Pentium 987 vs Ryzen 7 5700X

CPU

GPU

Pentium 987

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.5 GHz2013

Similar parts

·······

Buy on Amazon

Ryzen 7 5700X

8 Cores16 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.6 GHz2022

Ryzen family

·······

Buy on Amazon

Pentium 987 vs Ryzen 7 5700X Performance Spectrum

Pentium 987

2 / 2

1,487

0.0%

Celeron J1800

Pentium Dual-Core E2200

26,609

+1689.4%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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.

Pentium 987 vs Ryzen 7 5700X 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 987 vs Ryzen 7 5700X: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Pentium 987

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $165 less on MSRP ($134 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Draws 17W instead of 65W, a 48W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (1,487 vs 26,609).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (2 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 11.1 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($134 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Ryzen 7 5700X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +576.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+1500% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 2 MB).
✅Delivers 702.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.0 vs 11.1 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
123.1% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$134 MSRP
❌282.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 17W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 5700X better than Pentium 987?

Yes. Ryzen 7 5700X is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 576.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1689.4% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 5700X is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 576.8% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 5700X is the stronger fit. You are getting 1689.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 1500% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 2 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 5700X is the better buy right now. Ryzen 7 5700X comes in 123.1% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $134 MSRP, and it still gives you a 576.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 702.0% better value on MSRP (89.0 vs 11.1 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 7 5700X makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2013), 1500% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 2 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Pentium 987 vs Ryzen 7 5700X Technical Specifications

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

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 5700X

The Ryzen 7 5700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 26,609 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium 987 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Ryzen 7 5700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 5700X has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.5 GHz on the Pentium 987 versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5700X — a 101.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 5700X (base: 1.5 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Pentium 987 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Ryzen 7 5700X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 987 scores 1,487 against the Ryzen 7 5700X's 26,609 — a 178.8% lead for the Ryzen 7 5700X. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 987 vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 5700X.

Feature	Pentium 987	Ryzen 7 5700X
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	8 / 16+300%
Boost Clock	1.5 GHz	4.6 GHz+207%
Base Clock	1.5 GHz	3.4 GHz+127%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+1500%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	32 nm	7 nm-78%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	1,487	26,609+1689%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	14,000
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,116
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	9,715

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 987 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Ryzen 7 5700X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 987	Ryzen 7 5700X
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	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium 987) / AMD-V (Ryzen 7 5700X). Primary use case: Ryzen 7 5700X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 5700X rivals Core i7-11700K.

Feature	Pentium 987	Ryzen 7 5700X
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Pentium 987 was priced at $134, while the Ryzen 7 5700X came in at $299. On launch pricing ($134 vs $299), Pentium 987 was $165 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium 987 delivers 11.1 pts/$ vs 89.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 5700X — making the Ryzen 7 5700X the 155.7% better value option.

Feature	Pentium 987	Ryzen 7 5700X
MSRP	$134-55%	$299
Performance per Dollar	11.1	89.0+702%
Release Date	2013	2022

Search Pentium 987 on Amazon

Search Ryzen 7 5700X on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.