Pentium 957 vs Atom C3338

Pentium 957

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.2 GHz2011

Atom C3338

2 Cores2 Thrd9 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2017

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 957

2 / 2

1,015

0.0%

1,028

+1.3%

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 957 is positioned at rank 1146 and the Atom C3338 is on rank 543, so the Atom C3338 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 957

#1134

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3876%

#1135

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3819%

#1136

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3506%

#1137

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3490%

#1138

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3458%

#1140

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3339%

#1141

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3202%

#1142

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3197%

#1143

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3111%

#1146

Pentium 957

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

100%

#1147

Core 2 Duo SL9400

MSRP: $284|Avg: N/A

100%

#1149

Pentium N3540

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

99%

#1150

Core i7-3555LE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $280

99%

#1151

Core i3-2377M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

98%

#1152

Core 2 Duo E8435

MSRP: $150|Avg: $74

97%

#1153

Celeron M 723

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

97%

#1154

Core i7-3517UE

MSRP: $330|Avg: $35

95%

#1155

Core M-5Y51

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

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%

#1160

Core M-5Y71

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Atom C3338

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

8086%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1527%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1356%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1048%

#332

Xeon W-2235

MSRP: $555|Avg: $350

100%

#333

Xeon Gold 5317

MSRP: $1088|Avg: $1100

98%

#334

Xeon W-2275

MSRP: $1112|Avg: $500

98%

#335

Xeon Gold 6430

MSRP: $2128|Avg: $1850

97%

#336

Xeon Gold 6421N

MSRP: $2368|Avg: $2427

97%

#543

Atom C3338

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#544

Xeon W3670

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

100%

#547

Xeon E3-1240 v2

MSRP: $250|Avg: $150

99%

#548

Xeon E3-1220 v3

MSRP: $203|Avg: $89

99%

#551

Xeon W-2102

MSRP: $202|Avg: $286

98%

#553

Xeon E3-1265L v2

MSRP: $265|Avg: N/A

98%

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 Atom C3338 (2017) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR4: 1866, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Pentium 957	Atom C3338
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	✨ Modern (Goldmont (2016−2017) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Pentium 957 (2011) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Pentium 957	Atom C3338
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 957 Benchmark Check

Atom C3338 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 957 and Atom C3338

Pentium 957

The Pentium 957 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.2 GHz, with boost up to 1.2 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: 1,015 points. Launch price was $134.

Atom C3338

The Atom C3338 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 22 February 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Goldmont (2016−2017) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1310. Thermal design power (TDP): 8.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR4: 1866. Passmark benchmark score: 1,028 points. Launch price was $27.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium 957 and Atom C3338 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.2 GHz on the Pentium 957 versus 2.2 GHz on the Atom C3338 — a 58.8% clock advantage for the Atom C3338 (base: 1.2 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Pentium 957 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Atom C3338 uses Goldmont (2016−2017) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 957 scores 1,015 against the Atom C3338's 1,028 — a 1.3% lead for the Atom C3338. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 957 vs 4 MB on the Atom C3338.

Feature	Pentium 957	Atom C3338
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.2 GHz	2.2 GHz+83%
Base Clock	1.2 GHz	1.5 GHz+25%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	4 MB+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	4 MB+1500%
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Goldmont (2016−2017)
PassMark	1,015	1,028+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 957 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Atom C3338 uses FCBGA1310 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 957	Atom C3338
Socket	BGA1023	FCBGA1310
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-1866
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	1
ECC Support	—	✅
PCIe Lanes	—	10