The complete list of Intel Core i9 laptops (9900K, 9880HK and 9980H options)

If you’re looking for a high-performance laptop, there’s a very good chance you’re considering one of the Core i9 options out there. These are, after all, the most powerful processors you can get on notebooks these days.

There are however a few aspects you should consider when shopping for an Intel Core i9 laptop. First of all, there are different types of i9 notebooks: those built on mobile platforms, and those built on even faster desktop Core K i9s. Of course, mobile hardware is more efficient and better suited for smaller computers, while the high-power desktop i9 will require extra cooling and an overall larger chassis.

Each thermal design plays a crucial role in determining the overall value of an i9 notebook, that’s why it’s important to document your decision. Make sure the cooling can keep the i9 at bay, as otherwise you’re not going to get much in terms of performance and it would be smarter to just stick with the more affordable i7 configurations.

In this article we’ll talk about both the desktop (Core i9-9990K, eight-core, overclockable) and mobile variants (Core i9-9980HK – eight-core, overclockable; Core i9-9980H – eight-core, fixed; Core i9-8950HK – six-core, overclockable, 2018 model). We’ll tell you what to expect from these Core i9 laptop CPUs, how they compare to the mainstream Core i7s available in most multimedia and gaming notebooks these days, and whether (or rather when) these processors are worth your money, considering you’ll have to pay a significant premium for the i9 configurations.

We’ve also compiled a complete list of the notebooks built on Intel Core i9 platforms, both portable and full-size models, and we’ll update it in the months to come with new SKUs as they’re announced. You can jump straight to our list via this link, or follow this link for another updated selection of Core i9 laptops available in stores right now.

The mobile processors: Core i9-9880H, i9-9980HK, and i9-8950HK

The i9-9880H and i9-9880HK are the newer 9th gen Coffee Lake-R i9s launched in 2019, and we’ve added their technical specs in the table down below, next to the mainstream Intel Core i7s and the 8th gen Core i9. In very few words, 9th gen Coffee Lake-R is just a minor refinement of the existing 8th gen Coffee Lake hardware platform, with CPUs potentially able to reach slightly higher Turbo Boost clock speeds, but only if allowed by the thermal implementation.

However, the Coffee Lake-R i9-9880H and 9880HK get 25% more cores and, threads, being the first eight-core mobile processors, as well as improved cache and support for 128 GB of RAM (you’ll hardly benefit from more than 32 GB even on an i9 configuration, though). Last year’s top-tier Intel Core i9-8950HK processor pales in comparison, with 6 cores, 12 threads, 12 MB of cache memory, a standard frequency of 2.9 GHz and a maximum Turbo Boost frequency of 4.8 GHz (we’ll get to that in a bit), and supports up to 64 GB of DDR4 2666 MHz of dual-channel RAM.

The Ks at the end of the 8950HK and 9880HK means that these processors get an unlocked multiplier and can be overclocked, which can translate in further performance boosts in laptops with competent thermal designs.

But how about the Core i9-9900K laptops?

The Core i9-9900K is a desktop processor with a much higher TDP, which means it can constantly run at higher clocks in demanding loads and allows more room for overclocking, but also requires a significantly increased effort to keep cool. That’s why the 9900K is only implemented in beefy desktop replacement notebooks, while the mobile i9s make their way in a multitude of form factors, both ultraportable and full-size.

In all fairness, even the mobile i9s normally run at higher TDPs than their 45W stocks in performance laptops, so while you will get improved results with the few i9-9900K models out there, the mobile i9-9980HK variants don’t trail them by a fair margin.

Aside for the increased amount of cache compared to the i7s, the i9 Core HK processors also get Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB), which in Intel’s words “opportunistically and automatically increases clock frequency by up to 200 MHz if the processor temperature is low enough and turbo power budget is available”. Hence the 4.8/5.0 GHz maximum Turbo Boost (*).

According to Intel’s slides though, the “low enough temperature” is of only 50 C, which means these i9s would only clock to their max 1-Core Turbo sporadically and for very short bursts at the beginning of complex loads, otherwise maxing out at 4.6/4.8 GHz. Even so, the i9s can run faster than the i7s in their generations, as long as the implementation keeps temperatures and throttling at bay.

The big change with the 2019 9th gen Core i9s is the addition of two more cores and threads, which pushes the performance gap from the i7-9750H significantly, given that’s only a 6-Core CPU running at lower clocks. Of course, the performance is going to vary between implementations and SKUs, but the table below gives you a ballpark idea of what to expect in benchmarks:

These results are based on our findings, as well as on average scores from Notebookcheck.net, which have a larger pool of reviewed notebooks. The 9980HK portable laptop results are based on the ZenBook Duo Pro UX581, and the i9-9900K are based on the MSI GT76 Titan (we’ll update with our own results in the nearby future).

Portable Core i9 laptops

This section includes a list of the portable notebooks that can be configured with a Core i9 mobile processor.

There’s a lot of hype around the i9s not performing as well as expected inside these thin and light laptops, and for the most part that’s true and should come as no surprise.

If you’ll look into the MacBook Pro, XPS 15 or the Zenbook Pro reviews, you’ll see that the i9 cannot maintain its high Turbo Boost speed frequencies with continuous demanding loads in these computers. For the most part, though, the i9 offers a performance boost over the i7. This is smaller for the older i9-8950HK units, and more significant with the eight-core i9-9880HK and 9880H configurations. You’re still not going to get their full potential inside most of these thinner computers.

That’s why I suggest carefully considering if the i9 configurations are worth the significant premium OEMs ask for in these ultraportables. You should also look for detailed reviews that take a close look at the performance in the scenarios you’re planning to use those notebooks yourselves. For the most part, there’s a very good chance you’ll get better value with the i7s, but there are exceptions where a Core i9 notebook might be better suited for your needs.

Here are the Core i9 thin-and-light notebooks available in stores, with links towards our detailed reviews and updated prices and configurations.

Full-size Core i9 notebooks

This section includes the full-size Core i9 laptops. There are some mid-range laptops with similar traits to the ultraportables above, but thicker builds and improved cooling, and there are also the no-compromise desktop replacements.

Expect most of these to be hefty and heavy, come with two bulky power-bricks (with some exceptions), but at the same time, also expect to squeeze the most out of the hardware inside and allow for tweaking and overclocking. Most of these laptops run cooly, but also noisy with gaming and demanding loads, to the point where you’ll need headphones for comfortable use.

We’ve also included laptops based on the desktop-grade Core i9 9900K processors in this list, like the Alienware Area 51m or the MSI GT76 Titan.

That’s about it for now, but we’re constantly updating this list of Core i9 performance laptops, so make sure to check back from time to time for the latest additions. And get in touch in the comments section if you have any questions, or if you spotted a notebook that should be in here and we haven’t yet added.