A4-3300 vs Pentium 977

A4-3300 vs Pentium 977 Performance Spectrum

A4-3300

2 / 2

1,143

0.0%

Mobile Athlon 64 3700+

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium 977

2 / 2

1,148

+0.4%

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.

A4-3300 vs Pentium 977 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.

A4-3300 vs Pentium 977: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

A4-3300

2011

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon HD 6410D, while Pentium 977 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Pentium 977.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,143 vs 1,148).
❌282.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 17W.

Pentium 977

2012

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 17W instead of 65W, a 48W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $134 MSRP, while A4-3300 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No integrated graphics, while A4-3300 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike A4-3300.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium 977 better than A4-3300?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, A4-3300 is ahead with a 2.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 977 pulls ahead with 0.4% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 977 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Pentium 977 is the better buy right now. Pentium 977 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $134 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.4% better PassMark. The compromise is that A4-3300 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 2.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (8.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Pentium 977 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2012 vs 2011) 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.

A4-3300 vs Pentium 977 Technical Specifications

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

A4-3300

The A4-3300 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Llano (2011−2012) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM1. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,143 points. Launch price was $50.

Pentium 977

The Pentium 977 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 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 1.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,148 points. Launch price was $134.

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Processing Power

Both the A4-3300 and Pentium 977 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the A4-3300 versus 1.4 GHz on the Pentium 977 — a 56.4% clock advantage for the A4-3300 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 1.4 GHz). The A4-3300 uses the Llano (2011−2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium 977 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the A4-3300 scores 1,143 against the Pentium 977's 1,148 — a 0.4% lead for the Pentium 977. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A4-3300 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 977.

Feature	A4-3300	Pentium 977
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.5 GHz+79%	1.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+79%	1.4 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Llano (2011−2012)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,143	1,148
Geekbench 6 Single	266	—

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Memory & Platform

The A4-3300 uses the FM1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 977 uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	A4-3300	Pentium 977
Socket	FM1	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (A4-3300) / not specified (Pentium 977). The A4-3300 includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 6410D), while the Pentium 977 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A4-3300 targets Budget Desktop. Direct competitor: A4-3300 rivals Celeron G530.