Is it just me or does it seem like mobile CPUs are gaining on desktop CPUs?

Barely two years ago I built a new desktop system based on an 11th gen Intel i7. Not a huge difference in performance between the i7 and i9 so I went with the i9.

Yesterday, my friend just got a laptop with a 13th gen i9. I looked up the benchmarks on the CPU in his laptop vs my desktop and this thing just annihilates the performance of my desktop CPU. Below is a performance comparison. Just for grins, I added the i9 desktop CPU as well and what is in his laptop still totally slays that desktop CPU.

In the past, one of the problems with high end laptops is that they had a tendency to throttle pretty badly when pushed. His system NEVER throttles even when pushed as hard as it will go, and it never gets hot to the touch (only mildly warm) even after hours of use. Also, laptops used to always lag way behind desktops. Yes, current desktop CPUs still easily beat current mobile CPUs, but it only takes a year or at most two before the mobile CPUs meet or exceed the desktop CPUs now.

Even more stunning to me is that the laptop CPU has a TDP of 55W while my desktop CPU is 125W.

My whole point in this is that for anyone looking at new hardware, you may want to take a long hard look at current laptops. The performance on these systems is absolutely amazing.

Technology marches on. When I decided to replace my 14 year old desktop with a W11 capable machine back in April, I looked at what was available and picked up what's in my system specs. Only $700 for a system that would have cost a lot more as a laptop, and has a bunch of USB ports built in. That has likely changed by now.

Mobile = Portability + Thin & Clean Design (especially this years)

Desktop = Clean Design & Comfort (a lot of room/space for sizable components and great airflow)

That being said - it's not that CPUs are gaining the upper hand - more like technology evolved considerably and keeps evolving. Sometimes even the difference between one generation to the other - can be quite impressive to say the least - like more recently 11th Gen VS. 12th Gen. From 1st Gen to 11 Gen - the gains were more or less hit or miss - sometimes slightly better other times not even worth being labeled as a new generation - it's just that - the competition between AMD and Intel - was fairly aggressive for past 2 decades. Thus, whenever AMD would release a new line of CPUs - Intel would do the same and vice-versa - "even if at times they didn't have much to offer - quite shameful to call it a new generation. Still, for consumers - this competition was/is beneficial.

Even 12th Gen was an impressive line of CPUs - yet 13th Gen made a lot people wonder why was 12th Gen even released "the same year" - when Intel had another line of CPUs prepared for production?! The answer is quite obvious - as mentioned above - "competition (Intel was afraid to lag behind once again and release a new line of CPUs that already lost to AMD from the get go - and thus - they couldn't/wouldn't sell their CPUs at premium prices even lower sells in general)."

So, yeah.... laptop CPUs from recent and future generation are bound to surpass the desktop CPUs from older generations. Which as a lot to do with technological advancements in manufacturing process - die shrinkage (to be more exact). The thing is - in the past they were compelled to "cripple" mobile CPUs to make them viable - for that thin space & overheating within limits. Even throttling is another form of crpipling - despite of being labeled as safety feature. Yet, as the energy requirement kept decreasing - while mobile cooling designs keep improving (for mid range - > high end class in particular) - we are getting close to a generation of cold mobile CPUs (or at least - cold enough) - which can sustain high frequencies without overheating and triggering the throttling features.

For comparison, the CPU Marks for a desktop I9-13900K are 4679/60024.

Whether the mobile version can sustain its impressive level of performance continuously, I don't know. Laptops may face cooling limitations. (On the other hand, so does a desktop, with an I9-13900K, if it's run at maximum power.)

bobkn said:

For comparison, the CPU Marks for a desktop I9-13900K are 4679/60024.

Whether the mobile version can sustain its impressive level of performance continuously, I don't know. Laptops may face cooling limitations. (On the other hand, so does a desktop, with an I9-13900K, if it's run at maximum power.)

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Like I noted, this particular laptop NEVER throttles. That is specifically one of the advertised features. It has a really beefy vapor chamber heatsink and uses tricks like phase transition thermal compound. The machine never even gets hot, just a little warm, even after heavy stress tests or triple AAA gaming. Rather impressive.

hsehestedt said:

Like I noted, this particular laptop NEVER throttles. That is specifically one of the advertised features. It has a really beefy vapor chamber heatsink and uses tricks like phase transition thermal compound. The machine never even gets hot, just a little warm, even after heavy stress tests or triple AAA gaming. Rather impressive.

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CinebenchR23 is the most brutal CPU stress utility I've seen. None of the others I've tried comes close. Has your friend run that?

Too bad that the I9-13900H is FCBGA1744 (soldered). Probably won't be part of my next desktop build.

bobkn said:

CinebenchR23 is the most brutal CPU stress utility I've seen. None of the others I've tried comes close. Has your friend run that?

Too bad that the I9-13900H is FCBGA1744 (soldered). Probably won't be part of my next desktop build.

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Yep, sure did. Also, this is the i9-13900HX (higher performance than the H part).

The H part is "only" 14 cores and 20 threads, the HX is 24 cores and 32 threads.

EDIT: Also, the H part is a 45W CPU, the HX is a 55W.

lot more threads in 13th gen

My laptop CPU has a slightly higher CPU Mark than my desktop CPU.

I was originally confused because I thought you meant CPU's for mobile phones etc (Qualcom with Snapdragon - ARM64 architecture). However I see you mean INTEL's etc processors designed for use with laptops etc.

I'm messing around constructing an Arm box -- W11 ARM now supports most of what "Standard Windows" does and the performance of some ARM processors can be very good indeed.

If you look at the Stock performance of INTEL (I was reading a financial report on NVIDIA as a chip maker too really eating into INTEL's market) there's no doubt that alternative CPU's including AMD's offerings will offer better value for money.

Interesting topic:

When I built my first PC, from scrounged parts, back in ~1983, there were no laptops, or LCD Monitors.
HD capacity was rated in MB's, and ram was rated in KB's. Removable media of the day was a full height 5.25" Floppy Disk. I was so proud of that PC. It way out performed my Commodore 64 (8 bit machine).

Now, 40 or so years later, my two main PC's. are mid tower desktops, that I built myself, one with an 8 core AMD cpu and one with a 6 core AMD cpu. I'm on the 6 core model right now.
Both of my desktops run just GREAT, with Windows 11/Pro/64 on them.
I never benchmark. For me I always thought that was dumb. I've sat down to and operated literally hundreds of PC's of all configurations, over the past 40 years, so I know what's running great and what's dogging it.

I've found that I can sit down to the most expensive, Super Computer, running Windows xx, and if it's not set up and tuned properly it will be a real DOG! (cars are like that too. Once they are assembled, they must be "tuned")
Most PC's, right out of the box, are pretty sad, when it comes to performance. That's fixable!

Tweaking and Tuning a PC (or laptop) has long been my sceciallity. When I'm done with any PC, I get comments like "WOW! It didn't run that fast when it was new!"

All I can say, is, "I know. It's what I do!"

Happy Memorial Day, Y'all,
TM

hsehestedt said:

Like I noted, this particular laptop NEVER throttles. That is specifically one of the advertised features. It has a really beefy vapor chamber heatsink and uses tricks like phase transition thermal compound. The machine never even gets hot, just a little warm, even after heavy stress tests or triple AAA gaming. Rather impressive.

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May I ask which brand model laptop your friend have? I'm currently researching for the best laptop that have best thermal design. Thanks

Is it just me or does it seem like mobile CPUs are gaining on desktop CPUs?​

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I have to say Yes, seems there's not as many offerings of Desktops as they do Notebooks. As for best, goodest, fastest, etc., most of it can be quantified by what a user wants. When Win11 became RTM I got a new Notebook for about $700 then 6 months later got a new Desktop, both were just the next level above the consumer line and are in daily use. The only missing part on the 14" Notebook is the ODD, thinner and lighter than my older Notebooks without it but it can do every thing I need otherwise. I've had a Notebook since back in the day when they called them Laptops [before Netbooks came out], still have an old Toshiba with MS-DOS 6 and Windows 3.1 that runs, just needs a battery.

magi44ken said:

May I ask which brand model laptop your friend have? I'm currently researching for the best laptop that have best thermal design. Thanks

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He has the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 8

New technology always outperforms older stuff. This is why when I build, I don't get obsessed with spending more money on a CPU attempting to "future-proof". (< BTW, I really hate that word) it by getting a super high end, or extreme edition, etc. In 2 or 3 years time, middle of the road components are often as good or faster. I'd save some money now, and save some money later and just keep up with pretty fast...not absolutely fastest.

hsehestedt said:

He has the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 8

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Thanks. Finally we have a laptop that a proper cooling design system.

I have the Dell XPS 15 and it throttle and very hot if you use some intense applications for 19 minutes or so. I have to undervolt and additional high quality thermal to help a little.

@magi44ken Which model Dell XPS 15 do you have?

If you click on "My Computer" on my post, you can see what I'm using. I've never noticed mine over heating or throttling.

Another thing to remember is laptop CPUs and GPUs are slower than their desktop counterparts. That is to reduce power and heat.

Of course if you don't mind spending the money I am sure there are "desktop equivalent" laptops that are much closer to their desktop counterparts. People that use these always keep them plugged in because they don't run very long on their batteries.

TraderGary said:

@magi44ken Which model Dell XPS 15 do you have?

If you click on "My Computer" on my post, you can see what I'm using. I've never noticed mine over heating or throttling.

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It's the Intel i7 Gen10 and GeForce 1650 Ti. Mainly use for video editing in h265. It's a great machine.

hsehestedt said:

Yep, sure did. Also, this is the i9-13900HX (higher performance than the H part).

The H part is "only" 14 cores and 20 threads, the HX is 24 cores and 32 threads.

EDIT: Also, the H part is a 45W CPU, the HX is a 55W.

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I have a question, I know with most CPUs, it's 2 threads per core but how does the above work as that's bascally like 1.3 threads per core?