Intel’s latest 13th Generation laptop CPUs are finally ready to hit the market, with the Intel Core i9-13950HX leading the pack. This powerful CPU delivers desktop-class performance in a compact gaming laptop. In this article, we take a closer look at the features and capabilities of this CPU.
The Intel Core i9-13950HX is a high-end laptop CPU that offers the following key features:
- 24-cores and 32 threads: The Core i9-13950HX is made up of 8 P-cores and 16 E-cores for a total of 32 threads, with only the P-cores being hyperthreaded, making it ideal for demanding tasks like gaming and foreground tasks.
- High clock speeds: The chip has a base clock speed of 2.4GHz and can turbo boost to 5.5GHz, making it one of the fastest laptop CPUs available till now.
- Good power efficiency: The chip boasts impressive power efficiency, featuring a large number of cores and high clock speeds while maintaining low power draw. With a base power of 55W and the ability to reach 157W under maximum turbo, it rivals even Intel’s lower-tier HX chips.
- Good performance: The Core i9-13950HX offers top-of-the-line performance and can compete with desktop CPUs in terms of performance, making it ideal for demanding tasks like gaming, encoding, and rendering.
- Improved thermal performance: The chip has improved thermal performance compared to previous generation high-end laptop CPUs, with thermal throttling taking effect when the package temperature reaches 95C (203F) and holding steady there.
- Good for multi-tasking: The high number of cores and threads make the Core i9-13950HX ideal for multitasking and running multiple applications simultaneously.
The Test Machine
Used MSI Titan GT77 laptop for testing the 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13950HX.
This laptop has the latest and most excellent hardware, including the NVIDIA RTX 4090 laptop GPU, 64GB of RAM, and a 144Hz 4K Mini-LED HDR display.
These specs ensure that the CPU can perform to its full potential without hindrances.
Impressive Performance
The Core i9-13950HX is a 24-core, 32-thread CPU that uses Intel’s hybrid design of P-cores (performance) and E-cores (efficiency).
The CPU is made up of 8 P-cores and 16 E-cores, and only the P-cores are hyperthreaded. These cores will be utilized most in foreground tasks and gaming.
Despite its high performance, the power draw is reasonable. The Titan GT77 ships with a 330W power brick, which also powers the RTX 4090 GPU.
The base CPU power is 55W, which can rise to 157W under the max turbo. However, this power draw is not higher than Intel’s lower-tier HX chips.
Early Benchmarks
Although we have yet to have the chance to test the CPU thoroughly, early benchmarks are extremely promising.
The 24-core i9-13950HX can outperform the 12th Gen desktop Core i9-12900K in some areas, such as Cinebench, which is a remarkable level of power for a notebook.
The Cinebench score for the Core i9-13950HX also beats our previous testing of the i9-12900K with an overclock applied.
The 13th Gen i9-13950HX is way ahead of the 12th Gen Core i9, and the Core i9 laptop chip can get close to the 13th Gen Core i7 desktop CPU based on these early benchmarks.
However, benchmarks are not everything, and we’ll be conducting more testing, including encoding performance and gaming, to give you a complete picture of the CPU’s capabilities.
Thermal and Power Performance
Based on our limited testing, the thermal performance and power draw of the Core i9-13950HX are as expected. The Cinebench benchmark has helped track both, as it will max out the CPU during its render tests.
Thermal throttling is a factor, as the CPU temperature reaches 95C (203F) and holds steady during heavy usage. Although this temperature is hot, it’s not dangerously high, and it’s not higher than previous-generation high-end laptop CPUs.
The package TDP occasionally spikes past the listed 157W maximum, but it mostly sits below 157W when running multi-core stress tests.
Final Thought
The Intel Core i9-13950HX is a powerful and capable CPU that delivers desktop-class performance in a compact gaming laptop. Although we have not yet had the chance to conduct a full review, early benchmarks and testing have been extremely promising, and we’re looking forward.