Pentium B980 vs Pentium E5700

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.

Pentium B980 vs Pentium E5700 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Pentium B980 vs Pentium E5700: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Pentium B980

2012

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 8.8 vs 14.6 PassMark/$ ($125 MSRP vs $75 MSRP).

Pentium E5700

2010

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($75 MSRP vs $125 MSRP).
✅Delivers 65.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 14.6 vs 8.8 PassMark/$ ($75 MSRP vs $125 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,096 vs 1,101).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium B980 better than Pentium E5700?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium E5700 is ahead with a 1.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium B980 pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium B980 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium B980 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium B980 comes in 66.7% more expensive on MSRP at $125 MSRP versus $75 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.5% better PassMark. Pentium E5700 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2010 platform. Even with 65.9% better value on paper (14.6 vs 8.8 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA775.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium B980 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2012 vs 2010) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Pentium B980 vs Pentium E5700 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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 E5700

The Pentium E5700 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 August 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 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: 1,096 points. Launch price was $110.

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Processing Power

Both the Pentium B980 and Pentium E5700 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Pentium B980 versus 3 GHz on the Pentium E5700 — a 22.2% clock advantage for the Pentium E5700 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Pentium B980 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium E5700 uses Wolfdale (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B980 scores 1,101 against the Pentium E5700's 1,096 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium B980. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B980 vs 0 kB on the Pentium E5700.

Feature	Pentium B980	Pentium E5700
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.4 GHz	3 GHz+25%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3 GHz+25%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)+12700%	2 MB (total)
Process	32 nm-29%	45 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Wolfdale (2008−2010)
PassMark	1,101	1,096

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Memory & Platform

The Pentium B980 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium E5700 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium B980	Pentium E5700
Socket	PGA988	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Pentium B980 was priced at $125, while the Pentium E5700 came in at $75. On launch pricing ($125 vs $75), Pentium E5700 was $50 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium B980 delivers 8.8 pts/$ vs 14.6 pts/$ for the Pentium E5700 — making the Pentium E5700 the 49.6% better value option.

Feature	Pentium B980	Pentium E5700
MSRP	$125	$75-40%
Performance per Dollar	8.8	14.6+66%
Release Date	2012	2010

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