Athlon II Neo K325 vs Pentium B980
Athlon II Neo K325
Pentium B980
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Athlon II Neo K325 is positioned at rank 912 and the Pentium B980 is on rank 1110, so the Athlon II Neo K325 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II Neo K325
Performance Per Dollar Pentium B980
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II Neo K325 | Pentium B980 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($25) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($35) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Geneva (2010) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II Neo K325 | Pentium B980 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+41%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($25) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($35) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Athlon II Neo K325 and Pentium B980
Athlon II Neo K325
The Athlon II Neo K325 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Geneva (2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.3 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: 1,111 points. Launch price was $149.
Pentium B980
The Pentium B980 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,101 points. Launch price was $125.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon II Neo K325 and Pentium B980 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.3 GHz on the Athlon II Neo K325 versus 2.4 GHz on the Pentium B980 — a 59.5% clock advantage for the Pentium B980. The Athlon II Neo K325 uses the Geneva (2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium B980 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II Neo K325 scores 1,111 against the Pentium B980's 1,101 — a 0.9% lead for the Athlon II Neo K325.
| Feature | Athlon II Neo K325 | Pentium B980 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.3 GHz | 2.4 GHz+85% |
| Base Clock | — | 2.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+300% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 32 nm-29% |
| Architecture | Geneva (2010) | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,111 | 1,101 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 736 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 1,235 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II Neo K325 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium B980 uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon II Neo K325 | Pentium B980 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | S1 | PGA988 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-800 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II Neo K325) / not specified (Pentium B980). Primary use case: Athlon II Neo K325 targets Low Power.
| Feature | Athlon II Neo K325 | Pentium B980 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Low Power | — |
Value Analysis
The Athlon II Neo K325 launched at $60 MSRP, while the Pentium B980 debuted at $125. At current prices ($25 vs $35), the Athlon II Neo K325 is $10 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II Neo K325 delivers 44.4 pts/$ vs 31.5 pts/$ for the Pentium B980 — making the Athlon II Neo K325 the 34.2% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon II Neo K325 | Pentium B980 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $60-52% | $125 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $25-29% | $35 |
| Performance per Dollar | 44.4+41% | 31.5 |
| Release Date | 2010 | 2012 |
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