Pentium 987 vs Ryzen 7 3700X

Pentium 987

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.5 GHz2013

Ryzen 7 3700X

8 Cores16 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2019

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 987

2 / 2

1,487

0.0%

Celeron J1800

Pentium Dual-Core E2200

22,430

+1408.4%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen 9 9900X3D

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

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. The Pentium 987 is positioned at rank #1052 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

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 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 Per Dollar Ryzen 7 3700X

#28

Core Ultra 7 265KF

MSRP: $379|Avg: $323

113%

#29

Core Ultra 7 265F

MSRP: $369|Avg: $276

111%

#30

Core i5-12400F

MSRP: $174|Avg: $110

111%

#31

Ryzen 3 PRO 5355G

MSRP: $130|Avg: $80

109%

#32

Ryzen 7 2700X

MSRP: $329|Avg: $100

109%

#33

Core i3-10100F

MSRP: $88|Avg: $50

109%

#34

Ryzen 5 7400F

MSRP: $150|Avg: $147

108%

#35

Ryzen 5 9600X

MSRP: $279|Avg: $178

105%

#36

Ryzen 7 3800X

MSRP: $399|Avg: $140

103%

#37

Ryzen 3 5300G

MSRP: $130|Avg: $80

102%

#38

Ryzen 9 7900X

MSRP: $549|Avg: $316

101%

#39

Ryzen 5 5600X

MSRP: $299|Avg: $135

101%

#40

Core i5-14600KF

MSRP: $304|Avg: $239

101%

#41

Ryzen 7 5800

MSRP: $349|Avg: $160

100%

#42

Core i3-14100F

MSRP: $109|Avg: $96

100%

#43

Ryzen 7 3700X

MSRP: $329|Avg: $140

100%

#44

Ryzen 5 7600X

MSRP: $299|Avg: $178

99%

#45

Ryzen 3 3100

MSRP: $99|Avg: $75

99%

#46

Core i5-13490F

MSRP: $235|Avg: $170

98%

#47

Ryzen 5 5600F

MSRP: $99|Avg: $129

98%

#48

Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

MSRP: $499|Avg: $200

98%

#49

Ryzen 3 4300GE

MSRP: $94|Avg: $72

97%

#50

Ryzen 5 PRO 2400GE

MSRP: $169|Avg: $50

97%

#51

Core Ultra 5 225

MSRP: $240|Avg: $200

97%

#52

Core i5-11500

MSRP: $192|Avg: $110

97%

#53

Core i3-12100F

MSRP: $97|Avg: $90

97%

#54

Core Ultra 7 265

MSRP: $384|Avg: $320

97%

#55

Ryzen 7 5800X

MSRP: $449|Avg: $180

96%

#56

Core i5-11400F

MSRP: $157|Avg: $110

96%

#57

Ryzen 7 5700G

MSRP: $359|Avg: $160

95%

#58

Ryzen 7 5700X

MSRP: $299|Avg: $175

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Ryzen 7 3700X (2019) utilizes 7 nm, 12 nm technology and **DDR4 Dual-channel**, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Pentium 987	Ryzen 7 3700X
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($20)	⚠️ Higher cost ($140)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	✨ Modern (Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) / 7 nm, 12 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Pentium 987 (2013) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Pentium 987	Ryzen 7 3700X
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+115%)
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($20)	⚠️ Higher cost ($140)

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 987 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 3700X Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 987 and Ryzen 7 3700X

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.

Ryzen 7 3700X

The Ryzen 7 3700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,430 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium 987 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Ryzen 7 3700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 3700X has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.5 GHz on the Pentium 987 versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X — a 98.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3700X (base: 1.5 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Pentium 987 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 987 scores 1,487 against the Ryzen 7 3700X's 22,430 — a 175.1% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 987 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X.

Feature	Pentium 987	Ryzen 7 3700X
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	8 / 16+300%
Boost Clock	1.5 GHz	4.4 GHz+193%
Base Clock	1.5 GHz	3.6 GHz+140%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	32 MB+1500%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	32 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-78%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	1,487	22,430+1408%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 987 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 987	Ryzen 7 3700X
Socket	BGA1023	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 4.0+100%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	✅
PCIe Lanes	—	24

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium 987 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 3700X debuted at $329. At current prices ($20 vs $140), the Pentium 987 is $120 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium 987 delivers 74.3 pts/$ vs 160.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 3700X — making the Ryzen 7 3700X the 73.2% better value option.