Celeron 3205U vs Pentium 957

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.

Celeron 3205U vs Pentium 957 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.

Celeron 3205U vs Pentium 957: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Celeron 3205U

2015

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with HD Graphics (Broadwell), while Pentium 957 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌2911.8% higher power demand at 512W vs 17W.

Pentium 957

2011

Why buy it

✅Draws 17W instead of 512W, a 495W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Celeron 3205U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (1,015 vs 1,025).
❌Launch MSRP is still $134 MSRP, while Celeron 3205U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No integrated graphics, while Celeron 3205U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Celeron 3205U better than Pentium 957?

Yes. Celeron 3205U is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 4.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Celeron 3205U is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 4.0% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Celeron 3205U is the stronger fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Celeron 3205U is the easy recommendation for a fresh desktop build. Celeron 3205U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $134 MSRP, and it still gives you a 4.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Pentium 957 only looks good on raw value math because it is a cheap legacy laptop chip, not because it is a real desktop gaming recommendation. It simply does not keep up in modern games, especially when the gap is already 4.0% in the shared gaming data.

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

Celeron 3205U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2015 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.

Celeron 3205U vs Pentium 957 Technical Specifications

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

Celeron 3205U

The Celeron 3205U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 1.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,025 points. Launch price was $107.

Pentium 957

The Pentium 957 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.2 GHz, with boost up to 1.2 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: 1,015 points. Launch price was $134.

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Processing Power

Both the Celeron 3205U and Pentium 957 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.5 GHz on the Celeron 3205U versus 1.2 GHz on the Pentium 957 — a 22.2% clock advantage for the Celeron 3205U (base: 1.5 GHz vs 1.2 GHz). The Celeron 3205U uses the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium 957 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 3205U scores 1,025 against the Pentium 957's 1,015 — a 1% lead for the Celeron 3205U. Both processors carry 2 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Celeron 3205U	Pentium 957
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.5 GHz+25%	1.2 GHz
Base Clock	1.5 GHz+25%	1.2 GHz
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-56%	32 nm
Architecture	Broadwell-U (2015)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,025	1,015
Geekbench 6 Single	287	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	483	—

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Memory & Platform

The Celeron 3205U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium 957 uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Celeron 3205U	Pentium 957
Socket	FCBGA1168	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron 3205U) / not specified (Pentium 957). The Celeron 3205U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Broadwell)), while the Pentium 957 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 3205U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 3205U rivals Pentium 2117U.