Xeon L3406 vs Pentium B980

Xeon L3406

2 Cores4 Thrd30 WWMax: 2.53 GHz2010

Pentium B980

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon L3406

1,104

+0.3%

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 L3406 is positioned at rank 969 and the Pentium B980 is on rank 1110, so the Xeon L3406 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 L3406

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

35586%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

6719%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

5970%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

4612%

#535

Xeon W-3245M

MSRP: $5002|Avg: $5002

98%

#536

Xeon W-3265M

MSRP: $6300|Avg: $3500

97%

#969

Xeon L3406

MSRP: $189|Avg: $30

100%

#970

Xeon E5-2687W v2

MSRP: $2112|Avg: $62

100%

#972

Xeon L5430

MSRP: $390|Avg: $380

99%

#973

Xeon E5-2470

MSRP: $1440|Avg: $125

99%

#974

Xeon E5-2670

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $60

98%

#976

Xeon X3470

MSRP: $589|Avg: $16

97%

#979

Xeon E5-2689

MSRP: $1800|Avg: $18

94%

#980

Xeon E5-2450L

MSRP: $1106|Avg: $78

94%

#981

Xeon X3480

MSRP: $612|Avg: $48

93%

#982

Xeon E5-2687W

MSRP: $1885|Avg: $70

91%

#983

Xeon E5-4610

MSRP: $1219|Avg: $50

91%

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

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($30) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon L3406 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon L3406	Pentium B980
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($30)	⚠️ Higher cost ($35)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Pentium B980 ($35), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($5 less, 17% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon L3406	Pentium B980
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+17%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($30)	⚠️ 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 L3406 Benchmark Check

Pentium B980 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon L3406 and Pentium B980

Xeon L3406

The Xeon L3406 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.26 GHz, with boost up to 2.53 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 30 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 1,104 points. Launch price was $800.

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

The Xeon L3406 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Pentium B980's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.53 GHz on the Xeon L3406 versus 2.4 GHz on the Pentium B980 — a 5.3% clock advantage for the Xeon L3406 (base: 2.26 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Pentium B980 is built on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon L3406 scores 1,104 against the Pentium B980's 1,101 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon L3406. L3 cache: 4 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Xeon L3406 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B980.

Feature	Xeon L3406	Pentium B980
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.53 GHz+5%	2.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.26 GHz	2.4 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	4 MB Intel® Smart Cache+100%	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	—	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	—	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,104	1,101

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon L3406 uses the LGA1156 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium B980 uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon L3406	Pentium B980
Socket	LGA1156	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon L3406 launched at $189 MSRP, while the Pentium B980 debuted at $125. At current prices ($30 vs $35), the Xeon L3406 is $5 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon L3406 delivers 36.8 pts/$ vs 31.5 pts/$ for the Pentium B980 — making the Xeon L3406 the 15.7% better value option.