CPU
GPU
Celeron E3300
Pentium Extreme Edition 965
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 Extreme Edition 965 is on rank 1119, 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 Extreme Edition 965
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron E3300 | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($10) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($100) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Wolfdale (2008−2010) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Presler (2005−2007) / 65 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron E3300 | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+891%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($10) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($100) |
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 Extreme Edition 965
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 Extreme Edition 965
The Pentium Extreme Edition 965 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 26 March 2006 (19 years ago). It is based on the Presler (2005−2007) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.733 GHz, with boost up to 0.73 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 1,165 points. Launch price was $999.
Processing Power
The Celeron E3300 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Pentium Extreme Edition 965's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Celeron E3300 versus 0.73 GHz on the Pentium Extreme Edition 965 — a 109.6% clock advantage for the Celeron E3300 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.733 GHz). The Celeron E3300 uses the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium Extreme Edition 965 uses Presler (2005−2007) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron E3300 scores 1,155 against the Pentium Extreme Edition 965's 1,165 — a 0.9% lead for the Pentium Extreme Edition 965.
| Feature | Celeron E3300 | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 2.5 GHz+242% | 0.73 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.5 GHz | 3.733 GHz+49% |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | — |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB (total) | 2 MB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 45 nm-31% | 65 nm |
| Architecture | Wolfdale (2008−2010) | Presler (2005−2007) |
| PassMark | 1,155 | 1,165 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 347 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 624 | — |
Memory & Platform
Both processors use the LGA775 socket with PCIe 1.1.
| Feature | Celeron E3300 | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA775 | LGA775 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 1.1 |
| 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 Extreme Edition 965). Primary use case: Celeron E3300 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron E3300 rivals Pentium E5200.
| Feature | Celeron E3300 | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Extreme Edition 965 debuted at $999. At current prices ($10 vs $100), the Celeron E3300 is $90 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Celeron E3300 delivers 115.5 pts/$ vs 11.7 pts/$ for the Pentium Extreme Edition 965 — making the Celeron E3300 the 163.4% better value option.
| Feature | Celeron E3300 | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $50-95% | $999 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $10-90% | $100 |
| Performance per Dollar | 115.5+887% | 11.7 |
| Release Date | 2009 | 2006 |
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