Celeron Dual-Core T3300 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 Dual-Core T3300 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 Dual-Core T3300 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 Dual-Core T3300

2010

Why buy it

✅Costs $48 less on MSRP ($86 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).
✅Delivers 54.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 11.7 vs 7.6 PassMark/$ ($86 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).
✅Draws 1W instead of 17W, a 16W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,005 vs 1,015).

Pentium 957

2011

Why buy it

✅+1% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.6 vs 11.7 PassMark/$ ($134 MSRP vs $86 MSRP).
❌1600% higher power demand at 17W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Celeron Dual-Core T3300 better than Pentium 957?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Celeron Dual-Core T3300 is ahead with a 1.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 957 pulls ahead with 1% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 957 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 Dual-Core T3300 is the better buy right now. Celeron Dual-Core T3300 comes in $48 cheaper on MSRP at $86 MSRP versus $134 MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Pentium 957 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1% better PassMark. It is also 54.3% better value on MSRP (11.7 vs 7.6 PassMark/$), 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 957 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2011 vs 2010) 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 Dual-Core T3300 vs Pentium 957 Technical Specifications

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

Celeron Dual-Core T3300

The Celeron Dual-Core T3300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: P. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,005 points. Launch price was $69.

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 Dual-Core T3300 and Pentium 957 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Celeron Dual-Core T3300 versus 1.2 GHz on the Pentium 957 — a 50% clock advantage for the Celeron Dual-Core T3300. The Celeron Dual-Core T3300 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 957 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron Dual-Core T3300 scores 1,005 against the Pentium 957's 1,015 — a 1% lead for the Pentium 957.

Feature	Celeron Dual-Core T3300	Pentium 957
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2 GHz+67%	1.2 GHz
Base Clock	—	1.2 GHz
L3 Cache	—	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB	256K (per core)+25500%
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,005	1,015
Geekbench 6 Single	300	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	520	—

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Memory & Platform

The Celeron Dual-Core T3300 uses the P socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium 957 uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Celeron Dual-Core T3300	Pentium 957
Socket	P	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-800	—
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: No (Celeron Dual-Core T3300) / not specified (Pentium 957). Primary use case: Celeron Dual-Core T3300 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron Dual-Core T3300 rivals Pentium T4200.

Feature	Celeron Dual-Core T3300	Pentium 957
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	No	—
Target Use	Budget	—

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Celeron Dual-Core T3300 was priced at $86, while the Pentium 957 came in at $134. On launch pricing ($86 vs $134), Celeron Dual-Core T3300 was $48 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Celeron Dual-Core T3300 delivers 11.7 pts/$ vs 7.6 pts/$ for the Pentium 957 — making the Celeron Dual-Core T3300 the 42.7% better value option.

Feature	Celeron Dual-Core T3300	Pentium 957
MSRP	$86-36%	$134
Performance per Dollar	11.7+54%	7.6
Release Date	2010	2011

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