Intel Core i7-11850H

The Intel Core i7-11850H is a mobile processor built on the Tiger Lake-H architecture, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. This chip sits in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs in the database, indicating it outperforms a significant majority of processors while remaining accessible for mainstream mobile workloads. Its average benchmark score of 24974 places it in a competitive tier where small percentage differences separate it from several notable rivals, making its positioning particularly sensitive to workload type.

How It Compares

Against the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, the Intel Core i7-11850H posts a virtually identical average score, trailing by a mere 0.1%. This near-parity suggests that in aggregate productivity tasks, the two processors are interchangeable, though the 7500F is a desktop part with different thermal characteristics, making the comparison more about raw compute output than platform efficiency.

The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX represents a closer mobile-to-mobile comparison, and here the Intel chip holds a slight edge of 0.3% in average score. This margin is small enough to be within run-to-run variance, but it does indicate that the 11850H can hold its own against a higher-tier AMD mobile flagship in general throughput, which is a notable outcome for an i7 part.

Versus the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, a desktop processor from an older generation, the 11850H trails by 0.3% in average score. This is a striking result because the 2700X is a 95W-class desktop chip with higher power limits, yet the 11850H’s newer architecture nearly closes the gap entirely, highlighting the efficiency gains of Tiger Lake-H.

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is the closest rival by average score, with the Intel chip behind by 0.4%. This delta is negligible in real-world terms, but it establishes that the 11850H competes directly with modern entry-level desktop parts, not just mobile silicon, which speaks to its strong IPC and boost behavior.

Power and Thermals

The TDP class of this processor is 35 watts, which places it firmly in the high-performance mobile segment rather than ultra-low-power territory. This TDP figure implies that a cooling solution capable of handling sustained loads is necessary, but it also means the chip can fit into thinner laptops than desktop-class components. The 10 nm process node from Intel contributes to this power envelope, allowing 8 cores to operate within a 35W design point without requiring exotic cooling.

The thermal implications of a 35W TDP are straightforward: standard laptop cooling systems with dual fans or heat pipes should manage this chip adequately, but sustained multi-threaded workloads will likely push thermals to their limits. The die size of 190 mm² is relatively large for a mobile part, which aids heat dissipation across the surface, yet the compact form factor of laptops means thermal throttling could be a factor in poorly designed chassis. The boost clock of 4.80 GHz suggests short bursts of high performance are achievable, but the data does not indicate how long such bursts can be maintained under sustained load, so users should expect some variance based on cooling headroom.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The benchmark results reveal a clear split between single-thread and multi-thread performance that defines this processor’s character. In Cinebench R23, the single-core score of 2405 is strong, while the multi-core score of 17036 yields a ratio of roughly 7.1x scaling from 8 cores and 16 threads, which is close to ideal but not perfect. This indicates that the 11850H can effectively utilize its core count for parallel tasks, though some scaling losses are inevitable due to shared resources and thermal limits.

Geekbench results reinforce this pattern, with a single-core score of 1923 and a multi-core score of 7899, a scaling factor of about 4.1x across the 16 threads. The lower scaling in Geekbench compared to Cinebench suggests that the workload mix matters: Cinebench is more thread-friendly than Geekbench’s varied tests. For real-world applications, this means the processor excels in tasks like video rendering or 3D modeling that benefit from high thread counts, but it also delivers strong responsiveness in lightly threaded applications like web browsing or office productivity, where the single-core score of 3069 in Passmark single-thread tests indicates brisk performance.

The Passmark suite provides additional insight into this split. The multithread score of 20059 is respectable, while the single-thread score of 3069 shows that the chip’s per-core performance is not a bottleneck. However, the physics score of 954 and the prime number finding score of 87 suggest that certain specialized workloads, particularly those relying on integer-heavy calculations, may not scale as well as general floating-point operations, where the score reaches 42540.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-11850H compare to the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX in average score?

A: The Intel chip has an average score of 24974, which is 0.3% higher than the Ryzen 9 6900HX’s 24897, indicating a slight performance advantage in aggregate benchmarks.

Q: What is the boost clock speed of this processor?

A: The boost clock is 4.80 GHz, while the base clock is 2.10 GHz, allowing for significant frequency scaling under load.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-11850H support ECC memory?

A: No, ECC memory is not supported; the processor is compatible with DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration.

Q: What is the cache hierarchy on this chip?

A: The L1 cache is 80 KB per core, the L2 cache is 1.25 MB per core, and the L3 cache is 24 MB shared across all 8 cores.

Q: What PCIe generation and lane count does the CPU provide?

A: The processor offers Gen 4 PCIe with 20 lanes from the CPU, which supports modern GPUs and NVMe storage.

Q: What is the integrated graphics solution on this processor?

A: The chip includes UHD Graphics 750, which provides basic display output and video decode capabilities without a discrete GPU.

Benchmark Performance

The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17036 places the 11850H in a strong position among mobile processors, though its rivals in the data set show how close the competition is. The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, with a deltaPct of -0.1%, would score approximately 17053 in the same test, a difference of only 17 points, which is negligible. This means that in heavily threaded rendering tasks, users would not notice a performance difference between the two chips, despite the 7500F being a desktop part.

The Cinebench R20 scores tell a similar story, with a multi-core score of 7155 and a single-core score of 1010. The single-core performance is particularly noteworthy because it exceeds what many older desktop processors achieve, showing that the Tiger Lake architecture delivers strong IPC at lower power levels. The R15 scores, at 1717 multi-core and 242 single-core, follow the same trend, confirming consistency across Cinebench versions.

Geekbench multi-core performance of 7899 is competitive, and when compared to the Ryzen 9 6900HX’s average score delta of 0.3%, this translates to roughly 23 points in Geekbench terms, a margin that is well within noise. The Passmark multithread score of 20059 is lower than the average benchmark score of 24974, which suggests that Passmark’s workload mix is less favorable to this chip than Cinebench or Geekbench, possibly due to the lower physics score of 954 or the prime number score of 87.

The integer math score of 71996 and floating point math score of 42540 indicate that the processor is well-balanced for general computing, but the extended instructions score of 15788 shows good SIMD performance for workloads that utilize AVX or similar instruction sets. Data compression at 236949 and data encryption at 12214 are strong, making this chip suitable for archival tasks and secure communications, though the random string sorting score of 28395 is moderate, suggesting that memory-bound sorting operations are not a primary strength.

Platform and Compatibility

The processor uses the Intel BGA 1787 socket, which is a soldered mobile package, meaning it is not upgradeable in a traditional sense. The platform is based on the Tiger Lake-H architecture, which supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a maximum bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. This memory bandwidth is adequate for the 8-core design, though it is not as high as newer platforms with DDR5 support, which could limit performance in memory-sensitive workloads.

PCIe support includes Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU, which is a significant feature for mobile platforms, as it enables fast NVMe SSDs and modern GPUs without a bottleneck. The integrated UHD Graphics 750 provides a fallback for display output, but the processor is clearly designed for systems with discrete graphics, given its performance class. The launch MSRP of the processor is $395, and it was released on 2021-05-10, making it a mature platform with established driver support.

Upgrade paths are limited due to the BGA socket, so users must consider the entire laptop when evaluating this processor. The lack of an unlocked multiplier means overclocking is not possible, but the high boost clock of 4.80 GHz already provides substantial performance out of the box. The production status is listed as Active, indicating that it remains available for new systems, though its age suggests that newer alternatives may be more power-efficient.

Who Should Consider It

For gaming workloads, the single-thread performance is the key metric, and the Passmark single-thread score of 3069 combined with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2405 indicates that the processor can handle modern game engines that rely on high per-core performance. The 8 cores and 16 threads also provide enough parallelism for background tasks while gaming, such as streaming or voice chat, without causing frame drops. The PCIe Gen 4 support ensures that a modern GPU can communicate at full bandwidth, though the 20 lanes may limit multi-GPU configurations, which are rare in laptops anyway.

For content creation, the multi-thread performance shines, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17036 that rivals desktop processors like the Ryzen 7 2700X, which trails by only 0.3% in average score. Video editing, 3D rendering, and software compilation will benefit from the 16 threads, and the strong floating-point math score of 42540 indicates solid performance for scientific computing and physics simulations. The data encryption score of 12214 also makes this chip suitable for secure file transfers and VPN workloads, though the prime number score of 87 suggests that cryptographic key generation could be slower than dedicated hardware.

For office and general productivity, the processor is overkill, but the high single-thread performance ensures snappy application launches and smooth multitasking. The 35W TDP allows it to fit into thinner laptops than 45W or higher parts, making it a good choice for professionals who need desktop-class performance in a portable package. The Passmark multithread score of 20059 indicates that even heavily threaded office workloads, such as large spreadsheet calculations or database queries, will be handled with ease. However, users who prioritize battery life above all else may find the 35W TDP to be on the higher side, and the lack of ECC memory support rules out mission-critical server workloads. The near-parity with the Ryzen 5 7500F and Ryzen 5 8400F suggests that this chip is a viable alternative to entry-level desktop parts, but the BGA socket means users are committed to the laptop it comes in, so the overall system design matters more than the CPU alone.