Core 2 Duo T8300 vs Pentium 987

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 T8300 is positioned at rank 710 and the Pentium 987 is on rank 1052, so the Core 2 Duo T8300 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 T8300

#698

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

997%

#699

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

982%

#700

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

901%

#701

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

897%

#702

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

889%

#704

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

859%

#705

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

823%

#706

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

822%

#707

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

800%

#710

Core 2 Duo T8300

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#712

Core i7-10850H

MSRP: $395|Avg: N/A

100%

#718

Core i3-1315UE

MSRP: $312|Avg: $250

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium 987

#1040

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2643%

#1041

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2605%

#1042

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2391%

#1043

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2380%

#1044

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2358%

#1046

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2277%

#1047

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2184%

#1048

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2180%

#1049

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2122%

#1052

Pentium 987

MSRP: $134|Avg: $20

100%

#1053

Core i7-4910MQ

MSRP: $570|Avg: $570

100%

#1054

Pentium T4400

MSRP: $107|Avg: $5

99%

#1056

Athlon X2 QL-65

MSRP: $150|Avg: $22

98%

#1057

Pentium J2850

MSRP: $94|Avg: $94

97%

#1058

Core i7-4900MQ

MSRP: $570|Avg: $40

97%

#1059

Pentium Dual Core T2370

MSRP: $150|Avg: $25

96%

#1060

Celeron P4505

MSRP: $86|Avg: $86

96%

#1061

Pentium T4200

MSRP: $99|Avg: $10

96%

#1062

Core i7-2720QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

96%

#1063

Pentium 2020M

MSRP: $134|Avg: N/A

95%

#1064

Celeron P4500

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

95%

#1065

Pentium Dual Core SU4100

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

95%

#1066

Processor N50

MSRP: $128|Avg: $120

94%

#1067

Athlon II N350

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core 2 Duo T8300 leads in gaming performance. However, the Pentium 987 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 1% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T8300	Pentium 987
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($20)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Duo T8300	Pentium 987
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($20)

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 T8300 Benchmark Check

Pentium 987 Benchmark Check

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Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo T8300 and Pentium 987

Core 2 Duo T8300

The Core 2 Duo T8300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 January 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,472 points. Launch price was $241.

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.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo T8300 and Pentium 987 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T8300 versus 1.5 GHz on the Pentium 987 — a 46.2% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo T8300 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Core 2 Duo T8300 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 987 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T8300 scores 1,472 against the Pentium 987's 1,487 — a 1% lead for the Pentium 987. L3 cache: 3 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo T8300 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 987.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T8300	Pentium 987
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.4 GHz+60%	1.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+60%	1.5 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB L2 Cache+50%	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	3 MB+1100%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,472	1,487+1%
Geekbench 6 Single	450	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	850	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo T8300 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium 987 uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.