C-70 vs Pentium 987

C-70 vs Pentium 987 Performance Spectrum

C-70

2 / 2

1,495

+0.5%

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.

C-70 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.

C-70 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.

C-70

2012

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 9W instead of 17W, a 8W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (4 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon HD 7290, while Pentium 987 needs a discrete GPU.

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 1,495).
❌Launch MSRP is still $134 MSRP, while C-70 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌88.9% higher power demand at 17W vs 9W.
❌No integrated graphics, while C-70 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium 987 better than C-70?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium 987 is ahead with a 2.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, C-70 pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, C-70 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% 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 $134 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 2.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that C-70 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.5% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (11.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

C-70 vs Pentium 987 Technical Specifications

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

C-70

The C-70 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ontario (2011−2012) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1 GHz, with boost up to 1.33 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 40 nm process technology. Socket: FT1. Thermal design power (TDP): 9 Watt. Memory support: DDR3 Single-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 1,495 points. Launch price was $69.

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 C-70 and Pentium 987 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.33 GHz on the C-70 versus 1.5 GHz on the Pentium 987 — a 12% clock advantage for the Pentium 987 (base: 1 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The C-70 uses the Ontario (2011−2012) architecture (40 nm), while the Pentium 987 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the C-70 scores 1,495 against the Pentium 987's 1,487 — a 0.5% lead for the C-70. L3 cache: 0 kB on the C-70 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 987.

Feature	C-70	Pentium 987
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.33 GHz	1.5 GHz+13%
Base Clock	1 GHz	1.5 GHz+50%
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	40 nm	32 nm-20%
Architecture	Ontario (2011−2012)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,495	1,487