Pentium 2117U vs Pentium E5400

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.

Pentium 2117U vs Pentium E5400 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.

Pentium 2117U vs Pentium E5400: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Pentium 2117U

2012

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌687.7% higher power demand at 512W vs 65W.

Pentium E5400

2009

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 512W, a 447W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,007 vs 1,009).
❌Launch MSRP is still $55 MSRP, while Pentium 2117U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium E5400 better than Pentium 2117U?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium E5400 is ahead with a 1.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 2117U pulls ahead with 0.2% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 2117U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium E5400 is the better buy right now. Pentium E5400 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $55 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Pentium 2117U is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.2% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (18.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2117U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2012 vs 2009) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Pentium 2117U vs Pentium E5400 Technical Specifications

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

Pentium 2117U

The Pentium 2117U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,009 points. Launch price was $134.

Pentium E5400

The Pentium E5400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 18 January 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,007 points. Launch price was $55.

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Processing Power

Both the Pentium 2117U and Pentium E5400 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.8 GHz on the Pentium 2117U versus 2.7 GHz on the Pentium E5400 — a 40% clock advantage for the Pentium E5400 (base: 1.8 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Pentium 2117U uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium E5400 uses Wolfdale (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 2117U scores 1,009 against the Pentium E5400's 1,007 — a 0.2% lead for the Pentium 2117U. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 2117U vs 0 kB on the Pentium E5400.

Feature	Pentium 2117U	Pentium E5400
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.8 GHz	2.7 GHz+50%
Base Clock	1.8 GHz	2.7 GHz+50%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)+12700%	2 MB (total)
Process	22 nm-51%	45 nm
Architecture	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Wolfdale (2008−2010)
PassMark	1,009	1,007

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Memory & Platform

The Pentium 2117U uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium E5400 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.