Intel Core i7-4810MQ vs Intel Core i7-980 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a consistent and decisive sweep for the Intel Core i7-980 across every shared Cinebench test. The i7-980 wins all six head-to-head comparisons, with no test going to the i7-4810MQ. The margins are remarkably uniform, hovering near 14% in most workloads, which suggests the performance gap is structural rather than workload-specific.

Starting with multi-core performance, the i7-980 posts a Cinebench R15 score of 589 against 516 for the i7-4810MQ, a delta of 14.1%. Moving to Cinebench R20, the i7-980 scores 2458 while the i7-4810MQ trails at 2154, again a 14.1% advantage. The R23 multi-core test repeats the pattern exactly: 5853 for the i7-980, 5129 for the i7-4810MQ, with the same 14.1% delta. This consistency across three generations of the Cinebench suite indicates that the i7-980’s advantage scales uniformly with thread count and sustained load.

Single-core results tell a similar story but with slightly different margins. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the i7-980 scores 83 versus 72 for the i7-4810MQ, a 15.3% lead. In R20 single-core, the i7-980 scores 346 against 304, a 13.8% delta. The R23 single-core test shows 826 versus 724, returning to the 14.1% margin. Notably, the single-core advantage is not smaller than the multi-core advantage; it is actually slightly larger in the R15 test. This suggests the i7-980’s higher base clock of 3.33 GHz, despite the i7-4810MQ’s higher boost clock of 3.80 GHz, delivers better real-world single-threaded throughput in these benchmarks.

The average benchmark score reinforces the hierarchy. The i7-980 averages 1693 across all recorded tests, while the i7-4810MQ averages 1651. That is a 42-point gap, or roughly 2.5%, which is smaller than the head-to-head deltas because the i7-4810MQ has additional Geekbench results included in its average that are not part of the shared test set. Both CPUs sit at the 40th percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning they occupy the same tier overall, but the i7-980 is consistently ahead within that tier.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-980 wins every benchmark category recorded in the database. There is no test where the i7-4810MQ takes a victory. However, the nature of the wins differs by workload type, which matters for practical use.

For multi-threaded rendering, the i7-980’s advantage is substantial and steady. Its six cores and twelve threads outperform the i7-4810MQ’s four cores and eight threads by roughly 14% in every Cinebench multi-core test. The i7-980 also carries a 12 MB shared L3 cache, double the 6 MB of the i7-4810MQ, which helps with large working sets in rendering and compilation tasks. The i7-980’s 130 W TDP indicates it is designed for sustained desktop workloads where power draw is not the primary constraint.

For single-threaded tasks, the i7-980 still leads, but the margin varies slightly. The R15 single-core delta of 15.3% is the largest single-core margin, while the R20 delta of 13.8% is the smallest. The i7-4810MQ has a higher boost clock of 3.80 GHz compared to 3.60 GHz for the i7-980, yet it still loses every single-core test. This indicates that architectural efficiency, likely the Westmere core design’s advantage in these specific Cinebench loads, outweighs the raw clock speed difference.

The i7-4810MQ does have one exclusive benchmark result in the database: Geekbench multi-core at 3203 and single-core at 1106. These are not compared head-to-head because the i7-980 has no Geekbench entries. The i7-4810MQ’s average score of 1651 is pulled up by these Geekbench numbers, but even with them, it remains below the i7-980’s average of 1693. The i7-4810MQ also carries integrated Intel HD 4600 graphics, which the i7-980 lacks entirely; this is a feature advantage for the mobile chip, but it does not appear in any benchmark score.

For a user splitting workloads, the data points to the i7-980 for any CPU-bound rendering, encoding, or simulation task. The i7-4810MQ’s only recorded advantages are its integrated graphics, lower TDP of 47 W, and newer PCIe Gen 3 support, none of which show up in the benchmark scores.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i7-980 outperforms the Intel Core i7-4810MQ in every recorded CPU benchmark. The i7-980 wins six of six head-to-head tests, with deltas ranging from 13.8% to 15.3%. Its average benchmark score of 1693 exceeds the i7-4810MQ’s 1651, and both sit at the 40th percentile, but the i7-980 is consistently at the top of that percentile band while the i7-4810MQ sits near the bottom.

Who should pick the i7-980? A desktop user with a Socket 1366 platform who prioritizes raw multi-threaded and single-threaded performance. The i7-980 delivers 14.1% more multi-core score in Cinebench R23, which translates directly to faster rendering times and smoother multi-threaded workloads. Its 130 W TDP and desktop market segment indicate it is meant for a stationary system with adequate cooling, not a portable device.

Who should pick the i7-4810MQ? A mobile user who needs a processor that fits a Socket G3 laptop motherboard and can run without a discrete GPU. The i7-4810MQ includes Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics, which the i7-980 does not have. It also draws only 47 W, less than half the i7-980’s 130 W, which is critical for battery life and thermal limits in a laptop chassis. Its PCIe Gen 3 support with 16 lanes is newer than the i7-980’s PCIe Gen 2. The i7-4810MQ also has a launch MSRP of $378, which is recorded in the database, but the i7-980 has no recorded launch MSRP.

Neither chip is a performance leader in absolute terms; both sit at the 40th percentile. But within this comparison, the i7-980 is the stronger CPU by every measurable benchmark metric. The i7-4810MQ’s advantages are entirely in platform features and power efficiency, not in processing speed.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins more benchmarks in the head-to-head comparison?

A: The Intel Core i7-980 wins all six head-to-head tests. The i7-4810MQ wins zero.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two in any single test?

A: The largest delta is 15.3%, which occurs in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the i7-980 scores 83 against the i7-4810MQ’s 72.

Q: Does the i7-4810MQ have any advantage in clock speed?

A: Yes, the i7-4810MQ has a higher boost clock of 3.80 GHz compared to 3.60 GHz for the i7-980. Its base clock is lower at 2.80 GHz versus 3.33 GHz, and it still loses every single-core benchmark.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The i7-980 averages 1693 across all recorded tests, while the i7-4810MQ averages 1651. Both sit at the 40th percentile among all CPUs in the database.

Q: Does either CPU have integrated graphics?

A: Only the i7-4810MQ includes integrated graphics, specifically Intel HD 4600. The i7-980 has no integrated graphics in its recorded specifications.

Q: Are both CPUs in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both are at the 40th percentile versus all CPUs. The i7-980’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 3750H at 0.2% delta and the Intel Core i7-3770K at 0.3%. The i7-4810MQ’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 3550H at -0.1% and the Intel Core i5-5675R at 0.2%.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel microarchitectures and target different market segments. The i7-980 is based on Westmere, codenamed Gulftown, and is a desktop part. The i7-4810MQ uses the Haswell architecture and is a mobile processor. These architectural choices drive nearly every other difference.

The i7-980 uses a 32 nm process node, while the i7-4810MQ uses a smaller 22 nm node. Despite the larger process, the i7-980 packs 1,170 million transistors on a 239 mm² die. The i7-4810MQ packs 1,400 million transistors on a smaller 177 mm² die, reflecting the density improvement of the newer process. The i7-4810MQ’s transistor count is higher, but its cache configuration is smaller: 6 MB shared L3 versus 12 MB shared L3 on the i7-980. Both share the same per-core L1 and L2 cache sizes, 64 KB and 256 KB respectively.

Core counts differ significantly. The i7-980 has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the i7-4810MQ has 4 cores and 8 threads. This is the primary driver of the multi-core benchmark gap. The i7-980 also supports triple-channel memory, while the i7-4810MQ uses dual-channel memory. Both support DDR3, but the i7-4810MQ has a recorded memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s; no bandwidth figure is recorded for the i7-980.

PCIe support differs by generation. The i7-980 uses PCIe Gen 2, while the i7-4810MQ uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The i7-4810MQ includes Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics; the i7-980 has no integrated graphics at all. Neither CPU supports ECC memory, and neither has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking via multiplier is not available on either.

The sockets are incompatible. The i7-980 uses Intel Socket 1366, a desktop platform. The i7-4810MQ uses Intel Socket G3, a mobile platform. The i7-980’s TDP is 130 W, reflective of a desktop chip with no power constraints. The i7-4810MQ’s TDP is 47 W, designed for laptop thermals and battery life. Both are listed as end-of-life production status, and both are locked multipler parts.

Specification Differences

The core specifications where the two CPUs differ are as follows:

• Cores: i7-980 has 6, i7-4810MQ has 4.
• Threads: i7-980 has 12, i7-4810MQ has 8.
• Base clock: i7-980 runs at 3.33 GHz, i7-4810MQ at 2.80 GHz.
• Boost clock: i7-980 reaches 3.60 GHz, i7-4810MQ reaches 3.80 GHz.
• TDP: i7-980 draws 130 W, i7-4810MQ draws 47 W.
• Socket: i7-980 uses Intel Socket 1366, i7-4810MQ uses Intel Socket G3.
• Architecture: i7-980 is Westmere (Gulftown), i7-4810MQ is Haswell.
• Process node: i7-980 uses 32 nm, i7-4810MQ uses 22 nm.
• Transistors: i7-980 has 1,170 million, i7-4810MQ has 1,400 million.
• Die size: i7-980 is 239 mm², i7-4810MQ is 177 mm².
• L3 cache: i7-980 has 12 MB shared, i7-4810MQ has 6 MB shared.
• Memory bus: i7-980 is triple-channel, i7-4810MQ is dual-channel.
• Memory bandwidth: i7-4810MQ records 25.6 GB/s, no figure for i7-980.
• PCIe: i7-980 uses Gen 2, i7-4810MQ uses Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only).
• Integrated graphics: i7-4810MQ includes Intel HD 4600, i7-980 has none.
• Market segment: i7-980 is desktop, i7-4810MQ is mobile.
• Release date: i7-980 released 2011-06-25, i7-4810MQ released 2014-01-19.
• Launch MSRP: i7-4810MQ is $378, i7-980 has no recorded MSRP.
• Part number: i7-980 is SLBYU, i7-4810MQ is SR1PV.

Fields that are identical between the two include manufacturer, L1 cache (64 KB per core), L2 cache (256 KB per core), memory support (DDR3), ECC support (false for both), multiplier unlocked (false for both), and production status (end-of-life).