Xeon 5120 vs Pentium B980

Xeon 5120

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 1.87 GHz2006

Pentium B980

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon 5120

2 / 2

1,115

+1.3%

Pentium D 830

Pentium T2370

Pentium T3400

Pentium Dual-Core E2200

1,101

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 Xeon 5120 is positioned at rank 857 and the Pentium B980 is on rank 1110, so the Xeon 5120 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 Xeon 5120

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

19945%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3766%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

3346%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2585%

#484

EPYC 7773X

MSRP: $8800|Avg: $8800

100%

#485

Xeon Gold 6258R

MSRP: $3950|Avg: $1400

98%

#486

EPYC 9175F

MSRP: $4256|Avg: $3703

98%

#488

EPYC 9534

MSRP: $8803|Avg: $2999

97%

#489

EPYC 9654

MSRP: $11805|Avg: $5345

97%

#490

EPYC 7H12

MSRP: $6950|Avg: $1340

96%

#857

Xeon 5120

MSRP: $107|Avg: $15

100%

#859

Xeon W3530

MSRP: $294|Avg: $10

100%

#861

Xeon W3520

MSRP: $284|Avg: $15

99%

#862

Xeon E3-1271 v3

MSRP: $727|Avg: $831

99%

#863

Xeon E5603

MSRP: $188|Avg: N/A

99%

#871

Xeon 6315P

MSRP: $1166|Avg: $160

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

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 Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Pentium B980 (2012) utilizes 32 nm technology and DDR3, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Xeon 5120	Pentium B980
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ Higher cost ($35)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Woodcrest (2006) / 65 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon 5120 (2006) relies on 65 nm technology and DDR2, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Xeon 5120	Pentium B980
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+136%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ Higher cost ($35)

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.

Xeon 5120 Benchmark Check

Pentium B980 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon 5120 and Pentium B980

Xeon 5120

The Xeon 5120 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Junho 2006 (19 years ago). It is based on the Woodcrest (2006) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.86 GHz, with boost up to 1.87 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 1,115 points. Launch price was $45.

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.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon 5120 and Pentium B980 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.87 GHz on the Xeon 5120 versus 2.4 GHz on the Pentium B980 — a 24.8% clock advantage for the Pentium B980 (base: 1.86 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Xeon 5120 uses the Woodcrest (2006) architecture (65 nm), while the Pentium B980 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon 5120 scores 1,115 against the Pentium B980's 1,101 — a 1.3% lead for the Xeon 5120. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Xeon 5120 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B980.

Feature	Xeon 5120	Pentium B980
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.87 GHz	2.4 GHz+28%
Base Clock	1.86 GHz	2.4 GHz+29%
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	4 MB+1500%	256K (per core)
Process	65 nm	32 nm-51%
Architecture	Woodcrest (2006)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,115+1%	1,101

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon 5120 uses the LGA771 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium B980 uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon 5120	Pentium B980
Socket	LGA771	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon 5120 launched at $107 MSRP, while the Pentium B980 debuted at $125. At current prices ($15 vs $35), the Xeon 5120 is $20 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon 5120 delivers 74.3 pts/$ vs 31.5 pts/$ for the Pentium B980 — making the Xeon 5120 the 81.1% better value option.