Pentium B970 vs Athlon II X2 210e

Pentium B970

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.3 GHz2012

Athlon II X2 210e

2 Cores2 Thrd45 WWMax: 2.6 GHz2010

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium B970

2 / 2

1,093

+0.4%

1,089

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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 B970 is positioned at rank 1112 and the Athlon II X2 210e is on rank 837, so the Athlon II X2 210e 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 B970

#1100

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3357%

#1101

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3308%

#1102

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3037%

#1103

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3023%

#1104

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2995%

#1106

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2892%

#1107

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2773%

#1108

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2769%

#1109

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2695%

#1112

Pentium B970

MSRP: $125|Avg: $39

100%

#1113

Core i5-2410M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

99%

#1114

Pentium T2370

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

99%

#1115

Pentium N3710

MSRP: $161|Avg: $50

99%

#1116

Core m3-7Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

98%

#1117

Pentium 977

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

98%

#1118

Core i7-2715QE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $50

97%

#1119

VIA Nano U2250

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

97%

#1121

Core i5-560M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

96%

#1122

Pentium U5600

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

96%

#1123

Core m5-6Y57

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1125

Core i7-610E

MSRP: $250|Avg: $40

95%

#1126

Core i5-5350U

MSRP: $315|Avg: N/A

94%

#1127

Core i3-4100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 210e

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

17174%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

16228%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

11783%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

3550%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2812%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2460%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1409%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1390%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1266%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1266%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1252%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1218%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1201%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1196%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1185%

#837

Athlon II X2 210e

MSRP: $60|Avg: $28

100%

#839

Pentium G645

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

100%

#840

Pentium G630

MSRP: $75|Avg: $46

99%

#841

Core i5-2550K

MSRP: $235|Avg: $46

99%

#842

Athlon II X4 600e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

99%

#843

Core i7-4785T

MSRP: $306|Avg: $32

99%

#844

Core i5-6442EQ

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

99%

#845

Core i5-4690S

MSRP: $306|Avg: $189

99%

#846

Core i3-3250

MSRP: $138|Avg: $40

98%

#847

Core i3-3240

MSRP: $132|Avg: $15

98%

#848

Pentium G640T

MSRP: $64|Avg: $69

98%

#849

Core i7-5930K

MSRP: $583|Avg: $410

98%

#851

Core i3-3240T

MSRP: $117|Avg: $8

98%

#852

Athlon II X2 240

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Athlon II X2 210e leads in gaming performance. However, the Pentium B970 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.4% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Pentium B970	Athlon II X2 210e
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($39)	✅ More affordable ($28)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Athlon II X2 210e stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 28% cheaper ($28 vs $39) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Pentium B970	Athlon II X2 210e
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+39%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($39)	✅ More affordable ($28)

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 B970 Benchmark Check

Athlon II X2 210e Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium B970 and Athlon II X2 210e

Pentium B970

The Pentium B970 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 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,093 points. Launch price was $125.

Athlon II X2 210e

The Athlon II X2 210e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,089 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium B970 and Athlon II X2 210e share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Pentium B970 versus 2.6 GHz on the Athlon II X2 210e — a 12.2% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 210e (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Pentium B970 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon II X2 210e uses Regor (2009−2013) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B970 scores 1,093 against the Athlon II X2 210e's 1,089 — a 0.4% lead for the Pentium B970. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B970 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 210e.

Feature	Pentium B970	Athlon II X2 210e
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.3 GHz	2.6 GHz+13%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	2.6 GHz+13%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB+100%
Process	32 nm-29%	45 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Regor (2009−2013)
PassMark	1,093	1,089

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium B970 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X2 210e uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium B970	Athlon II X2 210e
Socket	PGA988	AM3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	1333
Max RAM Capacity	—	16
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium B970) / true (Athlon II X2 210e). Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 210e rivals Pentium E5300.

Feature	Pentium B970	Athlon II X2 210e
Integrated GPU	—	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	true

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium B970 launched at $125 MSRP, while the Athlon II X2 210e debuted at $60. At current prices ($39 vs $28), the Athlon II X2 210e is $11 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium B970 delivers 28.0 pts/$ vs 38.9 pts/$ for the Athlon II X2 210e — making the Athlon II X2 210e the 32.5% better value option.