Pentium B980 vs Pentium B970

Pentium B980

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2012

Pentium B970

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.3 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium B980

2 / 2

1,101

+0.7%

1,093

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 Pentium B970 is on rank 1112, so the Pentium B980 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 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 Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium B980 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium B970 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.7% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium B980	Pentium B970
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($35)	⚠️ Higher cost ($39)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Pentium B980 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 10% cheaper ($35 vs $39) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Pentium B980	Pentium B970
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+12%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($35)	⚠️ Higher cost ($39)

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

Pentium B970 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium B980 and Pentium B970

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.

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.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium B980 and Pentium B970 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Pentium B980 versus 2.3 GHz on the Pentium B970 — a 4.3% clock advantage for the Pentium B980 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). Both are built on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture using a 32 nm process. In PassMark, the Pentium B980 scores 1,101 against the Pentium B970's 1,093 — a 0.7% lead for the Pentium B980. Both processors carry 2 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Pentium B980	Pentium B970
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.4 GHz+4%	2.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+4%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,101	1,093

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the PGA988 socket with PCIe 2.0.

Feature	Pentium B980	Pentium B970
Socket	PGA988	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium B980 launched at $125 MSRP, while the Pentium B970 debuted at $125. At current prices ($35 vs $39), the Pentium B980 is $4 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium B980 delivers 31.5 pts/$ vs 28.0 pts/$ for the Pentium B970 — making the Pentium B980 the 11.5% better value option.