Pentium 2117U vs Pentium D 960

Pentium 2117U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.8 GHz2012

Pentium D 960

2 Cores2 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2006

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 2117U

2 / 2

1,009

+0.4%

1,005

0.0%

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 D 960 is on rank 1104, 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 D 960

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

162352%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

153406%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

111385%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

33556%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

26580%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

23252%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

13318%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

13144%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

11968%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

11967%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

11833%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

11514%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

11353%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

11307%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

11204%

#1104

Pentium D 960

MSRP: $523|Avg: $15

100%

#1105

Athlon XP 2500+

MSRP: $172|Avg: $15

97%

#1106

Athlon 64 3800+

MSRP: $354|Avg: $10

95%

#1107

Pentium 4 2.53

MSRP: $193|Avg: $13

93%

#1108

Pentium 4 2.40

MSRP: $193|Avg: $193

88%

#1109

Athlon XP 2400+

MSRP: $193|Avg: $10

82%

#1110

Pentium D 950

MSRP: $637|Avg: $10

77%

#1111

Athlon XP 1500+

MSRP: $130|Avg: $15

76%

#1112

Athlon 64 4000+

MSRP: $482|Avg: $30

73%

#1113

Pentium 4 2.66

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

66%

#1114

Pentium 4 2.80

MSRP: $327|Avg: $25

65%

#1115

Athlon XP 1600+

MSRP: $160|Avg: $15

65%

#1116

Athlon 64 3400+

MSRP: $440|Avg: $20

65%

#1117

Pentium 4 2.26

MSRP: $241|Avg: $20

64%

#1118

Athlon 64 3200+

MSRP: $417|Avg: $10

63%

#1119

Athlon 64 FX-60

MSRP: $1031|Avg: $1000

61%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Pentium 2117U (2012) utilizes 22 nm technology and DDR3, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Pentium 2117U	Pentium D 960
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (NetBurst (2000−2006) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Pentium D 960 (2006) relies on 65 nm technology and DDR1, DDR2, DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Pentium 2117U	Pentium D 960
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 D 960 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 2117U and Pentium D 960

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.

⚡

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)	2 MB (total)+700%
Process	22 nm-66%	65 nm
Architecture	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	NetBurst (2000−2006)
PassMark	1,009	1,005

🧠

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.