Intel Core i7-8700T vs Intel Core i9-8950HK Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a surprisingly close contest between these two Coffee Lake parts, despite their different market positions. The Intel Core i9-8950HK claims victory in six of the eight recorded head-to-head tests, but the margins are consistently narrow. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i9-8950HK scores 884 against the i7-8700T's 876, a delta of -0.9%. The single-core R15 result is similarly tight: 124 versus 123, a 0.8% edge for the mobile chip. Moving to Cinebench R20, the pattern holds, with the i9-8950HK posting 3686 multicore and 520 single-core, while the i7-8700T records 3653 and 515 respectively, deltas of -0.9% and -1%. Cinebench R23 tells the same story: 8777 multicore for the i9-8950HK against 8698 for the i7-8700T, and 1239 single-core against 1228, both at -0.9%.

The i7-8700T's two wins come in Geekbench, and one is decisive. In Geekbench multicore, the desktop chip scores 5168 against the i9-8950HK's 4577, a 12.9% advantage. That is the largest delta in the entire comparison and it flips the overall narrative. The Geekbench single-core result also favors the i7-8700T, 1343 versus 1318, a 1.9% lead.

The average benchmark scores reflect this split. The i7-8700T carries an average score of 2701 with a 50th percentile ranking among all CPUs, while the i9-8950HK averages 2641 at the 49th percentile. The i7-8700T's nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Core i7-1185G7E at 2703 (-0.1%), the Intel Xeon E5-2640 v3 at 2703 (-0.1%), the Intel Core i5-1345UE at 2698 (+0.1%), and the Intel Xeon E-2226G at 2709 (-0.3%). The i9-8950HK sits alongside the Intel Core i7-5820K at 2642 (0%), the Intel Xeon E-2274G at 2643 (-0.1%), the Intel Core i7-1195G7 at 2638 (+0.1%), and the Intel Core i7-7740X at 2648 (-0.2%). The proximity of these rival scores underscores how closely matched the two processors are in raw compute, despite the i9 badge.

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on Intel's 14 nm process and share the Coffee Lake architecture, but they diverge in several measurable ways. The i7-8700T carries the codename Coffee Lake, while the i9-8950HK uses Coffee Lake-H, a suffix that indicates its mobile orientation. The die sizes differ slightly: the i7-8700T measures 154 mm², while the i9-8950HK is 149 mm². Both chips feature 6 cores and 12 threads, and both allocate cache identically: 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3.

Clock speeds separate the two more clearly. The i7-8700T runs a 2.40 GHz base clock with a 4.00 GHz boost, while the i9-8950HK starts at 2.90 GHz and boosts to 4.70 GHz. The i9-8950HK therefore holds a 0.50 GHz base advantage and a 0.70 GHz boost advantage. Thermal design power tells the other side of the story: the i7-8700T is rated at 35 W, while the i9-8950HK consumes 95 W. That 60 W gap reflects the i9-8950HK's higher clock profile and its mobile packaging constraints.

The memory subsystem also differs. The i7-8700T supports DDR4 over a dual-channel bus with a recorded memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The i9-8950HK also supports DDR4, but the database lists no memory bus width or bandwidth figure for it. Neither processor supports ECC memory. The i7-8700T exposes PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the i9-8950HK has no PCIe lane count recorded. Integrated graphics are present on both: the i7-8700T uses UHD Graphics 630, and the i9-8950HK uses UHD 630, functionally the same GPU with slightly different naming.

Sockets and market segments are major differentiators. The i7-8700T fits Intel Socket 1151 and is classified as a desktop part, whereas the i9-8950HK is soldered to Intel BGA 1440 and is a mobile processor. The multiplier situation also differs: the i7-8700T is locked, while the i9-8950HK is multiplier-unlocked, a feature that matters for overclocking in capable mobile platforms. Both parts reached end-of-life status and share the same release date of 2018-04-01. Part numbers differ as well: SR3WX for the i7-8700T, SRCKN for the i9-8950HK.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Intel Core i9-8950HK scores 8777 versus the i7-8700T's 8698, a 0.9% lead for the i9-8950HK.

Q: Does the i7-8700T win any benchmark?

A: Yes. The i7-8700T wins Geekbench multicore by 12.9% (5168 versus 4577) and Geekbench single-core by 1.9% (1343 versus 1318).

Q: How do their core and thread counts compare?

A: They are identical. Both processors have 6 cores and 12 threads, with the same 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3 cache.

Q: What is the TDP difference?

A: The i7-8700T is rated at 35 W, while the i9-8950HK is rated at 95 W, a 60 W difference in favor of the i7-8700T's efficiency profile.

Q: Are both processors unlocked for overclocking?

A: No. The i7-8700T has a locked multiplier. The i9-8950HK is multiplier-unlocked.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The i7-8700T averages 2701 across all recorded tests and ranks in the 50th percentile of all CPUs. The i9-8950HK averages 2641 and ranks in the 49th percentile.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in the following recorded fields:

• Base clock: 2.40 GHz (i7-8700T) versus 2.90 GHz (i9-8950HK)
• Boost clock: 4.00 GHz (i7-8700T) versus 4.70 GHz (i9-8950HK)
• TDP: 35 W (i7-8700T) versus 95 W (i9-8950HK)
• Socket: Intel Socket 1151 (i7-8700T) versus Intel BGA 1440 (i9-8950HK)
• Codename: Coffee Lake (i7-8700T) versus Coffee Lake-H (i9-8950HK)
• Generation: Core i7 (Coffee Lake) (i7-8700T) versus Core i9 (Coffee Lake-H) (i9-8950HK)
• Die size: 154 mm² (i7-8700T) versus 149 mm² (i9-8950HK)
• Memory bus: Dual-channel (i7-8700T) versus not recorded (i9-8950HK)
• Memory bandwidth: 42.7 GB/s (i7-8700T) versus not recorded (i9-8950HK)
• PCIe: Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) (i7-8700T) versus not recorded (i9-8950HK)
• Integrated graphics: UHD Graphics 630 (i7-8700T) versus UHD 630 (i9-8950HK)
• Market segment: Desktop (i7-8700T) versus Mobile (i9-8950HK)
• Multiplier unlocked: false (i7-8700T) versus true (i9-8950HK)
• Part number: SR3WX (i7-8700T) versus SRCKN (i9-8950HK)

Fields that are identical or not recorded for either part are omitted from this comparison. Both processors share the same core count, thread count, cache hierarchy, memory type support, ECC status, process node, foundry, production status, and release date.

The Verdict

The benchmark data shows two processors that are far closer than their naming suggests. The i9-8950HK wins the majority of the Cinebench tests, but every one of those wins is under 1.1%, with deltas of -0.8%, -0.9%, and -1.0% depending on the test. The i7-8700T's Geekbench multicore win is substantially larger at 12.9%, which is enough to give it the higher average score (2701 versus 2641) and the higher percentile rank (50th versus 49th). Buyers choosing between these two should weigh the i9-8950HK's modest Cinebench advantages against the i7-8700T's decisive Geekbench multicore lead and its far lower 35 W TDP, which stands in contrast to the i9-8950HK's 95 W requirement. The i7-8700T also offers a desktop socket with 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes and a recorded memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, while the i9-8950HK is a mobile BGA part with no PCIe or memory bandwidth figures recorded. The i9-8950HK does bring an unlocked multiplier, higher clocks, and a slightly smaller die, but the data does not support a large performance gap in either direction. For workloads that resemble Geekbench multicore, the i7-8700T is the stronger pick. For Cinebench-style rendering, the i9-8950HK holds a narrow but consistent edge. The i7-8700T's lower TDP and desktop connectivity make it the more versatile choice for sustained workloads in a desktop chassis, while the i9-8950HK's unlocked multiplier and higher boost clock suit users who prioritize single-thread headroom in a mobile platform. The recorded data ultimately favors the i7-8700T on average, but only by 60 points, a margin that falls within the noise of the rival deltas listed in the database.