Pentium 987 vs Ryzen 7 7800X3D

CPU

GPU

Pentium 987

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.5 GHz2013

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Ryzen 7 7800X3D

8 Cores16 Thrd120 WWMax: 5 GHz2023

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Pentium 987 vs Ryzen 7 7800X3D Performance Spectrum

Pentium 987

2 / 2

1,487

0.0%

Celeron J1800

Pentium Dual-Core E2200

34,293

+2206.2%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

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 7800X3D 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 7800X3D: 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 $315 less on MSRP ($134 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Draws 17W instead of 120W, a 103W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7800X3D across 34 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (1,487 vs 34,293).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 11.1 vs 76.4 PassMark/$ ($134 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on BGA1023, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +694.3% higher average FPS across 34 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 588.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.4 vs 11.1 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1023 and older memory support.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while Pentium 987 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌
235.1% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$134 MSRP
❌605.9% higher power demand at 120W vs 17W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 7800X3D better than Pentium 987?

Yes. Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 694.3% average FPS lead across 34 shared CPU game tests in our data, 2206.2% 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 7800X3D is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 694.3% more average FPS across 34 shared CPU game tests. It also has a clear cache advantage at 96 MB versus 2 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the stronger fit. You are getting 2206.2% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 4700% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 2 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the better buy right now. Ryzen 7 7800X3D comes in 235.1% more expensive on MSRP at $449 MSRP versus $134 MSRP, and it still gives you a 694.3% average FPS lead across 34 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 588.3% better value on MSRP (76.4 vs 11.1 PassMark/$), 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 7800X3D makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2013), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of BGA1023, 3D V-Cache and a much larger 96 MB L3 cache instead of 2 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 2/2. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Pentium 987 vs Ryzen 7 7800X3D 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 7800X3D

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 96 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 34,293 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium 987 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 7800X3D has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.5 GHz on the Pentium 987 versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — a 107.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D (base: 1.5 GHz vs 4.4 GHz). The Pentium 987 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 987 scores 1,487 against the Ryzen 7 7800X3D's 34,293 — a 183.4% lead for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 987 vs 96 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

Feature	Pentium 987	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	8 / 16+300%
Boost Clock	1.5 GHz	5 GHz+233%
Base Clock	1.5 GHz	4.4 GHz+193%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	96 MB (total)+4700%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)+25500%	1 MB (per core)
Process	32 nm	5 nm-84%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	1,487	34,293+2206%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	18,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	15,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 987 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 987	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Socket	BGA1023	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 5.0+150%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium 987) / AMD-V (Ryzen 7 7800X3D). The Ryzen 7 7800X3D includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the Pentium 987 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 7 7800X3D targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 7800X3D rivals Intel Core i7-14700K.

Feature	Pentium 987	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Pentium 987 was priced at $134, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D came in at $449. On launch pricing ($134 vs $449), Pentium 987 was $315 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium 987 delivers 11.1 pts/$ vs 76.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — making the Ryzen 7 7800X3D the 149.3% better value option.

Feature	Pentium 987	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
MSRP	$134-70%	$449
Performance per Dollar	11.1	76.4+588%
Release Date	2013	2023

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