Pentium 977 vs Atom x5-Z8550

Pentium 977

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.4 GHz2012

Atom x5-Z8550

4 Cores4 Thrd−WMax: 2.4 GHz2016

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 977

2 / 2

1,148

+0.4%

1,143

0.0%

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 Pentium 977 is positioned at rank 1117 and the Atom x5-Z8550 is on rank 723, so the Atom x5-Z8550 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 Pentium 977

#1105

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3424%

#1106

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3373%

#1107

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3097%

#1108

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3083%

#1109

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3055%

#1111

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2950%

#1112

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2828%

#1113

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2824%

#1114

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2748%

#1117

Pentium 977

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

100%

#1118

Core i7-2715QE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $50

99%

#1119

VIA Nano U2250

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

99%

#1121

Core i5-560M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

98%

#1122

Pentium U5600

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

97%

#1123

Core m5-6Y57

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

97%

#1125

Core i7-610E

MSRP: $250|Avg: $40

97%

#1126

Core i5-5350U

MSRP: $315|Avg: N/A

96%

#1127

Core i7-3520M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

96%

#1128

Pentium Dual Core T4300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $99

96%

#1129

Core i3-4100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

96%

#1130

Core i3-2310E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $20

96%

#1131

Core i5-2510E

MSRP: $230|Avg: $30

96%

#1132

Core m5-6Y54

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Atom x5-Z8550

#711

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1027%

#712

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1012%

#713

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

929%

#714

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

924%

#715

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

916%

#717

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

885%

#718

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

848%

#719

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

847%

#720

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

824%

#723

Atom x5-Z8550

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Atom x5-Z8550 leads in gaming performance. However, the Pentium 977 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.4% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Pentium 977	Atom x5-Z8550
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Cherry Trail (2015−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Pentium 977	Atom x5-Z8550
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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.

Pentium 977 Benchmark Check

Atom x5-Z8550 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 977 and Atom x5-Z8550

Pentium 977

The Pentium 977 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 1.4 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: 1,148 points. Launch price was $134.

Atom x5-Z8550

The Atom x5-Z8550 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 February 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Cherry Trail (2015−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.44 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: UTFCBGA1380. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,143 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium 977 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Atom x5-Z8550 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Atom x5-Z8550 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.4 GHz on the Pentium 977 versus 2.4 GHz on the Atom x5-Z8550 — a 52.6% clock advantage for the Atom x5-Z8550 (base: 1.4 GHz vs 1.44 GHz). The Pentium 977 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Atom x5-Z8550 uses Cherry Trail (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 977 scores 1,148 against the Atom x5-Z8550's 1,143 — a 0.4% lead for the Pentium 977. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 977 vs 0 kB on the Atom x5-Z8550.

Feature	Pentium 977	Atom x5-Z8550
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	1.4 GHz	2.4 GHz+71%
Base Clock	1.4 GHz	1.44 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB+700%
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Cherry Trail (2015−2016)
PassMark	1,148	1,143

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 977 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Atom x5-Z8550 uses UTFCBGA1380 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 977	Atom x5-Z8550
Socket	BGA1023	UTFCBGA1380
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	LPDDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	8 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	2