CPU
GPU
Celeron E3300
Pentium 977
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 E3300 is positioned at rank 724 and the Pentium 977 is on rank 1117, so the Celeron E3300 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron E3300
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 977
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron E3300 | Pentium 977 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Wolfdale (2008−2010) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron E3300 | Pentium 977 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+1%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 E3300 and Pentium 977
Celeron E3300
The Celeron E3300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 August 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) 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: 1 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,155 points. Launch price was $70.
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.
Processing Power
Both the Celeron E3300 and Pentium 977 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Celeron E3300 versus 1.4 GHz on the Pentium 977 — a 56.4% clock advantage for the Celeron E3300 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 1.4 GHz). The Celeron E3300 uses the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 977 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron E3300 scores 1,155 against the Pentium 977's 1,148 — a 0.6% lead for the Celeron E3300. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Celeron E3300 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 977.
| Feature | Celeron E3300 | 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 | 1 MB (total)+300% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 32 nm-29% |
| Architecture | Wolfdale (2008−2010) | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,155 | 1,148 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 347 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 624 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron E3300 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium 977 uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Celeron E3300 | Pentium 977 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA775 | BGA1023 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1066 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron E3300) / not specified (Pentium 977). Primary use case: Celeron E3300 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron E3300 rivals Pentium E5200.
| Feature | Celeron E3300 | Pentium 977 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x | — |
| Target Use | Budget | — |
Value Analysis
The Celeron E3300 launched at $50 MSRP, while the Pentium 977 debuted at $134. At current prices ($10 vs $10), the Pentium 977 is $0 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Celeron E3300 delivers 115.5 pts/$ vs 114.8 pts/$ for the Pentium 977 — making the Celeron E3300 the 0.6% better value option.
| Feature | Celeron E3300 | Pentium 977 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $50-63% | $134 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $10 | $10 |
| Performance per Dollar | 115.5 | 114.8 |
| Release Date | 2009 | 2012 |
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