Celeron J3355 vs Pentium 997
Celeron J3355
Pentium 997
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 J3355 is positioned at rank 425 and the Pentium 997 is on rank 1104, so the Celeron J3355 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron J3355
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 997
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron J3355 | Pentium 997 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Apollo Lake (2014−2016) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron J3355 | Pentium 997 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) |
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 J3355 and Pentium 997
Celeron J3355
The Celeron J3355 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 August 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Apollo Lake (2014−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1296. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,203 points. Launch price was $107.
Pentium 997
The Pentium 997 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 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: 1,215 points. Launch price was $134.
Processing Power
Both the Celeron J3355 and Pentium 997 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Celeron J3355 versus 1.6 GHz on the Pentium 997 — a 43.9% clock advantage for the Celeron J3355 (base: 2 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Celeron J3355 uses the Apollo Lake (2014−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium 997 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron J3355 scores 1,203 against the Pentium 997's 1,215 — a 1% lead for the Pentium 997. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Celeron J3355 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 997.
| Feature | Celeron J3355 | Pentium 997 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.5 GHz+56% | 1.6 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2 GHz+25% | 1.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+300% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm-56% | 32 nm |
| Architecture | Apollo Lake (2014−2016) | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,203 | 1,215 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 450 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 850 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron J3355 uses the FCBGA1296 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium 997 uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Celeron J3355 | Pentium 997 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1296 | BGA1023 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2400 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 6 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron J3355) / not specified (Pentium 997). The Celeron J3355 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 500), while the Pentium 997 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron J3355 targets Low Power. Direct competitor: Celeron J3355 rivals Pentium J4205.
| Feature | Celeron J3355 | Pentium 997 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | HD Graphics 500 | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x | — |
| Target Use | Low Power | — |
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