Pentium B980 vs Phenom II X3 N830
Pentium B980
Phenom II X3 N830
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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 Phenom II X3 N830 is on rank 603, so the Phenom II X3 N830 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium B980
Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X3 N830
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium B980 | Phenom II X3 N830 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($35) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium B980 | Phenom II X3 N830 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($35) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Pentium B980 and Phenom II X3 N830
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.
Phenom II X3 N830
The Phenom II X3 N830 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Max frequency: 2.1 GHz. L2 cache: 1.5 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1.5 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,107 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Pentium B980 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Phenom II X3 N830 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Phenom II X3 N830 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Pentium B980 versus 2.1 GHz on the Phenom II X3 N830 — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Pentium B980. The Pentium B980 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Phenom II X3 N830 uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B980 scores 1,101 against the Phenom II X3 N830's 1,107 — a 0.5% lead for the Phenom II X3 N830.
| Feature | Pentium B980 | Phenom II X3 N830 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 3 / 3+50% |
| Boost Clock | 2.4 GHz+14% | 2.1 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.4 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | — |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 1.5 MB+500% |
| Process | 32 nm-29% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Champlain (2010−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,101 | 1,107 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium B980 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom II X3 N830 uses S1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium B980 | Phenom II X3 N830 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA988 | S1 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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