Pentium B970 vs Core i7-620UM

Pentium B970

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.3 GHz2012

Core i7-620UM

2 Cores4 Thrd18 WWMax: 2.13 GHz2010

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium B970

2 / 2

1,093

+0.2%

1,091

0.0%

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 Core i7-620UM is on rank 1228, so the Pentium B970 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 Core i7-620UM

#1216

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

7485%

#1217

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

7375%

#1218

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

6770%

#1219

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

6740%

#1220

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

6678%

#1222

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

6449%

#1223

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

6184%

#1224

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

6173%

#1225

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

6008%

#1228

Core i7-620UM

MSRP: $278|Avg: N/A

100%

#1230

Celeron 570

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

96%

#1231

Core i7-820QM

MSRP: $546|Avg: N/A

85%

#1233

Core Duo T2700

MSRP: $663|Avg: N/A

72%

#1235

Pentium SU4100

MSRP: $289|Avg: $15

60%

#1236

Core Solo T1400

MSRP: $200|Avg: $5

55%

#1237

Core i7-940XM

MSRP: $1096|Avg: N/A

53%

#1238

Core Solo T1350

MSRP: $200|Avg: $70

52%

#1240

Core Solo T1300

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

47%

#1241

Core Solo T1200

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

43%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium B970 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i7-620UM in both compute-intensive tasks (0.2% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium B970	Core i7-620UM
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($39)	⚠️ Higher cost ($278)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Pentium B970 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 86% cheaper ($39 vs $278) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Pentium B970	Core i7-620UM
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+614%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($39)	⚠️ Higher cost ($278)

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

Core i7-620UM Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium B970 and Core i7-620UM

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.

Core i7-620UM

The Core i7-620UM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.06 GHz, with boost up to 2.13 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1288. Thermal design power (TDP): 18 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800. Passmark benchmark score: 1,091 points. Launch price was $278.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium B970 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i7-620UM's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Pentium B970 versus 2.13 GHz on the Core i7-620UM — a 7.7% clock advantage for the Pentium B970 (base: 2.3 GHz vs 1.06 GHz). The Pentium B970 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i7-620UM uses Arrandale (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B970 scores 1,093 against the Core i7-620UM's 1,091 — a 0.2% lead for the Pentium B970. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B970 vs 4 MB (total) on the Core i7-620UM.

Feature	Pentium B970	Core i7-620UM
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.3 GHz+8%	2.13 GHz
Base Clock	2.3 GHz+117%	1.06 GHz
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	4 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Arrandale (2010−2011)
PassMark	1,093	1,091
Geekbench 6 Single	—	350
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	700

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium B970 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-620UM uses BGA1288 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium B970	Core i7-620UM
Socket	PGA988	BGA1288
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1066
Max RAM Capacity	—	8 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium B970) / VT-x (Core i7-620UM). The Core i7-620UM includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Ironlake)), while the Pentium B970 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-620UM targets Ultra-Portable Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i7-620UM rivals Core 2 Duo SU9600.