Intel Core i7-9700T vs Intel Core i9-8950HK Comparison

The Intel Core i7-9700T and Intel Core i9-8950HK are both end-of-life Coffee Lake parts from 2018-2019, but they target completely different segments: a low-power desktop chip versus a high-performance mobile chip. The benchmark data shows a clear split: the i9-8950HK wins all six Cinebench tests by roughly 5%, while the i7-9700T wins both Geekbench tests, with a massive 20.2% lead in multi-core. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical — 2668 for the i7-9700T versus 2641 for the i9-8950HK — placing them at the 50th and 49th percentiles of all CPUs, respectively. Your choice comes down to whether you trust Cinebench or Geekbench as your primary workload proxy, and whether you need a desktop socket or a mobile BGA package.

The Verdict

The i9-8950HK is the better choice for sustained rendering and threaded productivity, based on its consistent 5.1-5.2% lead across all Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core and single-core tests. If your workflow is dominated by Cinebench-style rendering, the i9-8950HK delivers 884 vs 839 in R15 multi-core, 3686 vs 3496 in R20 multi-core, and 8777 vs 8325 in R23 multi-core. The i7-9700T, however, wins decisively in Geekbench, which often reflects different memory and cache behavior; its 5503 multi-core score is 20.2% higher than the i9-8950HK's 4577. For general-purpose computing as measured by Geekbench, the i7-9700T is clearly superior. The i9-8950HK's unlocked multiplier (the i7-9700T is locked) adds overclocking headroom, but that requires a compatible mobile platform with adequate cooling, which is not guaranteed.

Where Each One Wins

The i9-8950HK wins every single Cinebench benchmark — six out of eight total tests. The margins are remarkably consistent: 5.1% in R15 multi-core, 4.8% in R15 single-core, 5.2% in R20 multi-core, 5.2% in R20 single-core, 5.1% in R23 multi-core, and 5.2% in R23 single-core. This suggests a fundamental advantage in Cinebench's workload, likely due to its higher base clock (2.90 GHz vs 2.00 GHz) and higher boost clock (4.70 GHz vs 4.30 GHz), despite having fewer cores (6 vs 8) but more threads (12 vs 8). The i7-9700T, in contrast, wins both Geekbench tests: 5.6% in single-core (1392 vs 1318) and a dominant 20.2% in multi-core (5503 vs 4577). The Geekbench multi-core result is striking because the i7-9700T has 8 physical cores versus the i9-8950HK's 6 cores with Hyper-Threading; the i7-9700T also has 8 threads versus 12, yet it still wins by a wide margin. This indicates that the i7-9700T's 8 full cores are more effective in Geekbench's parallel workload than the i9-8950HK's 6 cores with 12 threads.

Architecture Differences

Both chips are built on Intel's 14 nm process and use the Coffee Lake architecture, but they diverge in implementation. The i7-9700T is part of the Coffee Lake Refresh generation, while the i9-8950HK is from Coffee Lake-H. The i7-9700T uses the Intel Socket 1151, has a 35 W TDP, and a die size of 180.3 mm². The i9-8950HK uses the Intel BGA 1440 socket (soldered, not upgradeable), has a 95 W TDP, and a smaller die size of 149 mm². Core and thread counts are the biggest difference: the i7-9700T has 8 cores and 8 threads (no Hyper-Threading), while the i9-8950HK has 6 cores and 12 threads (Hyper-Threading enabled). Both share the same L1 cache (64 KB per core), L2 cache (256 KB per core), and L3 cache (12 MB shared). The i7-9700T supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a specified bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, while the i9-8950HK's memory bus and bandwidth are not specified in the data. Both have the same integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 for the i7-9700T and UHD 630 for the i9-8950HK. The i7-9700T is a desktop part with PCIe Gen 3 (16 lanes, CPU only), while the i9-8950HK's PCIe configuration is not listed. The i7-9700T has a locked multiplier; the i9-8950HK is multiplier-unlocked, allowing overclocking. The i7-9700T's launch MSRP was $323; the i9-8950HK has no listed launch MSRP.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has more cores?

A: The Intel Core i7-9700T has 8 cores and 8 threads, while the Intel Core i9-8950HK has 6 cores and 12 threads. The i7-9700T has 2 more physical cores, but the i9-8950HK has 4 more logical threads due to Hyper-Threading.

Q: Why does the i9-8950HK win all Cinebench tests but lose Geekbench?

A: The i9-8950HK has higher clock speeds (2.90 GHz base, 4.70 GHz boost) and more threads (12 vs 8), which helps in Cinebench's rendering workload. However, the i7-9700T's 8 physical cores without Hyper-Threading appear to be more efficient in Geekbench's multi-core test, yielding a 20.2% higher score (5503 vs 4577). The data does not explain the underlying cause, but the results are consistent across multiple Cinebench versions.

Q: Is the i7-9700T a mobile or desktop processor?

A: The i7-9700T is a desktop processor with an Intel Socket 1151 and a 35 W TDP. It uses the Coffee Lake Refresh architecture. The i9-8950HK, in contrast, is a mobile processor with an Intel BGA 1440 socket and a 95 W TDP.

Q: Can either CPU be overclocked?

A: Only the Intel Core i9-8950HK has an unlocked multiplier, making it overclockable. The Intel Core i7-9700T has a locked multiplier, so it cannot be overclocked via the multiplier.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two?

A: The i7-9700T has an average benchmark score of 2668, while the i9-8950HK has an average score of 2641. The i7-9700T is slightly ahead, but the difference is less than 1%. The i7-9700T's nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-9500F (2670, -0.1% delta), and the i9-8950HK's nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-5820K (2642, 0% delta).

Q: Which CPU has a higher single-core score in Cinebench R23?

A: The i9-8950HK scores 1239 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is 5.2% higher than the i7-9700T's 1175. This is consistent with its higher boost clock of 4.70 GHz versus 4.30 GHz.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i9-8950HK dominates the Cinebench suite completely. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 884 against the i7-9700T's 839, a 5.1% lead. The single-core R15 test shows 124 vs 118, a 4.8% margin. Moving to Cinebench R20, the i9-8950HK again wins multi-core 3686 vs 3496 (5.2%) and single-core 520 vs 493 (5.2%). The same pattern holds in Cinebench R23: multi-core 8777 vs 8325 (5.1%) and single-core 1239 vs 1175 (5.2%). These are all consistent, narrow victories, suggesting the i9-8950HK's clock speed advantage (2.90 GHz base vs 2.00 GHz, 4.70 GHz boost vs 4.30 GHz) is the deciding factor in Cinebench.

The i7-9700T's wins come in Geekbench, and they are far more dramatic. In Geekbench multi-core, the i7-9700T scores 5503 versus the i9-8950HK's 4577 — a 20.2% difference. This is the single largest gap in any benchmark, and it flips the overall narrative. In Geekbench single-core, the i7-9700T wins 1392 vs 1318, a 5.6% margin. The multi-core Geekbench result is particularly notable because the i9-8950HK has more threads (12 vs 8) and higher clocks, yet the i7-9700T's 8 physical cores still produce a decisive win. The data suggests that for workloads modeled by Geekbench, the i7-9700T's architecture is significantly more efficient, despite its lower power envelope (35 W vs 95 W). The wins are split 2 for the i7-9700T and 6 for the i9-8950HK, but the average benchmark scores are nearly tied (2668 vs 2641), reflecting that the i7-9700T's Geekbench victories are larger in magnitude than the i9-8950HK's Cinebench wins.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every physical and feature specification except for the underlying architecture and cache hierarchy. The i7-9700T has 8 cores and 8 threads; the i9-8950HK has 6 cores and 12 threads. Base clock is 2.00 GHz for the i7-9700T versus 2.90 GHz for the i9-8950HK, and boost clock is 4.30 GHz versus 4.70 GHz. TDP is dramatically different: 35 W for the i7-9700T, 95 W for the i9-8950HK. The socket is Intel Socket 1151 for the desktop i7-9700T and Intel BGA 1440 for the mobile i9-8950HK. The process node is identical (14 nm), but die size differs: 180.3 mm² for the i7-9700T, 149 mm² for the i9-8950HK. Both have 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core, plus 12 MB shared L3. Memory support is DDR4 for both, but the i7-9700T specifies dual-channel with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth, while the i9-8950HK lists no memory bus or bandwidth data. ECC memory is not supported on either. PCIe is Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only) on the i7-9700T, and not specified for the i9-8950HK. Integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 630 (i7-9700T) and UHD 630 (i9-8950HK). The i7-9700T's multiplier is locked; the i9-8950HK's is unlocked. The i7-9700T was released on 2019-04-22 with a launch MSRP of $323; the i9-8950HK was released on 2018-04-01 with no launch MSRP listed. Both are end-of-life products.