A6-5357M
VS
Pentium 997

A6-5357M vs Pentium 997

AMD

A6-5357M

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2013
VS
Intel

Pentium 997

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2012

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 A6-5357M is positioned at rank 872 and the Pentium 997 is on rank 1104, so the A6-5357M 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 A6-5357M

#860
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1444%
#861
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1423%
#862
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1306%
#863
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1300%
#864
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1288%
#866
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1244%
#867
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1193%
#868
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1191%
#869
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1159%
#872
A6-5357M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#873
Celeron M 540
MSRP: $86|Avg: $20
100%
#877
Microsoft SQ1
MSRP: $300|Avg: $180
99%
#879
Core i5-6440HQ
MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A
99%
#882
Celeron Dual-Core T1600
MSRP: $150|Avg: $150
98%
#884
Athlon II N330
MSRP: $100|Avg: $50
98%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium 997

#1092
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
3235%
#1093
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
3187%
#1094
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
2926%
#1095
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
2913%
#1096
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
2886%
#1098
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
2787%
#1099
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
2673%
#1100
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
2668%
#1101
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
2596%
#1104
Pentium 997
MSRP: $134|Avg: $10
100%
#1105
Pentium A1018
MSRP: $132|Avg: $15
99%
#1106
Core i5-2430M
MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A
99%
#1108
Pentium Dual Core T4500
MSRP: $150|Avg: $30
98%
#1109
Celeron B820
MSRP: $86|Avg: $15
98%
#1110
Pentium B980
MSRP: $125|Avg: $35
97%
#1111
Celeron 867
MSRP: $86|Avg: $15
97%
#1112
Pentium B970
MSRP: $125|Avg: $39
96%
#1113
Core i5-2410M
MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A
96%
#1114
Pentium T2370
MSRP: $86|Avg: $10
95%
#1115
Pentium N3710
MSRP: $161|Avg: $50
95%
#1116
Core m3-7Y30
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
95%
#1117
Pentium 977
MSRP: $134|Avg: $10
94%
#1118
Core i7-2715QE
MSRP: $378|Avg: $50
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The A6-5357M delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium 997 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightA6-5357MPentium 997
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($10)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Richland (2013−2014) / 32 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightA6-5357MPentium 997
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($10)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of A6-5357M and Pentium 997

AMD

A6-5357M

The A6-5357M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Richland (2013−2014) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FP2. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,219 points. Launch price was $70.

Intel

Pentium 997

The Pentium 997 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 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 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: 1,215 points. Launch price was $134.

Processing Power

Both the A6-5357M and Pentium 997 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the A6-5357M versus 1.6 GHz on the Pentium 997 — a 74.5% clock advantage for the A6-5357M (base: 2.9 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The A6-5357M uses the Richland (2013−2014) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium 997 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the A6-5357M scores 1,219 against the Pentium 997's 1,215 — a 0.3% lead for the A6-5357M. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A6-5357M vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 997.

FeatureA6-5357MPentium 997
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 2
Boost Clock
3.5 GHz+119%
1.6 GHz
Base Clock
2.9 GHz+81%
1.6 GHz
L3 Cache
0 kB
2 MB (total)
L2 Cache
512K (per core)+100%
256K (per core)
Process
32 nm
32 nm
Architecture
Richland (2013−2014)
Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark
1,219
1,215
Geekbench 6 Single
380
🧠

Memory & Platform

The A6-5357M uses the FP2 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium 997 uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureA6-5357MPentium 997
Socket
FP2
BGA1023
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0+50%
PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity
16 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (A6-5357M) / not specified (Pentium 997). The A6-5357M includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 8450G), while the Pentium 997 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A6-5357M targets Budget Laptop. Direct competitor: A6-5357M rivals Core i3-3120M.

FeatureA6-5357MPentium 997
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Radeon HD 8450G
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
Target Use
Budget Laptop