Forward-looking: Intel released specs for its upcoming 9th generation H-series CPUs. The H-series chips are found in high-end laptops, as they pack more cores, higher frequencies, and higher TDPs than their low-power counterparts. The new H-series family includes two i9s, two i7s, and two i5s, with the highest end part packing eight unlocked cores and 16 threads and a 5.0 GHz boost clock.
An Intel document that leaked earlier this week laid out plans for its new 9th gen H-series processors for the high end laptop market. The new mobile processors will use the same 14nm++ node that is used by desktop variants, and will offer more cores and higher clock speeds than their U-series laptop counterparts.
The new H-series family will consist of two i9s, two i7s, and two i5s. At the top of the lineup is the i9-9980HK processor packing eight cores and sixteen threads, a boost clock of 5.0 GHz, and 16 MB of L3 cache. The other i9, the 9980HK, will also have eight hyperthreaded cores and run at 4.8 GHz. Both the i7-9850H and i7-9750H are equipped with six cores and 12 threads, with the 9850H getting a 4.6 GHz boost clock versus 4.5 GHz for the 9750H.
Two i5s round out the list - the 9400H and 9300H. Both chips are four cores and eight threads with 8MB of L3 cache with boosts clocks of 4.3 GHz and 4.1 GHz, respectively.
The 9th gen parts, which are really the fourth generation of the Skylake architecture, will not be unlocked for overclocking with the exception of the 9980HK.
The previous generation of H-series chips saw the i9-8950H often
being outperformed by the i7-8850H and 8750H due to heat throttling. Cooling the i9 mobile chips has proven to be difficult for manufacturers trying to use them in small form factor laptops, such as the MacBook Pro. This poor heat dissipation led to the i9 running at lower clock speeds, resulting in performance degradation. With the new CPUs being manufactured on the same node, we're likely to see the same kind of thermal throttling in the absence of new cooler designs from OEMs.
The same leak included listings for desktop chips with a "KF" suffix. These are desktop parts that will have the integrated GPU disabled. Interestingly, the MSRP for the KF CPUs are the same as the K CPUs, with the 9900K and 9900KF both being set at $488 by Intel, for example. Removing the iGPU may help with heat management and allow for better thermal dissipation.
No word on a release date from Intel, but we'll likely be seeing these parts showing up in laptops by mid-2019.
