Intel Core i7-1185G7E vs Intel Core i9-8950HK Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark split between these two mobile processors is unusually clean. The Intel Core i9-8950HK takes every Cinebench test across R15, R20, and R23, while the Intel Core i7-1185G7E sweeps both Geekbench tests. That is not a close overall split: the i9-8950HK wins 6 of 8 recorded comparisons, with the i7-1185G7E taking 2.

The i9-8950HK's advantage in Cinebench is consistent but modest. In every single Cinebench workload, regardless of single-core or multi-core variant, it leads by exactly 5.4%. That uniformity suggests a stable performance margin rather than a workload-specific quirk. The i7-1185G7E never gets within striking distance in these tests, but it also never falls much further behind than that fixed 5.4% gap.

The i7-1185G7E tells a different story in Geekbench. Its single-core score of 1756 beats the i9-8950HK's 1318 by 33.2%, a massive swing in the opposite direction. The multi-core Geekbench result is less extreme but still decisive: 5459 versus 4577, a 19.3% lead. These are not marginal wins; they are category-level differences.

So the use-case split is straightforward. Rendering workloads, at least as represented by Cinebench's ray-tracing engine, favor the older six-core i9-8950HK. General-purpose and integer-heavy tasks, as represented by Geekbench, favor the newer Tiger Lake part by a wide margin. Anyone choosing between these two should weigh which benchmark family better matches their actual workload.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from different eras and different design philosophies. The i7-1185G7E is a Tiger Lake-U part built on Intel's 10 nm process, while the i9-8950HK is a Coffee Lake-H part on 14 nm. That process gap explains much of the efficiency and single-thread behavior difference, even though both are mobile processors.

Core counts favor the i9-8950HK. It offers 6 cores and 12 threads, compared to the i7-1185G7E's 4 cores and 8 threads. That extra physical core count is the most likely reason for its Cinebench multi-core wins. The i7-1185G7E compensates with a newer Willow Cove core architecture, which shows up clearly in its Geekbench results.

Cache layouts also differ. The i7-1185G7E has 80 KB of L1 per core and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, with 12 MB of shared L3. The i9-8950HK has 64 KB of L1 per core and 256 KB of L2 per core, also with 12 MB of shared L3. The Tiger Lake part's much larger per-core L2 is notable, as it gives each core more local working space. The L3 totals match at 12 MB, so the shared cache is not a differentiator.

Clock speeds tell a nuanced story. The i9-8950HK has a higher base clock at 2.90 GHz versus 1.80 GHz, and a higher boost clock at 4.70 GHz versus 4.40 GHz. Despite that, the i7-1185G7E wins Geekbench single-core by a wide margin, which points to the architectural efficiency of Willow Cove over Coffee Lake at similar or lower clocks. The i9-8950HK is also an unlocked multiplier part, while the i7-1185G7E is locked.

Power and platform details differ sharply. The i7-1185G7E carries a 15 W TDP and uses the Intel BGA 1449 socket, while the i9-8950HK is rated at 95 W TDP on the Intel BGA 1440 socket. The i7-1185G7E supports both DDR4 and LPDDR4X memory in dual-channel mode, whereas the i9-8950HK only lists DDR4 support. The i7-1185G7E also brings PCIe Gen 4 with 4 CPU lanes, while the i9-8950HK has no PCIe specification recorded.

Integrated graphics diverge as well. The i7-1185G7E uses Iris Xe-LP Graphics G7 with 96 execution units, a much newer and larger GPU design. The i9-8950HK uses the older UHD 630. The i7-1185G7E's die is 144 mm² versus 149 mm² for the i9-8950HK, despite the former having fewer cores, which reflects the denser 10 nm process.

Production status separates the two further. The i7-1185G7E remains active, while the i9-8950HK is end-of-life. Release dates in the database place the i9-8950HK in April 2018 and the i7-1185G7E in September 2020. The i7-1185G7E has a recorded launch MSRP of $431; no launch MSRP is recorded for the i9-8950HK.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results are uniform enough to summarize in one breath: the i9-8950HK wins every variant by 5.4%. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 884 against 836. In R15 single-core, it scores 124 against 118. R20 multi-core gives 3686 versus 3487, and R20 single-core gives 520 versus 492. R23 multi-core gives 8777 versus 8303, and R23 single-core gives 1239 versus 1172. The delta is identical across all six, a rare consistency in recorded benchmark data.

The Geekbench results flip the script entirely. The i7-1185G7E's single-core score of 1756 crushes the i9-8950HK's 1318, a 33.2% advantage. That is the largest margin in the entire comparison by a wide margin. The multi-core Geekbench score of 5459 versus 4577 gives the i7-1185G7E a 19.3% lead, still substantial but less dramatic than the single-core result.

The average benchmark scores reflect these competing strengths. The i7-1185G7E posts an average of 2703 across all recorded tests, while the i9-8950HK averages 2641. The i7-1185G7E lands at the 50th percentile among all CPUs in the database, while the i9-8950HK sits at the 49th percentile. For context, the i7-1185G7E's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon E5-2640 v3 at an identical 2703 average, the Intel Core i7-8700T at 2701, and the Intel Core i5-1345UE at 2698, all within 0.2%. The i9-8950HK's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-5820K at 2642, the Intel Xeon E-2274G at 2643, and the Intel Core i7-1195G7 at 2638.

The story the numbers tell is one of trade-offs. The i9-8950HK dominates the Cinebench suite with a reliable 5.4% margin, but that advantage is small compared to the 33.2% single-core and 19.3% multi-core Geekbench deficits it suffers. The i7-1185G7E loses every Cinebench test narrowly, then wins the Geekbench tests by margins that dwarf those losses.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmarks overall?

A: The Intel Core i9-8950HK wins 6 of the 8 head-to-head comparisons, all of them Cinebench tests. The Intel Core i7-1185G7E wins the remaining 2, both Geekbench tests.

Q: How big is the i9-8950HK's Cinebench advantage?

A: The i9-8950HK leads by exactly 5.4% in every Cinebench test, from R15 multi-core to R23 single-core. The actual score differences range from 6 points in R15 single-core to 474 points in R23 multi-core.

Q: How large is the i7-1185G7E's Geekbench lead?

A: The i7-1185G7E leads by 33.2% in Geekbench single-core, scoring 1756 versus 1318. In Geekbench multi-core, it leads by 19.3%, scoring 5459 versus 4577.

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The i9-8950HK has 6 cores and 12 threads. The i7-1185G7E has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: Are these processors from the same generation?

A: No. The i7-1185G7E is a Tiger Lake-U part on Intel's 10 nm process, released in September 2020. The i9-8950HK is a Coffee Lake-H part on 14 nm, released in April 2018.

Q: Which processor has better integrated graphics?

A: The i7-1185G7E uses Iris Xe-LP Graphics G7 with 96 execution units. The i9-8950HK uses the older UHD 630.

Q: What are the TDP ratings?

A: The i7-1185G7E is rated at 15 W, while the i9-8950HK is rated at 95 W.

The Verdict

The choice between these two comes down to which benchmark family reflects your workload. If the task is rendering or other Cinebench-style multi-threaded work, the i9-8950HK is the pick. It wins all six Cinebench comparisons by a consistent 5.4%, and its extra two cores and four threads give it a structural advantage that no amount of architecture modernization closes in that suite.

If the task is general-purpose computing, the i7-1185G7E is the clear winner. Its Geekbench single-core lead of 33.2% is enormous, and its multi-core lead of 19.3% is decisive even against a chip with 50% more cores. For everyday responsiveness, application launches, and single-threaded productivity, the Tiger Lake architecture more than compensates for its lower core count.

The average benchmark scores slightly favor the i7-1185G7E at 2703 versus 2641, a difference of about 2.3%. The percentile rankings are nearly identical at 50th versus 49th. The i7-1185G7E is also the only one of the two still in active production, and it carries a launch MSRP of $431, while the i9-8950HK is end-of-life with no recorded launch MSRP.

For new system designs, the i7-1185G7E is the more sensible choice. It is smaller, at 144 mm² versus 149 mm², built on a newer 10 nm process, draws 15 W versus 95 W, supports LPDDR4X memory, offers PCIe Gen 4, and has a far more capable integrated GPU. The i9-8950HK's only recorded wins are the Cinebench suite, and even those are narrow at 5.4%.

For anyone specifically prioritizing Cinebench rendering performance in an existing Coffee Lake platform, the i9-8950HK delivers. But the data shows the i7-1185G7E wins the broader performance picture, with larger margins in its winning tests than the i9-8950HK can muster in any of its wins. The i9-8950HK wins more tests, but the i7-1185G7E wins the tests that matter more by a wider margin.