Core 2 Solo SU3500 vs Pentium 987

CPU

GPU

Core 2 Solo SU3500

1 Cores1 Thrd3 WWMax: 1.4 GHz2009

Pentium 987

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.5 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Solo SU3500

1 / 1

1,468

0.0%

1,487

+1.3%

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.

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 Solo SU3500 is positioned at rank 1195 and the Pentium 987 is on rank 1052, so the Pentium 987 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 Solo SU3500

#1183

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

5239%

#1184

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

5163%

#1185

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

4739%

#1186

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

4718%

#1187

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

4675%

#1189

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

4514%

#1190

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

4329%

#1191

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

4321%

#1192

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

4205%

#1195

Core 2 Solo SU3500

MSRP: $262|Avg: $15

100%

#1196

Core 2 Duo E8335

MSRP: $200|Avg: $50

98%

#1199

Celeron 560

MSRP: $89|Avg: $5

95%

#1200

Core i3-2312M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

94%

#1201

Celeron 857

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

94%

#1202

Celeron 925

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

94%

#1203

Core 2 Duo E8135

MSRP: $200|Avg: $15

91%

#1204

Core 2 Duo U7700

MSRP: $262|Avg: $10

91%

#1205

Core Duo T2400

MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A

90%

#1206

Core 2 Duo U7600

MSRP: $250|Avg: $5

90%

#1207

Pentium M 735

MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A

89%

#1208

Core i7-620LM

MSRP: $300|Avg: N/A

87%

#1209

Core i7-740QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

87%

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 Leadership: The Pentium 987 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Solo SU3500 in both compute-intensive tasks (1.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Solo SU3500	Pentium 987
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ Higher cost ($20)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Core 2 Solo SU3500 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $15 (vs $20), it costs 25% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 32% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Pentium 987.

Insight	Core 2 Solo SU3500	Pentium 987
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+32%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ 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 Solo SU3500 Benchmark Check

Pentium 987 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Solo SU3500 and Pentium 987

Core 2 Solo SU3500

The Core 2 Solo SU3500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 April 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Base frequency is 1.3 GHz, with boost up to 1.4 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: BGA956. Thermal design power (TDP): 5.5 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,468 points. Launch price was $262.

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

The Core 2 Solo SU3500 packs 1 cores / 1 threads, while the Pentium 987 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Pentium 987 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 1.4 GHz on the Core 2 Solo SU3500 versus 1.5 GHz on the Pentium 987 — a 6.9% clock advantage for the Pentium 987 (base: 1.3 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Core 2 Solo SU3500 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 987 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Solo SU3500 scores 1,468 against the Pentium 987's 1,487 — a 1.3% lead for the Pentium 987. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core 2 Solo SU3500 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 987.

Feature	Core 2 Solo SU3500	Pentium 987
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	2 / 2+100%
Boost Clock	1.4 GHz	1.5 GHz+7%
Base Clock	1.3 GHz	1.5 GHz+15%
L3 Cache	3 MB+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	1,468	1,487+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Solo SU3500 uses the BGA956 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium 987 uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Solo SU3500	Pentium 987
Socket	BGA956	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 2 Solo SU3500 launched at $262 MSRP, while the Pentium 987 debuted at $134. At current prices ($15 vs $20), the Core 2 Solo SU3500 is $5 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 2 Solo SU3500 delivers 97.9 pts/$ vs 74.3 pts/$ for the Pentium 987 — making the Core 2 Solo SU3500 the 27.3% better value option.