Pentium 957 vs Atom x5-Z8330

Pentium 957

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.2 GHz2011

Atom x5-Z8330

4 Cores4 Thrd−WMax: 1.92 GHz2016

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 957

2 / 2

1,015

0.0%

1,025

+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 957 is positioned at rank 1146 and the Atom x5-Z8330 is on rank 778, so the Atom x5-Z8330 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 x5-Z8330

#766

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1145%

#767

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1128%

#768

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1036%

#769

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1031%

#770

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1021%

#772

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

986%

#773

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

946%

#774

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

944%

#775

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

919%

#778

Atom x5-Z8330

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#790

Athlon 64 TF-20

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Atom x5-Z8330 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium 957 in both compute-intensive tasks (1% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium 957	Atom x5-Z8330
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)	🛑 Legacy (Airmont (2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Pentium 957	Atom x5-Z8330
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 x5-Z8330 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 957 and Atom x5-Z8330

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 x5-Z8330

The Atom x5-Z8330 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 February 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Airmont (2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.44 GHz, with boost up to 1.92 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Memory support: DDR3L-RS 1600. Passmark benchmark score: 1,025 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium 957 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Atom x5-Z8330 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Atom x5-Z8330 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.2 GHz on the Pentium 957 versus 1.92 GHz on the Atom x5-Z8330 — a 46.2% clock advantage for the Atom x5-Z8330 (base: 1.2 GHz vs 1.44 GHz). The Pentium 957 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Atom x5-Z8330 uses Airmont (2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 957 scores 1,015 against the Atom x5-Z8330's 1,025 — a 1% lead for the Atom x5-Z8330. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 957 vs 0 kB on the Atom x5-Z8330.

Feature	Pentium 957	Atom x5-Z8330
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	1.2 GHz	1.92 GHz+60%
Base Clock	1.2 GHz	1.44 GHz+20%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB+700%
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Airmont (2016)
PassMark	1,015	1,025