Intel Core i7-13850HX vs Intel Core i9-13980HX Comparison

The Intel Core i9-13980HX and Intel Core i7-13850HX are both Raptor Lake-HX mobile processors, but the benchmark data reveals a consistent and significant performance gulf between them. Across every single head-to-head test, the i9-13980HX emerges victorious, with the i7-13850HX failing to secure a single win in the 17 direct comparisons. The overall average benchmark scores are remarkably close, with the i9 at 50944 and the i7 at 50827, a mere 0.2% difference, yet this masks the consistent per-workload superiority of the higher-tier chip.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most dramatic disparities appear in multi-threaded and heavily parallel workloads. In the PassMark integer math test, the i9-13980HX scores 166455 against the i7's 126852, a 31.2% advantage. This pattern repeats in floating-point math, where the i9's 118645 outpaces the i7's 92369 by 28.4%. Data compression is another clear win, with the i9 producing a score of 588306 versus 441525, a 33.2% lead, while random string sorting shows the i9 at 66125 against 49198, a 34.4% gap. Even the more specialized PassMark data encryption test favors the i9 significantly, with a score of 35332 compared to the i7's 26062, representing a 35.6% advantage—the largest single delta in the entire comparison.

Cinebench results echo this multi-core dominance. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i9 scores 39433 against the i7's 31346, a 25.8% improvement. This exact 25.8% delta repeats across Cinebench R15 multi-core (3974 vs 3159), R20 multi-core (16561 vs 13165), and all three single-core variants: R15 (561 vs 445), R20 (2338 vs 1858), and R23 (5567 vs 4425). The consistency of that 25.8% figure across both single and multi-threaded Cinebench tests is striking, suggesting a fundamental clock-for-clock advantage rather than a scaling effect from additional cores.

Single-threaded performance shows a smaller but still decisive gap. In PassMark single-thread, the i9 scores 4252 versus the i7's 3769, a 12.8% lead. The PassMark physics test shows the narrowest margin, with the i9 at 2575 and the i7 at 2483, just a 3.7% difference. Similarly, the find prime numbers test is nearly a tie, with the i9 scoring 191 against the i7's 184, a 3.8% delta. These smaller gaps indicate that while the i9 has a clear advantage in raw single-core speed, the biggest differentiator between these two processors lies in their ability to handle heavy multi-threaded loads.

The Verdict

The data presents an unambiguous picture: the Intel Core i9-13980HX is the superior processor in every measured benchmark. With a perfect 17-0 win record, there is no workload category where the i7-13850HX matches or exceeds the i9. The i9's average benchmark score of 50944 places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, while the i7's score of 50827 lands in the 93rd percentile. Despite the i7 being a strong performer in its own right, the i9 consistently delivers between 3.7% and 35.6% higher scores depending on the task.

The i7-13850HX's closest rival in the data is not the i9, but the AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT, which has an average score of 50738, putting the i7 0.2% ahead. The i9, meanwhile, only leads the Ryzen 9 5900XT by 0.4% and the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 by 0.7%. This suggests that while the i9 is clearly the top performer in this head-to-head, both chips are extremely close in overall average performance to a cluster of other high-end desktop and mobile processors, with all deltas under 1%. The choice between the i9 and i7, however, is not close at all—the i9 wins every single direct comparison.

Where Each One Wins

Given the sweep, the i9-13980HX is the pick for any workload that prioritizes maximum throughput. Its largest wins are in data encryption (35.6%), random string sorting (34.4%), and data compression (33.2%), making it the obvious choice for content creation, data analysis, compression tasks, and any application that leverages multi-core parallelism. The 25.8% lead across all Cinebench tests—both single and multi-core—indicates that rendering, 3D modeling, and video encoding will see substantial benefits from choosing the i9. Even in integer math (31.2% lead) and floating-point math (28.4% lead), the i9 is decisively faster, which matters for scientific computing and engineering simulations.

The i7-13850HX, while losing every comparison, still demonstrates respectable absolute performance. Its PassMark multithread score of 36870 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 31346 are not weak numbers; they simply fall short of the i9. Where the i7 comes closest to the i9 is in the PassMark physics test (3.7% gap) and find prime numbers test (3.8% gap). These are workloads that are less dependent on raw core count and more sensitive to memory latency or specific instruction efficiency. For users whose primary applications resemble these lighter, more integer-focused tasks, the i7 would lose very little performance relative to the i9, though it still loses. The i7's single-thread PassMark score, 12.8% behind the i9, still keeps it competitive for general desktop responsiveness and lightly-threaded legacy applications.

FAQ

Q: Does the Intel Core i9-13980HX ever lose to the i7-13850HX in any benchmark?

A: No. In the 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, the i9-13980HX wins all 17, leaving the i7 with 0 wins.

Q: What is the largest performance difference between the two processors?

A: The largest delta is in the PassMark data encryption test, where the i9-13980HX scores 35332 against the i7-13850HX's 26062, a 35.6% advantage.

Q: How do the two chips compare in single-threaded performance?

A: The i9-13980HX leads in all single-thread tests. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 5567 versus 4425, a 25.8% lead. In PassMark single-thread, it scores 4252 versus 3769, a 12.8% lead.

Q: Are there any benchmarks where the two processors are nearly tied?

A: Yes, the PassMark find prime numbers test is the closest, with the i9 scoring 191 and the i7 scoring 184, a 3.8% difference. The PassMark physics test is also close, with a 3.7% delta (2575 vs 2483).

Q: How do their overall average benchmark scores compare?

A: The i9-13980HX has an average benchmark score of 50944, while the i7-13850HX scores 50827. This is a 0.2% difference in favor of the i9.

Q: Which processor has a higher percentile ranking among all CPUs?

A: The i9-13980HX is in the 94th percentile, while the i7-13850HX is in the 93rd percentile.

Architecture Differences

Both processors share the same fundamental Raptor Lake architecture and Raptor Lake-HX codename, built on Intel's 10 nm process node with a die size of 257 mm². The critical architectural divergence is in core configuration. The i9-13980HX features 24 cores and 32 threads, while the i7-13850HX has 20 cores and 28 threads. This difference of four cores and four threads directly explains the i9's substantial multi-threaded benchmark advantage. The cache hierarchy also differs: both have 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 2 MB of L2 cache per core, but the shared L3 cache is 36 MB on the i9 versus 30 MB on the i7. This additional 6 MB of L3 cache on the i9 likely contributes to its superior performance in data-heavy workloads like compression and random string sorting.

Both chips are built on the same node and foundry, use the Intel BGA 1964 socket, and have a 55 W TDP. They both support DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, include UHD Graphics 770 integrated graphics, and feature PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes. Both support ECC memory and have an unlocked multiplier. The production status for both is active, and they share the same release date. The key architectural takeaway is that the i9 is a more fully-featured die with more cores, more threads, and a larger last-level cache, all of which contribute to its consistent benchmark victories.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal only a few differences between the two processors. The most obvious is core and thread count: the i9-13980HX has 24 cores and 32 threads, while the i7-13850HX has 20 cores and 28 threads. Clock speeds differ as well, with the i9's base clock at 2.20 GHz and boost clock at 5.60 GHz, compared to the i7's 2.10 GHz base and 5.30 GHz boost. The L3 cache size is different, at 36 MB for the i9 and 30 MB for the i7. The launch MSRP also differs: the i9-13980HX has a launch MSRP of $668, while the i7-13850HX has a launch MSRP of $428.

All other specification fields are identical. Both use the Intel BGA 1964 socket, have a 55 W TDP, and are manufactured by Intel on a 10 nm process with a 257 mm² die size. They share the same memory support (DDR4 and DDR5, dual-channel), the same PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes, the same UHD Graphics 770 integrated GPU, and the same ECC memory support. Both are mobile market segment parts with an active production status, released on the same date. The part numbers differ (SRME9 for the i9, SRMEA for the i7), but the architecture, codename, generation, and foundry are identical. The data suggests that the i9's higher core count, elevated clock speeds, and larger cache are the sole differentiators driving its benchmark dominance.