Pentium 997 vs Pentium E6700

Pentium 997

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2012

Pentium E6700

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2010

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 997

2 / 2

1,215

0.0%

1,219

+0.3%

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 997 is positioned at rank 1104 and the Pentium E6700 is on rank 915, so the Pentium E6700 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 997

#1092

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3235%

#1093

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3187%

#1094

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2926%

#1095

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2913%

#1096

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2886%

#1098

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2787%

#1099

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2673%

#1100

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2668%

#1101

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2596%

#1104

Pentium 997

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

100%

#1105

Pentium A1018

MSRP: $132|Avg: $15

99%

#1106

Core i5-2430M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

99%

#1108

Pentium Dual Core T4500

MSRP: $150|Avg: $30

98%

#1109

Celeron B820

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

98%

#1110

Pentium B980

MSRP: $125|Avg: $35

97%

#1111

Celeron 867

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

97%

#1112

Pentium B970

MSRP: $125|Avg: $39

96%

#1113

Core i5-2410M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

96%

#1114

Pentium T2370

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

95%

#1115

Pentium N3710

MSRP: $161|Avg: $50

95%

#1116

Core m3-7Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1117

Pentium 977

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

94%

#1118

Core i7-2715QE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $50

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium E6700

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

21998%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

20786%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

15092%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

4547%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3601%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

3151%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1805%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1781%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1622%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1621%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1603%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1560%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1538%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1532%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1518%

#395

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

MSRP: $4491|Avg: $4491

99%

#915

Pentium E6700

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

100%

#916

Phenom II X4 820

MSRP: $150|Avg: $50

99%

#917

Core i7-3930K

MSRP: $583|Avg: $150

99%

#919

Core i7-4930K

MSRP: $670|Avg: $100

99%

#920

Sempron LE-1250

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $20

99%

#921

Pentium E6500

MSRP: $84|Avg: $10

99%

#922

Core i5-2500

MSRP: $294|Avg: $69

98%

#924

Athlon II X4 605e

MSRP: $143|Avg: $25

97%

#925

Athlon II X4 610e

MSRP: $143|Avg: $20

97%

#926

Core i5-2390T

MSRP: $182|Avg: $182

97%

#927

Phenom II X4 910e

MSRP: $157|Avg: $69

97%

#928

FX-8100

MSRP: $300|Avg: $50

96%

#930

Celeron E1400

MSRP: $53|Avg: $63

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium E6700 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium 997 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium 997	Pentium E6700
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($5)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Wolfdale (2008−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Pentium E6700 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 50% cheaper ($5 vs $10) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Pentium 997	Pentium E6700
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+101%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($5)

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 997 Benchmark Check

Pentium E6700 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 997 and Pentium E6700

Pentium 997

The Pentium 997 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 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: 1,215 points. Launch price was $134.

Pentium E6700

The Pentium E6700 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 May 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 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: 1,219 points. Launch price was $80.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium 997 and Pentium E6700 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Pentium 997 versus 3.2 GHz on the Pentium E6700 — a 66.7% clock advantage for the Pentium E6700 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Pentium 997 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium E6700 uses Wolfdale (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 997 scores 1,215 against the Pentium E6700's 1,219 — a 0.3% lead for the Pentium E6700. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 997 vs 0 kB on the Pentium E6700.

Feature	Pentium 997	Pentium E6700
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.6 GHz	3.2 GHz+100%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	3.2 GHz+100%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (total)+700%
Process	32 nm-29%	45 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Wolfdale (2008−2010)
PassMark	1,215	1,219

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 997 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium E6700 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 997	Pentium E6700
Socket	BGA1023	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1066
Max RAM Capacity	—	8 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium 997) / VT-x (Pentium E6700). Primary use case: Pentium E6700 targets Desktop.

Feature	Pentium 997	Pentium E6700
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium 997 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Pentium E6700 debuted at $86. At current prices ($10 vs $5), the Pentium E6700 is $5 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium 997 delivers 121.5 pts/$ vs 243.8 pts/$ for the Pentium E6700 — making the Pentium E6700 the 67% better value option.