Intel Core i7-11390H socket: BGA 1449

What the Core i7-11390H is

The Intel Core i7-11390H is a 4-core, 8-thread Tiger Lake-H processor for BGA 1449 systems from June 2021. Willow Cove cores run 3.4 GHz base with up to 5.0 GHz turbo, backed by 12 MB of Intel Smart Cache. The 35 W rating, rising to 64 W in turbo, sets cooling and board choice.

Memory support covers DDR4 up to 3200 MT/s or LPDDR4x up to 4267 MT/s, two channels, up to 64 GB. Two channels feed the Willow Cove cores, with DDR4 SODIMM or soldered LPDDR4x decided at order time. Gen4 x4 lanes wire NVMe storage while Thunderbolt 4 covers docks and external graphics. Intel Iris Xe Graphics (96 execution units, up to 1.40 GHz) drives laptop displays with hardware video decode.

Thin laptops take this 4-core H35 part where single-thread pace leads. Base at 3.4 GHz with up to 5.0 GHz boost suits study and office work with Iris Xe graphics doing the visual duty. A nearby option is Intel Core i7-11375H on the same package.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Core i7-11390H fits the BGA 1449 soldered package. The chip is soldered and cannot be replaced. Makers solder it with cooling for the 35 W band, so configuration happens once at order time.

There is no socketed variant and no board choice beyond the thin laptop design. Memory type follows the laptop layout with DDR4 SODIMM or soldered LPDDR4x.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

DDR4 up to 3200 MT/s or LPDDR4x up to 4267 MT/s, two channels, up to 64 GB. Dual-channel fitting stays mandatory for graphics performance.

Gen4 x4 lanes wire NVMe storage while Thunderbolt 4 covers docks and external graphics. Lane budgets follow the thin laptop design.

Cooling follows the chassis across 35 W base to 64 W turbo with heat pipes sized for sustained load. No boxed cooler exists. Long sessions settle at the sustained power the body can reject, so cooling reviews of the exact model matter.

H35 balance in thin bodies

The H35 stack runs 35 W base with up to 64 W turbo across 4-core parts, which fits slim fans without gaming bulk. High base clocks from 2.6 GHz to 3.4 GHz keep single-thread pace brisk in thin bodies.

Iris Xe graphics with 80 or 96 execution units do the visual work where H45 bodies would carry a discrete GPU. The June refresh parts lift clocks slightly over the January launch SKUs at matching power.

Makers can configure thermals down to 28 W on H35 parts for the thinnest bodies, trading sustained clocks for silence. The June refresh parts lift clocks slightly over the January launch SKUs at matching power for late buyers.

Upgrade paths

On BGA 1449 the moves run within the 4-core H35 stack, up to options such as Intel Core i7-11375H with higher boost. Core counts stay flat, so clocks and graphics decide the step.

Beyond the series the replacement is a whole system on newer platforms. The How to find your CPU socket type guide explains when a platform change pays off.