Intel Core i7-11700 vs Intel Core i9-11900H Comparison

The Intel Core i7-11700 and Intel Core i9-11900H present a fascinating study in architectural divergence despite sharing the same generation label and core count. Both processors offer 8 cores and 16 threads, but they are built for entirely different environments: the i7-11700 is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1200, while the i9-11900H is a mobile processor on Intel BGA 1787. The benchmark data shows a clear overall winner in the desktop chip, which claims 21 of 23 head-to-head tests, yet the two mobile-oriented tests where the i9-11900H prevails hint at specific strengths that matter for certain workloads. The average benchmark scores tell the story: the i7-11700 sits at 21891, while the i9-11900H trails at 21367, a difference of roughly 2.5 percent. Both occupy the 75th percentile against all CPUs, placing them in the same performance tier overall, but the distribution of wins reveals distinct personalities. This analysis examines where each processor excels, what the architectural differences mean for real-world performance, and which user should prioritize which chip based strictly on the recorded measurements.

The Verdict

The data points to the Intel Core i7-11700 as the superior choice for the vast majority of workloads. It wins 21 of 23 head-to-head comparisons, and its margins are often substantial, particularly in multi-threaded scenarios. The 3DMark 16-thread test shows the i7-11700 at 7624 against the i9-11900H's 6072, a 25.6 percent advantage. Similarly, 3DMark max-threads delivers 7640 versus 6109, a 25.1 percent lead. These are not marginal differences; they represent a significant performance gap in heavily threaded tasks. The i7-11700 also leads in every Cinebench test, with a consistent 4.4 percent edge in R23 multicore (17504 vs 16772) and R23 single-core (2471 vs 2367). For content creators running rendering workloads, the desktop chip is the clear pick.

However, the i9-11900H is not without its moments. It wins the PassMark find prime numbers test with 87 versus the i7-11700's 55, a 36.8 percent margin in favor of the mobile chip. It also takes PassMark physics at 953 versus 868, an 8.9 percent lead. These two wins suggest that the Tiger Lake architecture has specific advantages in integer-heavy mathematical operations and physics simulations. Users running such workloads, perhaps in scientific computing or certain game physics engines, would find the i9-11900H surprisingly competitive despite its lower overall scores. The mobile chip also has a much lower TDP of 35 watts versus 65 watts, making it the appropriate choice for battery-powered systems where thermal headroom is the primary constraint. The verdict: choose the i7-11700 for desktop performance, especially in rendering and general productivity. Choose the i9-11900H if the application depends on prime number calculations or physics processing, or if the system must be a laptop.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural families within Intel's 11th generation lineup. The i7-11700 uses Rocket Lake, built on a 14 nm process node, while the i9-11900H uses Tiger Lake-H, fabricated on a 10 nm node. This node difference is critical: the smaller 10 nm process allows the mobile chip to pack more cache into a smaller die. The i9-11900H has a die size of 190 mm², while the i7-11700 measures 276 mm², meaning the mobile chip fits more functionality into a physically smaller area. The cache configurations differ substantially. Both have 80 KB of L1 per core, but the i9-11900H has 1.25 MB of L2 per core versus 512 KB per core for the i7-11700. The L3 cache also favors the mobile chip: 24 MB shared versus 16 MB shared. This larger cache hierarchy likely explains the i9-11900H's wins in prime number finding and physics, as these workloads often benefit from data reuse within cache.

Despite these differences, both processors share several features. They both support DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, and both have the same UHD Graphics 750 integrated GPU. Both support PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes for the CPU, and neither supports ECC memory. The base clocks differ, with the i7-11700 at 2.50 GHz and the i9-11900H at 2.10 GHz, but the boost clocks are identical at 4.90 GHz. The i7-11700 has a TDP of 65 watts, while the i9-11900H is rated at 35 watts, reflecting the mobile chip's focus on efficiency. The launch MSRP for the i7-11700 is $323, and for the i9-11900H it is $546. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is not an option on either platform. The production status for both is end-of-life, and both were released in 2021, with the i7-11700 arriving in March and the i9-11900H in May.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: Both the Intel Core i7-11700 and the Intel Core i9-11900H have exactly 8 cores and 16 threads. The core count is identical, so any performance difference comes from clock speeds, cache, and architecture rather than raw core availability.

Q: What is the difference in single-threaded performance?

A: The i7-11700 leads in every single-threaded benchmark. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 2471 versus 2367 for the i9-11900H, a 4.4 percent advantage. PassMark single-thread shows 3263 versus 3102, a 5.2 percent lead. The desktop chip's higher base clock of 2.50 GHz versus 2.10 GHz contributes to this edge.

Q: Why does the i9-11900H win the PassMark find prime numbers test?

A: The i9-11900H scores 87 in PassMark find prime numbers, while the i7-11700 scores only 55, a 36.8 percent difference in favor of the mobile chip. This likely stems from the i9-11900H's larger cache hierarchy, including 1.25 MB of L2 per core and 24 MB of shared L3, which benefits workloads that repeatedly access a small dataset.

Q: Are these processors good for gaming?

A: The data shows the i7-11700 is stronger in 3DMark tests, which simulate gaming loads. In 3DMark 8-thread, it scores 5640 versus 5001, a 12.8 percent lead, and in 3DMark 4-thread, it scores 3413 versus 3104, a 10 percent advantage. The i9-11900H's higher PassMark physics score of 953 versus 868 suggests some physics-heavy games might favor the mobile chip, but overall the desktop part is better.

Q: What is the thermal design power difference?

A: The i7-11700 has a TDP of 65 watts, while the i9-11900H is rated at 35 watts. This makes the i9-11900H far more suitable for thin-and-light laptops where cooling is limited, though the lower TDP also means it cannot sustain the same level of performance as the desktop chip under sustained loads.

Q: Which processor has more cache?

A: The i9-11900H has more cache overall. It features 1.25 MB of L2 per core versus 512 KB for the i7-11700, and 24 MB of shared L3 versus 16 MB. The i7-11700 only equals the mobile chip in L1 cache, with both offering 80 KB per core.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specifications beyond their architectures. The process node is a major divergence: the i7-11700 uses 14 nm, while the i9-11900H uses 10 nm. This leads to a die size difference of 276 mm² for the desktop chip versus 190 mm² for the mobile chip. The socket types are completely different, with the i7-11700 using Intel Socket 1200 and the i9-11900H using Intel BGA 1787, meaning they are not interchangeable in any system. The base clock speeds differ, with the i7-11700 at 2.50 GHz and the i9-11900H at 2.10 GHz, though both boost to 4.90 GHz. The TDP is another major difference: 65 watts for the desktop chip versus 35 watts for the mobile chip. The cache hierarchy is different, as detailed above, with the i9-11900H having 1.25 MB of L2 per core and 24 MB of L3, while the i7-11700 has 512 KB of L2 per core and 16 MB of L3. The market segment differs, with the i7-11700 designed for desktops and the i9-11900H for mobile systems. The release dates also differ, with the i7-11700 launching on March 15, 2021, and the i9-11900H on May 10, 2021. The part numbers are SRKNS for the i7-11700 and SRKT7 for the i9-11900H.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest win for the i7-11700 comes in 3DMark 16-thread, where it scores 7624 against the i9-11900H's 6072, a 25.6 percent margin. The 3DMark max-threads test shows a similar gap: 7640 versus 6109, a 25.1 percent lead. These are the most dramatic differences in the entire dataset, indicating that the desktop chip handles heavily threaded workloads much better. The PassMark extended instructions test also shows a significant gap, with the i7-11700 at 18323 versus 16123, a 13.6 percent advantage. This suggests the desktop chip has stronger SIMD and instruction-level parallelism capabilities. The PassMark data compression test favors the i7-11700 by 10.1 percent (263563 versus 239366), and the 3DMark 8-thread test shows a 12.8 percent lead (5640 versus 5001). The i7-11700 also wins PassMark integer math by 9.3 percent (79687 versus 72882) and floating-point math by 7.6 percent (46369 versus 43094).

The i9-11900H's wins are isolated but notable. The PassMark find prime numbers test is its biggest victory, scoring 87 versus 55, a 36.8 percent margin. This is the single largest percentage difference in either direction across all benchmarks. The PassMark physics test also goes to the mobile chip, with 953 versus 868, an 8.9 percent lead. Beyond these two wins, the i9-11900H comes closest in PassMark multithread, where it scores 20162 against the i7-11700's 20672, a narrow 2.5 percent deficit. The Cinebench R15 multicore test is also close, with the i7-11700 at 1764 versus 1690, a 4.4 percent edge. The single-threaded margins are consistent but modest, with the i7-11700 leading by 3.5 percent in 3DMark single-thread (949 versus 917), 4.2 percent in Cinebench R15 single-core (248 versus 238), and 4.3 percent in R20 single-core (1037 versus 994).

Where Each One Wins

The i7-11700 dominates in multi-threaded and general-purpose workloads. Its 25.6 percent lead in 3DMark 16-thread and 25.1 percent in max-threads makes it the clear choice for video rendering, 3D modeling, and any task that can utilize all 16 threads. The 13.6 percent advantage in extended instructions means it handles AVX and other complex instruction sets better, which benefits scientific computing and high-performance computing applications. The 10.1 percent win in data compression indicates faster file archiving and compression tasks. The 9.3 percent lead in integer math and 7.6 percent in floating-point math show broad computational superiority. The i7-11700 also wins every single-threaded test, from 3DMark single-thread (3.5 percent) to PassMark single-thread (5.2 percent), making it better for applications that rely on single-core performance, such as many legacy games and office productivity suites. The 12.8 percent lead in 3DMark 8-thread suggests it handles modern games that use multiple cores more effectively.

The i9-11900H's wins are specific to workloads that benefit from its larger cache and different architecture. The 36.8 percent lead in find prime numbers suggests it excels in primality testing and related number-theoretic computations, which are common in cryptography and certain mathematical research. The 8.9 percent win in PassMark physics indicates it has an advantage in physics simulations, which could translate to better performance in physics-based game engines or scientific simulations that model physical systems. Additionally, the i9-11900H's lower TDP of 35 watts versus 65 watts means it is the only sensible choice for mobile platforms, even if its benchmark scores are generally lower. For users who need a laptop for occasional heavy computation but do not require maximum performance, the i9-11900H provides a capable option. The mobile chip also has more L2 and L3 cache, which could be advantageous for workloads with high data reuse, though the benchmark data only shows this manifesting in the two wins mentioned. For most users, the i7-11700 is the better processor, but the i9-11900H has a niche in specific mathematical and physics workloads where its architectural strengths overcome its clock speed and TDP disadvantages.