Pentium 2117U vs Pentium D 960

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.

Pentium 2117U vs Pentium D 960 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Pentium 2117U vs Pentium D 960: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Pentium 2117U

2012

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌293.8% higher power demand at 512W vs 130W.

Pentium D 960

2006

Why buy it

✅Draws 130W instead of 512W, a 382W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,005 vs 1,009).
❌Launch MSRP is still $523 MSRP, while Pentium 2117U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium D 960 better than Pentium 2117U?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium D 960 is ahead with a 1.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 2117U pulls ahead with 0.4% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 2117U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium D 960 is the better buy right now. Pentium D 960 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $523 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Pentium 2117U is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.4% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (1.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium 2117U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2012 vs 2006) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Pentium 2117U vs Pentium D 960 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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 D 960

The Pentium D 960 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2006 (19 years ago). It is based on the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,005 points. Launch price was $523.

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Processing Power

Both the Pentium 2117U and Pentium D 960 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.8 GHz on the Pentium 2117U versus 3.6 GHz on the Pentium D 960 — a 66.7% clock advantage for the Pentium D 960 (base: 1.8 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Pentium 2117U uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium D 960 uses NetBurst (2000−2006) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 2117U scores 1,009 against the Pentium D 960's 1,005 — a 0.4% lead for the Pentium 2117U. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 2117U vs 0 kB on the Pentium D 960.

Feature	Pentium 2117U	Pentium D 960
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.8 GHz	3.6 GHz+100%
Base Clock	1.8 GHz	3.6 GHz+100%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)+12700%	2 MB (total)
Process	22 nm-66%	65 nm
Architecture	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	NetBurst (2000−2006)
PassMark	1,009	1,005

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Memory & Platform

The Pentium 2117U uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium D 960 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.