Pentium 2117U vs Pentium B960

Pentium 2117U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.8 GHz2012

Pentium B960

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 2117U

2 / 2

1,009

0.0%

1,019

+1.0%

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 Pentium 2117U is positioned at rank 117 and the Pentium B960 is on rank 1144, so the Pentium 2117U 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 Pentium 2117U

#105

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

291%

#106

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

287%

#107

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

263%

#108

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

262%

#109

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

259%

#111

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

251%

#112

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

240%

#113

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

240%

#114

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

233%

#117

Pentium 2117U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#126

Celeron N4000

MSRP: $107|Avg: $30

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium B960

#1132

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3861%

#1133

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3804%

#1134

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3492%

#1135

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3476%

#1136

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3444%

#1138

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3326%

#1139

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3189%

#1140

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3184%

#1141

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3099%

#1144

Pentium B960

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

100%

#1146

Pentium 957

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

100%

#1147

Core 2 Duo SL9400

MSRP: $284|Avg: N/A

99%

#1149

Pentium N3540

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

99%

#1150

Core i7-3555LE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $280

98%

#1151

Core i3-2377M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

97%

#1152

Core 2 Duo E8435

MSRP: $150|Avg: $74

97%

#1153

Celeron M 723

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

96%

#1154

Core M-5Y51

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1155

Core i7-3517UE

MSRP: $330|Avg: $35

95%

#1156

Pentium N3530

MSRP: $161|Avg: $20

95%

#1157

Core i3-330E

MSRP: $177|Avg: $89

94%

#1159

Core i7-2640M

MSRP: $346|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 B960 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium 2117U in both compute-intensive tasks (1% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium 2117U	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 (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Pentium 2117U	Pentium B960
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)

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.

Pentium 2117U Benchmark Check

Pentium B960 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 2117U and Pentium B960

Pentium 2117U

The Pentium 2117U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,009 points. Launch price was $134.

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 Pentium 2117U and Pentium B960 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.8 GHz on the Pentium 2117U versus 2.2 GHz on the Pentium B960 — a 20% clock advantage for the Pentium B960 (base: 1.8 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Pentium 2117U uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium B960 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 2117U scores 1,009 against the Pentium B960's 1,019 — a 1% lead for the Pentium B960. Both processors carry 2 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Pentium 2117U	Pentium B960
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.8 GHz	2.2 GHz+22%
Base Clock	1.8 GHz	2.2 GHz+22%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm-31%	32 nm
Architecture	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,009	1,019
Geekbench 6 Single	—	383
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	679

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 2117U uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium B960 uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 2117U	Pentium B960
Socket	BGA1023	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

The Pentium B960 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)), while the Pentium 2117U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium B960 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Pentium B960 rivals AMD A8-3500M.