Athlon II Neo K125 vs Pentium 987

Athlon II Neo K125 vs Pentium 987 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II Neo K125

1 / 1

1,491

+0.3%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium 987

2 / 2

1,487

0.0%

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.

Athlon II Neo K125 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.

Athlon II Neo K125 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.

Athlon II Neo K125

2010

Why buy it

✅Costs $34 less on MSRP ($100 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).
✅Delivers 34.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 14.9 vs 11.1 PassMark/$ ($100 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).
✅Draws 1W instead of 17W, a 16W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Pentium 987

2013

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,487 vs 1,491).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 11.1 vs 14.9 PassMark/$ ($134 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
❌1600% higher power demand at 17W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II Neo K125 better than Pentium 987?

Yes. Athlon II Neo K125 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 0.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.3% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Athlon II Neo K125 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 0.9% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II Neo K125 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 1 cores and 1 threads.

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

Athlon II Neo K125 is the better buy right now. Athlon II Neo K125 comes in $34 cheaper on MSRP at $100 MSRP versus $134 MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 34.4% better value on MSRP (14.9 vs 11.1 PassMark/$), 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 2010). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon II Neo K125 vs Pentium 987 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II Neo K125

The Athlon II Neo K125 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Geneva (2010) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.7 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,491 points. Launch price was $149.

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

The Athlon II Neo K125 packs 1 cores / 1 threads, while the Pentium 987 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Pentium 987 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 1.7 GHz on the Athlon II Neo K125 versus 1.5 GHz on the Pentium 987 — a 12.5% clock advantage for the Athlon II Neo K125. The Athlon II Neo K125 uses the Geneva (2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 987 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II Neo K125 scores 1,491 against the Pentium 987's 1,487 — a 0.3% lead for the Athlon II Neo K125.

Feature	Athlon II Neo K125	Pentium 987
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	2 / 2+100%
Boost Clock	1.7 GHz+13%	1.5 GHz
Base Clock	—	1.5 GHz
L3 Cache	—	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB	256K (per core)+25500%
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Geneva (2010)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,491	1,487

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II Neo K125 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 987 uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II Neo K125	Pentium 987
Socket	S1	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-800	—
Max RAM Capacity	4 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon II Neo K125 was priced at $100, while the Pentium 987 came in at $134. On launch pricing ($100 vs $134), Athlon II Neo K125 was $34 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II Neo K125 delivers 14.9 pts/$ vs 11.1 pts/$ for the Pentium 987 — making the Athlon II Neo K125 the 29.3% better value option.

Feature	Athlon II Neo K125	Pentium 987
MSRP	$100-25%	$134
Performance per Dollar	14.9+34%	11.1
Release Date	2010	2013

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