Intel Core i9-9980HK

Laptop CPUIntel

Also called intel core i9-9980hk, core i9-9980hk, i9-9980hk, core-i9-9980hk

IntelLaptop CPUCoffee Lake

Intel Core i9 laptop processor on Coffee Lake, with 8 cores and 16 threads and 256 KB L2, 16 MB L3 at 45 W TDP on a 14 nm process addressing up to 128 GB and Intel UHD Graphics 630.

What you need to know

Intel Core i9-9980HK is a legacy laptop cpu.

Intel Core i9-9980HK launched in April 1, 2019., It has 8 cores and 16 threads on Coffee Lake, dropping into the FCBGA1440 socket. Treat the spec table as the facts. Age alone does not tell you to throw it out.

Still good?: Yes, for lighter work
Product age: 7 years old
Upgrade pressure: Moderate

Feex says

Laptop SKUs are power-limited. The name on the lid is not the same chip you would get on a desktop board.

What this hardware means today

Age and usefulness are not the same number. This page keeps them separate.

Performance today: Good. Laptop performance depends on the OEM power limit as much as this SKU name.
Product age 7 years old: Legacy. Launched April 1, 2019. Newer platforms exist. That does not make this chip unusable by itself.
Support status: Supported. Current Windows and current applications still run on this class of CPU. Platform BIOS support depends on the motherboard or laptop vendor.
Upgrade pressure: Moderate. Upgrade pressure comes from platform features and specific CPU-bound work, not from the chip being unusable.

Where does it sit?

Coffee Lake sits on Intel's recent Core timeline. Later desktop branding moved toward Core Ultra.

11th Gen

12th Gen

13th Gen

14th Gen

Core Ultra

Performance context

These are qualitative readings, not a fake 8.7 out of 10. Workload still wins.

Gaming: Good

Fine when the laptop GPU is the limit. CPU names on thin laptops often are not.

Productivity: Good

8 cores cover office, browser, and compile work in this class.

Multithreaded workloads: Good

16 threads. Heavy encodes still scale further on higher-core parts.

General use: Excellent

Everyday Windows use is not where most people notice this SKU first.

Efficiency: Depends on the laptop

The same SKU in two laptops can draw very different power. Read the device, not the CPU name alone.

Should you upgrade?

Probably not based on CPU performance alone.

Upgrade makes more sense if

Your workload is strongly CPU limited
You need a newer platform for memory, I/O, or chipset features
You need substantially more multicore performance
You are buying a whole new laptop anyway

Upgrade makes less sense if

The GPU is the real bottleneck
Current applications are already responsive
The CPU rarely limits your workload

Specifications

Figures below follow the Feex Hardware Database record for this SKU. Fields without a recorded value are omitted.

Processor

Intel Core i9-9980HK is built on Coffee Lake using a 14 nm process.

Intel Core i9-9980HK specifications: Processor
Manufacturer	Intel
Family	Core i9
Architecture	Coffee Lake
Generation	9th Generation Intel Core i9 Processors
Manufacturing process	14 nm
Segment	Laptop

Cores and threads

Intel Core i9-9980HK has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Intel Core i9-9980HK specifications: Cores and threads
Cores	8
P-cores	8
Threads	16

Clock speeds

Base clock is 2.4 GHz. Boost reaches 5.0 GHz.

Intel Core i9-9980HK specifications: Clock speeds
Base frequency	2.4 GHz
Max boost	5.0 GHz

Cache

Cache on this sheet is 16 MB L3.

Intel Core i9-9980HK specifications: Cache
L2 cache	256 KB
L3 cache	16 MB
Total cache	16.25 MB

Memory

Intel Core i9-9980HK addresses 128 GB across 2 memory channels.

Intel Core i9-9980HK specifications: Memory
Supported types	DDR4, LPDDR3
Max capacity	128 GB
Channels	2

Package and power

Intel Core i9-9980HK uses the FCBGA1440 socket and a 45 W TDP.

Intel Core i9-9980HK specifications: Package and power
Socket	FCBGA1440
TDP	45 W
PCIe	Revision 3.0, 16 lanes

Integrated graphics

Intel Core i9-9980HK includes Intel UHD Graphics 630.

Intel Core i9-9980HK specifications: Integrated graphics
Integrated graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 630

Market

Intel Core i9-9980HK launched April 1, 2019.

Intel Core i9-9980HK specifications: Market
Launch date	April 1, 2019
Model	i9-9980HK

Features

Intel Core i9-9980HK records 20 instruction sets on this sheet.

Intel Core i9-9980HK specifications: Features
Instruction sets	AES-NIAVX2AVXFMA64-bit (x86-64)BMI1BMI2F16CPCLMULQDQRDRANDRDSEEDSSE4.1SSE4.2x86-64-v3SSESSE2SSE3SSSE3x86-64-v2MMX
Security	Execute Disable (NX)Hardware RNGOS GuardSGXTrusted Execution
Virtualization	Extended Page Tables (EPT)VT-d (DMA Remapping)VT-x (Hardware Virtualization)Second-Level Address Translation

Compatibility

Compatibility
Socket	FCBGA1440
Board	A shared socket is not automatic compatibility. Check the motherboard CPU list and BIOS revision.
Memory	DDR4, LPDDR3, up to 128 GB
Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 630

A shared socket is not automatic compatibility. Boards often need a BIOS update before a newer chip in the same socket will post.

Laptop power limits, cooling, and the OEM firmware matter as much as the model name.

Read the memory list on the board. The CPU can list more standards than one motherboard will accept.

No post after a CPU swap

Clear CMOS only after you confirm the board list includes this SKU and the BIOS is new enough. A supported name on a box is not the same as a flashed board.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Partially Verified. How we research.

Feex Hardware Database · Specification source used for this sheet. CC BY 4.0.

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