Intel Core i7-10875H vs Intel Core i9-9880H Comparison

The Intel Core i9-9880H and Intel Core i7-10875H present a fascinating case study in generational overlap. Despite the i9’s higher tier designation, the benchmark data consistently favors the i7-10875H across every single head-to-head test. The i9-9880H, a Coffee Lake-HR part from 2019, appears to be decisively outpaced by the Comet Lake-H i7-10875H from 2020, which wins all eight comparative benchmarks. This suggests that architectural refinements and a higher boost clock can outweigh a tier-based naming hierarchy.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the data is the uniformity of the i7-10875H’s victory. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7 scores 1233 against the i9’s 1152, a 6.6% advantage. The single-core test in R15 shows a similar gap, with the i7 at 174 versus 162, a 6.9% lead. This trend continues in Cinebench R20, where the i7’s multicore score of 5138 surpasses the i9’s 4803 by 6.5%, and the single-core result of 725 beats 677 by 6.6%. The newer part maintains this exact margin in Cinebench R23, posting a multicore score of 12234 against 11437 and a single-core score of 1727 against 1614, both representing a 6.5% delta.

The Geekbench results tell a slightly different story. In the multicore test, the i7-10875H scores 6511, which is 4% ahead of the i9-9880H’s 6248. However, the single-core Geekbench gap narrows dramatically: the i7’s 1384 is only 0.9% higher than the i9’s 1372. This near-parity in Geekbench single-core performance, contrasted with the consistent 6.5-6.9% deficits in Cinebench, raises an interesting question about workload-specific behavior. The data implies that the i7’s advantage is most pronounced in sustained, heavily threaded workloads like Cinebench, while lighter or differently structured tasks in Geekbench see a much smaller benefit.

Given that the i7-10875H wins all eight head-to-head tests, the average benchmark scores are nearly identical, with the i9 at 3433 and the i7 at 3432. This statistical tie, despite the i7’s individual test victories, suggests that the i9’s 54th percentile ranking is buoyed by other factors not captured in this head-to-head set, or that the specific tests included here favor the i7’s architecture. The i7 also holds a 54th percentile ranking, meaning both processors sit at the same level relative to all CPUs in the database, yet their direct competition is not close.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R23 multicore, and by how much?

A: The Intel Core i7-10875H wins with a score of 12234, which is 6.5% higher than the Intel Core i9-9880H’s 11437.

Q: Is the single-core Geekbench performance similar between the two?

A: Yes, the difference is minimal. The i7-10875H scores 1384, while the i9-9880H scores 1372, resulting in a 0.9% lead for the i7.

Q: Do both processors have the same number of cores and threads?

A: Yes, both the i9-9880H and i7-10875H feature 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: What is the largest performance delta observed in any benchmark?

A: The largest delta is 6.9%, seen in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the i7-10875H’s 174 beats the i9-9880H’s 162.

Q: Are these processors in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both are in the 54th percentile when compared against all CPUs in the database.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i7-10875H has a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, while the Intel Core i9-9880H boosts to 4.80 GHz.

Architecture Differences

The two chips represent different architectural generations from Intel, built on the same 14 nm process node. The i9-9880H is based on the Coffee Lake architecture, specifically the Coffee Lake-HR codename, while the i7-10875H uses the newer Comet Lake architecture with the Comet Lake-H codename. This generational shift is evident in the die size: the i9 measures 149 mm², whereas the i7’s die is larger at 177.5 mm². This increase in physical size suggests a more complex design, potentially accommodating the higher boost clock of 5.10 GHz compared to the i9’s 4.80 GHz.

Both processors share identical cache hierarchies, with 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. They also use the same Intel BGA 1440 socket and support dual-channel DDR4 memory. However, there are subtle differences in memory bandwidth: the i9 offers 42.7 GB/s, while the i7 provides a higher 46.9 GB/s. Both have integrated graphics, with the i9 featuring UHD 630 and the i7 using a generic UHD Graphics solution. Neither supports ECC memory, and both are locked, meaning the multiplier is not unlocked.

The production statuses differ, as the i9-9880H is marked as End-of-life, while the i7-10875H is listed as Active. This suggests the i7 is the more current offering, which aligns with its newer release date of April 2020 versus April 2019 for the i9. The PCIe support is Gen 3 for both, but the i7 specifies 16 lanes (CPU only), while the i9 does not list a lane count. The process node remains 14 nm for both, indicating that Intel did not shrink the transistor size between these generations, relying instead on architectural tweaks to improve performance.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i7-10875H is the superior processor in every measurable way within this comparison. It wins all eight head-to-head benchmarks, with deltas ranging from 0.9% in Geekbench single-core to 6.9% in Cinebench R15 single-core. The i7’s higher boost clock and increased memory bandwidth likely contribute to these gains, but the fact that it also holds a 54th percentile ranking—identical to the i9—suggests that the i9’s average score is propped up by other tests not shown here. For anyone choosing between these two based on raw performance, the i7-10875H is the clear pick, offering a consistent 6.5% improvement in Cinebench workloads and a 4% gain in Geekbench multicore.

The i9-9880H, despite its higher tier name, does not have a single benchmark where it outperforms the i7. The only area where the i9 comes close is Geekbench single-core, where the 0.9% deficit is nearly negligible. This implies that for single-threaded tasks in Geekbench’s specific workload, the two are effectively equivalent. However, for any multi-threaded or Cinebench-based rendering work, the i7’s advantage is significant and consistent. The i9’s end-of-life status further reinforces that it is a legacy part, while the i7 remains active and relevant.

Specification Differences

The core specifications are largely identical, but several key fields diverge. The base clocks are the same at 2.30 GHz, but the boost clocks differ: the i9-9880H reaches 4.80 GHz, while the i7-10875H goes higher at 5.10 GHz. The architecture and codename differ, with the i9 using Coffee Lake (Coffee Lake-HR) and the i7 using Comet Lake (Comet Lake-H). The die size is another differentiator, with the i9 at 149 mm² and the i7 at 177.5 mm².

Memory bandwidth shows a gap, as the i9 provides 42.7 GB/s versus the i7’s 46.9 GB/s. The integrated graphics models are named differently (UHD 630 vs. UHD Graphics). The production status is a major difference, with the i9 marked End-of-life and the i7 marked Active. The release dates are roughly one year apart, with the i9 launching on 2019-04-22 and the i7 on 2020-04-01. The i7 has a launch MSRP of $450, which can be stated as such, while the i9 has no launch MSRP listed. The PCIe specification notes 16 lanes for the i7 only, and the i9 does not have this detail. Both share the same socket, process node, core count, thread count, cache sizes, and TDP of 45 W.

Where Each One Wins

Given the data, the Intel Core i7-10875H wins in every head-to-head test. Its most pronounced victories are in single-core Cinebench benchmarks, where it leads by 6.9% in R15 and 6.6% in R20, suggesting a clear advantage in tasks that rely on single-thread performance, such as legacy applications or lightly threaded games. Its multicore Cinebench wins of 6.5-6.6% indicate strong performance in rendering and video encoding workloads that scale across all 8 cores. The 4% Geekbench multicore lead reinforces this, showing that the i7 handles parallel tasks more efficiently.

The Intel Core i9-9880H, while losing all benchmarks, does have a narrow margin in Geekbench single-core, where it trails by only 0.9%. This suggests that in specific single-threaded workloads that resemble Geekbench’s test, the i9 is nearly on par with the i7. However, this is a slim consolation. The i9’s strengths are not evident in this data set; it does not win a single test. Its average benchmark score of 3433 is essentially tied with the i7’s 3432, but the specific tests included here show a consistent i7 advantage. For users prioritizing maximum multi-core throughput or any Cinebench-based rendering, the i7-10875H is the definitive choice, while the i9-9880H only offers marginal competitiveness in narrow single-thread scenarios.