A6-5400B vs Pentium 987

A6-5400B vs Pentium 987 Performance Spectrum

A6-5400B

2 / 2

1,465

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium 987

2 / 2

1,487

+1.5%

Celeron J1800

Pentium Dual-Core E2200

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

A6-5400B vs Pentium 987 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

A6-5400B vs Pentium 987: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

A6-5400B

2012

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon HD 7540D, while Pentium 987 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Pentium 987.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,465 vs 1,487).
❌282.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 17W.

Pentium 987

2013

Why buy it

✅+1.5% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 17W instead of 65W, a 48W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $134 MSRP, while A6-5400B mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No integrated graphics, while A6-5400B can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike A6-5400B.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium 987 better than A6-5400B?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, A6-5400B is ahead with a 2.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 987 pulls ahead with 1.5% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 987 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.5% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium 987 is the better buy right now. Pentium 987 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $134 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 1.5% better PassMark. The compromise is that A6-5400B is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 2.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (11.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium 987 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2012) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

A6-5400B vs Pentium 987 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

A6-5400B

The A6-5400B is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,465 points. Launch price was $70.

Pentium 987

The Pentium 987 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 February 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 1.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,487 points. Launch price was $134.

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Processing Power

Both the A6-5400B and Pentium 987 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the A6-5400B versus 1.5 GHz on the Pentium 987 — a 86.8% clock advantage for the A6-5400B (base: 3.6 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The A6-5400B uses the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium 987 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the A6-5400B scores 1,465 against the Pentium 987's 1,487 — a 1.5% lead for the Pentium 987. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A6-5400B vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 987.

Feature	A6-5400B	Pentium 987
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz+153%	1.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+140%	1.5 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	256K (per core)+25500%
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Trinity (2012−2013)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,465	1,487+2%
Geekbench 6 Single	380	—

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Memory & Platform

The A6-5400B uses the FM2 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 987 uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	A6-5400B	Pentium 987
Socket	FM2	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1866	—
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (A6-5400B) / not specified (Pentium 987). The A6-5400B includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 7540D), while the Pentium 987 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A6-5400B targets Business Desktop. Direct competitor: A6-5400B rivals Pentium G2020.