Celeron J3060 vs Pentium B960
Celeron J3060
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 J3060 is positioned at rank 313 and the Pentium B960 is on rank 1144, so the Celeron J3060 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron J3060
Performance Per Dollar Pentium B960
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron J3060 | Pentium B960 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Airmont (2016) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron J3060 | 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 J3060 and Pentium B960
Celeron J3060
The Celeron J3060 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 January 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Airmont (2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.48 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 1,015 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 J3060 and Pentium B960 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.48 GHz on the Celeron J3060 versus 2.2 GHz on the Pentium B960 — a 12% clock advantage for the Celeron J3060 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Celeron J3060 uses the Airmont (2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium B960 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron J3060 scores 1,015 against the Pentium B960's 1,019 — a 0.4% lead for the Pentium B960. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 200 vs 383, a 62.8% lead for the Pentium B960 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 370 vs 679 (58.9% advantage for the Pentium B960). L3 cache: 0 kB on the Celeron J3060 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B960.
| Feature | Celeron J3060 | Pentium B960 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.48 GHz+13% | 2.2 GHz |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | 2.2 GHz+38% |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+300% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm-56% | 32 nm |
| Architecture | Airmont (2016) | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,015 | 1,019 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 200 | 383+92% |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 370 | 679+84% |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron J3060 uses the FCBGA1170 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. The Pentium B960 supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 4 (Celeron J3060) vs 16 (Pentium B960) — the Pentium B960 offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Celeron J3060) and HM76 (Pentium B960).
| Feature | Celeron J3060 | Pentium B960 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1170 | PGA988 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3L-1600 | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | 16 GB+100% |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 4 | 16+300% |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization: VT-x, EPT (Celeron J3060) / not specified (Pentium B960). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics 400 (Celeron J3060) and HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge) (Pentium B960) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron J3060 targets Low Power Desktop/NAS, Pentium B960 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron J3060 rivals Pentium J3710; Pentium B960 rivals AMD A8-3500M.
| Feature | Celeron J3060 | Pentium B960 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | Intel HD Graphics 400 | HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge) |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | VT-x, EPT | — |
| Target Use | Low Power Desktop/NAS | Budget |
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