Core 2 Duo E8435 vs Pentium B980

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 Core 2 Duo E8435 is positioned at rank 1152 and the Pentium B980 is on rank 1110, so the Pentium B980 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo E8435

#1140

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3986%

#1141

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3928%

#1142

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3606%

#1143

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3590%

#1144

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3557%

#1146

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3435%

#1147

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3293%

#1148

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3288%

#1149

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3200%

#1152

Core 2 Duo E8435

MSRP: $150|Avg: $74

100%

#1153

Celeron M 723

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

100%

#1154

Core M-5Y51

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

98%

#1155

Core i7-3517UE

MSRP: $330|Avg: $35

98%

#1156

Pentium N3530

MSRP: $161|Avg: $20

98%

#1158

Core i3-330E

MSRP: $177|Avg: $89

97%

#1159

Core i7-2640M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

96%

#1161

Core M-5Y71

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

96%

#1163

Core i7-2620M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

95%

#1164

Celeron N3010

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

93%

#1165

Core i7-3537U

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

92%

#1166

Core M-5Y31

MSRP: $281|Avg: $30

92%

#1167

Core M-5Y10a

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium B980

#1098

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3330%

#1099

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3281%

#1100

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3012%

#1101

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2999%

#1102

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2971%

#1104

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2869%

#1105

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2751%

#1106

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2747%

#1107

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2673%

#1110

Pentium B980

MSRP: $125|Avg: $35

100%

#1111

Celeron 867

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

100%

#1112

Pentium B970

MSRP: $125|Avg: $39

99%

#1113

Core i5-2410M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

99%

#1114

Pentium T2370

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

98%

#1115

Pentium N3710

MSRP: $161|Avg: $50

98%

#1116

Core m3-7Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

98%

#1117

Pentium 977

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

97%

#1118

Core i7-2715QE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $50

97%

#1119

VIA Nano U2250

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

96%

#1121

Core i5-560M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

96%

#1122

Pentium U5600

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

95%

#1124

Core m5-6Y57

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1125

Core i7-610E

MSRP: $250|Avg: $40

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Pentium B980 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core 2 Duo E8435 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.3% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core 2 Duo E8435	Pentium B980
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($74)	✅ More affordable ($35)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Pentium B980 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 53% cheaper ($35 vs $74) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core 2 Duo E8435	Pentium B980
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+111%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($74)	✅ More affordable ($35)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Core 2 Duo E8435 Benchmark Check

Pentium B980 Benchmark Check

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Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo E8435 and Pentium B980

Core 2 Duo E8435

The Core 2 Duo E8435 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.067 GHz, with boost up to 0.07 GHz. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: P. Thermal design power (TDP): 44 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,104 points. Launch price was $249.

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 Core 2 Duo E8435 and Pentium B980 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 0.07 GHz on the Core 2 Duo E8435 versus 2.4 GHz on the Pentium B980 — a 188.7% clock advantage for the Pentium B980 (base: 3.067 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core 2 Duo E8435 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium B980 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo E8435 scores 1,104 against the Pentium B980's 1,101 — a 0.3% lead for the Core 2 Duo E8435.

Feature	Core 2 Duo E8435	Pentium B980
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	0.07 GHz	2.4 GHz+3329%
Base Clock	3.067 GHz+28%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	—	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	6 MB (total)+2300%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,104	1,101
Geekbench 6 Single	257	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo E8435 uses the P socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium B980 uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Duo E8435	Pentium B980
Socket	P	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core 2 Duo E8435) / not specified (Pentium B980).

Feature	Core 2 Duo E8435	Pentium B980
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 2 Duo E8435 launched at $150 MSRP, while the Pentium B980 debuted at $125. At current prices ($74 vs $35), the Pentium B980 is $39 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 2 Duo E8435 delivers 14.9 pts/$ vs 31.5 pts/$ for the Pentium B980 — making the Pentium B980 the 71.3% better value option.