Celeron 3205U vs Pentium B960
Celeron 3205U
Pentium B960
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 Celeron 3205U is positioned at rank 279 and the Pentium B960 is on rank 1144, so the Celeron 3205U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 3205U
Performance Per Dollar Pentium B960
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron 3205U | Pentium B960 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-U (2015) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron 3205U | Pentium B960 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
Performance Check
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 Celeron 3205U and Pentium B960
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 B960
The Pentium B960 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 October 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 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: 1,019 points. Launch price was $134.
Processing Power
Both the Celeron 3205U and Pentium B960 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.5 GHz on the Celeron 3205U versus 2.2 GHz on the Pentium B960 — a 37.8% clock advantage for the Pentium B960 (base: 1.5 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Celeron 3205U uses the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium B960 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 3205U scores 1,025 against the Pentium B960's 1,019 — a 0.6% lead for the Celeron 3205U. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 287 vs 383, a 28.7% lead for the Pentium B960 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 483 vs 679 (33.7% advantage for the Pentium B960). Both processors carry 2 MB (total) of L3 cache.
| Feature | Celeron 3205U | Pentium B960 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.5 GHz | 2.2 GHz+47% |
| Base Clock | 1.5 GHz | 2.2 GHz+47% |
| 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 | 1,019 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 287 | 383+33% |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 483 | 679+41% |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron 3205U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium B960 uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3L-1600 memory speed. Both support up to 16 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Wildcat Point-LP (Celeron 3205U) and HM76 (Pentium B960).
| Feature | Celeron 3205U | Pentium B960 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1168 | PGA988 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3L-1600 | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | 16 |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron 3205U) / not specified (Pentium B960). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics (Broadwell) (Celeron 3205U) and HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge) (Pentium B960) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 3205U targets Budget, Pentium B960 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 3205U rivals Pentium 2117U; Pentium B960 rivals AMD A8-3500M.
| Feature | Celeron 3205U | Pentium B960 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | HD Graphics (Broadwell) | HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge) |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | VT-x | — |
| Target Use | Budget | Budget |
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