Coming just over a year since the release of its previous mobile flagship, the Core i9-8950HK, the new CPU adds an additional two cores and four threads to the equation, with last year's model sitting at 6 cores and 12 threads plus being limited to 4.8GHz rather than 5GHz with the Core i9-9980HK. In fact, it has the same maximum boost frequency, core and thread count as Intel's mainstream desktop flagship, the Core i9-9900K plus it has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking too.
As well as new 4, 6 and 8-core CPUs, Intel is introducing other features too. The new 9th Gen CPUs will offer Wi-Fi 6, which offers greater speed and is better suited to dealing with multiple connected devices that the current Wi-Fi 5 standard. The 9th Gen CPUs will also support Intel's Optane Memory H10 - a combined Optane Memory and QLC NAND M.2 SSD that it revealed at CES in January, which claims to offer speeds similar to more expensive TLC and MLC NAND PCI-E SSDs, but for less cash. It's essentially an Intel 660p SSD with Optane Memory and the former is currently extremely popular due to the fact you can buy it with a 1TB capacity for a little over $100 while the likes of Samsung's 970 Evo will set you back closer to $300 in the same capacity
It's a potentially useful addition to mobile devices where capacity is generally more important than speed and while the likes of Intel's 760p and Samsung's 970-series SSDs are still going to be the best option for high-end users, Optane Memory H10 potentially has a market at the low to mid-range where both slower SATA and low-end PCI-E SSDs are currently used.
Intel is also expanding its 9th Gen desktop CPU lineup too, bringing a low power 8-core model in the form of the Core i9-9900 into the mix. With a 65W rather than 95W TDP and locked multiplier, it's likely to be popular with content creators and gamers that won't be overclocking, especially as it can still hit 5GHz in Turbo Boost and has the same 8 cores and 16 threads as the flagship Core i9-9900K but is noticeably cheaper.
