Pentium B980 vs Core 2 Duo E4400

Pentium B980

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2012

Core 2 Duo E4400

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 2 GHz2007

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium B980

2 / 2

1,101

+0.5%

1,095

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 B980 is positioned at rank 1110 and the Core 2 Duo E4400 is on rank 1001, so the Core 2 Duo E4400 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 B980

#1098

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3330%

#1099

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3281%

#1100

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3012%

#1101

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2999%

#1102

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2971%

#1104

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2869%

#1105

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2751%

#1106

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2747%

#1107

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2673%

#1110

Pentium B980

MSRP: $125|Avg: $35

100%

#1111

Celeron 867

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

100%

#1112

Pentium B970

MSRP: $125|Avg: $39

99%

#1113

Core i5-2410M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

99%

#1114

Pentium T2370

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

98%

#1115

Pentium N3710

MSRP: $161|Avg: $50

98%

#1116

Core m3-7Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

98%

#1117

Pentium 977

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

97%

#1118

Core i7-2715QE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $50

97%

#1119

VIA Nano U2250

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

96%

#1121

Core i5-560M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

96%

#1122

Pentium U5600

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

95%

#1124

Core m5-6Y57

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1125

Core i7-610E

MSRP: $250|Avg: $40

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo E4400

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

32169%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

30396%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

22070%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

6649%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

5267%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

4607%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2639%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2604%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

2371%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

2371%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

2345%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

2281%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

2249%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

2240%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

2220%

#1001

Core 2 Duo E4400

MSRP: $113|Avg: $20

100%

#1002

Pentium D 915

MSRP: $74|Avg: $10

98%

#1003

Core 2 Quad Q9400

MSRP: $229|Avg: $25

97%

#1004

Core i5-655K

MSRP: $216|Avg: $55

96%

#1005

Celeron 450

MSRP: $53|Avg: $5

96%

#1006

Core 2 Duo E4600

MSRP: $133|Avg: $9.6

96%

#1008

Core i7-870S

MSRP: $300|Avg: $80

95%

#1009

Core 2 Duo E6540

MSRP: $163|Avg: $15

95%

#1010

Celeron 430

MSRP: $49|Avg: $10

94%

#1011

Athlon X2 BE-2300

MSRP: $100|Avg: $80

93%

#1012

Core i7-875K

MSRP: $353|Avg: $175

93%

#1013

Core i5-670

MSRP: $284|Avg: $100

93%

#1014

Core i5-680

MSRP: $294|Avg: $10

92%

#1015

Core 2 Duo E4300

MSRP: $113|Avg: $5

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium B980 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Duo E4400 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.5% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium B980	Core 2 Duo E4400
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($35)	✅ More affordable ($20)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Allendale (2006−2009) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Core 2 Duo E4400 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $20 (vs $35), it costs 43% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 74% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Pentium B980.

Insight	Pentium B980	Core 2 Duo E4400
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+74%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($35)	✅ More affordable ($20)

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 B980 Benchmark Check

Core 2 Duo E4400 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium B980 and Core 2 Duo E4400

Pentium B980

The Pentium B980 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 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 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: 1,101 points. Launch price was $125.

Core 2 Duo E4400

The Core 2 Duo E4400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Allendale (2006−2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,095 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium B980 and Core 2 Duo E4400 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Pentium B980 versus 2 GHz on the Core 2 Duo E4400 — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Pentium B980 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Pentium B980 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core 2 Duo E4400 uses Allendale (2006−2009) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B980 scores 1,101 against the Core 2 Duo E4400's 1,095 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium B980. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B980 vs 0 kB on the Core 2 Duo E4400.

Feature	Pentium B980	Core 2 Duo E4400
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.4 GHz+20%	2 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+20%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB+700%
Process	32 nm-51%	65 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Allendale (2006−2009)
PassMark	1,101	1,095
Geekbench 6 Single	—	208

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium B980 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo E4400 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium B980	Core 2 Duo E4400
Socket	PGA988	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR2-1066
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium B980) / None (Core 2 Duo E4400). Primary use case: Core 2 Duo E4400 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core 2 Duo E4400 rivals Athlon II X2 240.

Feature	Pentium B980	Core 2 Duo E4400
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	None
Target Use	—	Budget

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium B980 launched at $125 MSRP, while the Core 2 Duo E4400 debuted at $113. At current prices ($35 vs $20), the Core 2 Duo E4400 is $15 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium B980 delivers 31.5 pts/$ vs 54.8 pts/$ for the Core 2 Duo E4400 — making the Core 2 Duo E4400 the 54% better value option.