Core i3-330M vs Pentium 3558U

CPU

GPU

Core i3-330M

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 0.13 GHz2010

Pentium 3558U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.7 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i3-330M

2 / 4

1,032

0.0%

1,041

+0.9%

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 Core i3-330M is positioned at rank 276 and the Pentium 3558U is on rank 1123, so the Core i3-330M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-330M

#82

Core i7-11700B

MSRP: $323|Avg: $311

97%

#264

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

426%

#265

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

420%

#266

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

386%

#267

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

384%

#268

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

380%

#270

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

367%

#271

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

352%

#272

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

352%

#273

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

342%

#276

Core i3-330M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#277

Core 2 Extreme X9100

MSRP: $851|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium 3558U

#1111

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3522%

#1112

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3471%

#1113

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3186%

#1114

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3172%

#1115

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3143%

#1117

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3035%

#1118

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2910%

#1119

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2905%

#1120

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2827%

#1123

Pentium 3558U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#1124

Core m5-6Y57

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

100%

#1125

Core i7-610E

MSRP: $250|Avg: $40

99%

#1126

Core i5-5350U

MSRP: $315|Avg: N/A

99%

#1127

Core i3-4100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

99%

#1128

Pentium Dual Core T4300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $99

99%

#1129

Core i7-3520M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

99%

#1130

Core i3-2310E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $20

98%

#1131

Core i5-2510E

MSRP: $230|Avg: $30

98%

#1132

Core m5-6Y54

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

98%

#1134

Core i3-2330E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $10

97%

#1135

Core i5-4288U

MSRP: $342|Avg: N/A

93%

#1136

Core m3-6Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

93%

#1137

Core i3-2340UE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

93%

#1138

Core i7-2820QM

MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium 3558U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i3-330M in both compute-intensive tasks (0.9% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i3-330M	Pentium 3558U
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i3-330M	Pentium 3558U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Core i3-330M Benchmark Check

Pentium 3558U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-330M and Pentium 3558U

Core i3-330M

The Core i3-330M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.13 GHz, with boost up to 0.13 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 1,032 points. Launch price was $49.

Pentium 3558U

The Pentium 3558U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,041 points. Launch price was $161.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-330M packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Pentium 3558U's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 0.13 GHz on the Core i3-330M versus 1.7 GHz on the Pentium 3558U — a 171.6% clock advantage for the Pentium 3558U (base: 2.13 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). The Core i3-330M uses the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium 3558U uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-330M scores 1,032 against the Pentium 3558U's 1,041 — a 0.9% lead for the Pentium 3558U. L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-330M vs 2 MB on the Pentium 3558U.

Feature	Core i3-330M	Pentium 3558U
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 2
Boost Clock	0.13 GHz	1.7 GHz+1208%
Base Clock	2.13 GHz+25%	1.7 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB (total)+50%	2 MB
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512 kB+100%
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Arrandale (2010−2011)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,032	1,041
Geekbench 6 Single	317	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	689	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-330M uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 3558U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-330M	Pentium 3558U
Socket	PGA988	FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1066	—
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x / EPT (Core i3-330M) / not specified (Pentium 3558U). The Core i3-330M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Arrandale)), while the Pentium 3558U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-330M targets Legacy Budget. Direct competitor: Core i3-330M rivals AMD Athlon II P320.