threaded applications like video rendering, 3D modeling, and software compilation. The single-core advantage is smaller but still consistent, with the i7-10870H leading by 5.2% in Geekbench single-core and 3.7% in Cinebench R23 single-core. For users prioritizing raw multi-threaded throughput, the i7-10870H is the clear choice based on the data. The i9-9880H, despite its higher-tier naming, does not secure a win in any of the eight compared tests.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent different architectural generations from Intel. The Intel Core i7-10870H is based on the Comet Lake architecture, specifically the Comet Lake-H codename, and belongs to the Core 10th Gen series. In contrast, the Intel Core i9-9880H utilizes the older Coffee Lake architecture, under the Coffee Lake-HR codename.

Despite the architectural generation gap, both CPUs are built on the same 14 nm process node by Intel. They also share identical core and cache configurations, with 8 cores, 16 threads, 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The key architectural difference lies in the newer Comet Lake design of the i7-10870H, which enables it to achieve higher clock speeds and better performance per clock in these benchmarks. The i9-9880H has a die size of 149 mm², a detail not provided for the i7-10870H. Both processors are locked, meaning they do not have an unlocked multiplier for overclocking.

Specification Differences

While the two processors share many core specifications, several key fields differ between them. The most critical difference is the boost clock, where the Intel Core i7-10870H reaches 5.00 GHz compared to the i9-9880H's 4.80 GHz. The base clock also differs, with the i7-10870H running at 2.20 GHz and the i9-9880H at 2.30 GHz, meaning the older chip starts at a slightly higher frequency but loses out on the top-end boost.

The architecture and generation are different, with the i7-10870H using Comet Lake and the i9-9880H using Coffee Lake. The release dates are also different, with the i7-10870H launching on 2020-09-16 and the i9-9880H on 2019-04-22. The production status field shows the i7-10870H as "Active" and the i9-9880H as "End-of-life." In terms of PCIe support, the i7-10870H specifies "Gen 3, 16 Lanes(CPU only)," while the i9-9880H lists only "Gen 3." The integrated graphics are also identified differently, with the i7-10870H having "UHD Graphics" and the i9-9880H having "UHD 630." The i9-9880H also has documented memory bus details (Dual-channel, 42.7 GB/s bandwidth) and a die size of 149 mm², while these are not listed for the i7-10870H. Finally, the part numbers differ: SRK3Y for the i7-10870H and SRFD1 for the i9-9880H.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite shows a consistent, narrow lead for the Intel Core i7-10870H across all versions. In Cinebench R15, the i7-10870H scores 1194 in multi-core and 168 in single-core, compared to the i9-9880H's 1152 and 162, resulting in 3.6% and 3.7% leads respectively. The pattern holds in Cinebench R20, where the i7-10870H scores 4977 multi-core and 702 single-core, versus 4803 and 677 for the i9-9880H, again showing 3.6% and 3.7% advantages. In Cinebench R23, the i7-10870H maintains its edge with scores of 11852 multi-core and 1673 single-core, against the i9-9880H's 11437 and 1614, keeping the same 3.6% and 3.7% margins.

The Geekbench results tell a more dramatic story. In Geekbench single-core, the i7-10870H scores 1443, which is 5.2% ahead of the i9-9880H's 1372. The gap widens significantly in Geekbench multicore, where the i7-10870H's score of 7357 towers over the i9-9880H's 6248, a massive 17.7% difference. This large delta in the multicore Geekbench test suggests that the newer Comet Lake architecture offers a substantial improvement in highly parallel workloads, far exceeding the modest gains seen in the Cinebench tests. Overall, the i7-10870H's performance advantage is consistent, but the magnitude varies from a minor 3.6% in most tests to a significant 17.7% in Geekbench multicore.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i7-10870H is the superior processor in this comparison. It wins all 8 benchmark comparisons with no losses. For users building or buying a laptop for multi-threaded productivity tasks, the i7-10870H offers a clear performance advantage, particularly in Geekbench multicore where it scores 17.7% higher. Its higher 5.00 GHz boost clock and newer Comet Lake architecture provide a tangible uplift over the i9-9880H's 4.80 GHz and older Coffee Lake-HR design.

The Intel Core i9-9880H, despite its "i9" branding, is a legacy part. Its performance is consistently lower across every benchmark, from a 3.6% deficit in Cinebench R23 multicore to a 17.7% gap in Geekbench multicore. While it does have a slightly higher base clock of 2.30 GHz compared to the i7-10870H's 2.20 GHz, this does not translate into any performance wins. Given that the i9-9880H is also marked as "End-of-life," the choice is straightforward. Anyone selecting between these two should choose the Intel Core i7-10870H, as the benchmark results indicate it is faster in every measured workload category.