Pentium 957
VS
Celeron T3300

Pentium 957 vs Celeron T3300

Intel

Pentium 957

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.2 GHz2011
VS

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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 Celeron T3300 is on rank 1038, so the Celeron T3300 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 Celeron T3300

#1025
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
2510%
#1026
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
2473%
#1027
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
2270%
#1028
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
2260%
#1029
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
2239%
#1031
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
2163%
#1032
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
2074%
#1033
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
2070%
#1034
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
2015%
#1037
Celeron Dual-Core T3300
MSRP: $86|Avg: $30
100%
#1038
Celeron T3300
MSRP: $86|Avg: $15
100%
#1041
A10-7300
MSRP: $150|Avg: $50
99%
#1042
Core i7-3612QE
MSRP: $426|Avg: $50
99%
#1043
Pentium Dual Core T4200
MSRP: $100|Avg: $10
98%
#1044
A6 Micro-6500T
MSRP: $100|Avg: $15
98%
#1045
Pentium N3520
MSRP: $100|Avg: $10
98%
#1046
E2-3800
MSRP: $100|Avg: $20
97%
#1047
Athlon X2 QL-66
MSRP: $150|Avg: $5
97%
#1048
Athlon II Neo K145
MSRP: $50|Avg: $10
97%
#1049
Celeron P4600
MSRP: $86|Avg: $15
96%
#1050
Core 2 Duo U7500
MSRP: $100|Avg: $10
95%
#1051
Pentium 987
MSRP: $134|Avg: $20
95%
#1052
Core i7-4910MQ
MSRP: $570|Avg: $570
95%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium 957 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Celeron T3300 in both compute-intensive tasks (1% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightPentium 957Celeron T3300
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
More affordable ($10)
⚠️ Higher cost ($15)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Pentium 957 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 33% cheaper ($10 vs $15) while identifying as the stronger performer.
InsightPentium 957Celeron T3300
Cost Efficiency
Better overall value (+51%)
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($10)
⚠️ 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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 957 and Celeron T3300

Intel

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.

Intel

Celeron T3300

The Celeron T3300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. Base frequency: 2 GHz. L3 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,005 points. Launch price was $69.

Processing Power

The Pentium 957 is built on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. In PassMark, the Pentium 957 scores 1,015 against the Celeron T3300's 1,005 — a 1% lead for the Pentium 957. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 957 vs 1 MB on the Celeron T3300.

FeaturePentium 957Celeron T3300
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
Boost Clock
1.2 GHz
Base Clock
1.2 GHz
2 GHz+67%
L3 Cache
2 MB (total)+100%
1 MB
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
Process
32 nm-29%
45 nm
Architecture
Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark
1,015
1,005
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 957 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron T3300 uses PGA478 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeaturePentium 957Celeron T3300
Socket
BGA1023
PGA478
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 2.0
💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium 957 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Celeron T3300 debuted at $86. At current prices ($10 vs $15), the Pentium 957 is $5 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium 957 delivers 101.5 pts/$ vs 67.0 pts/$ for the Celeron T3300 — making the Pentium 957 the 40.9% better value option.

FeaturePentium 957Celeron T3300
MSRP
$134
$86-36%
Avg Price (30d)
$10-33%
$15
Performance per Dollar
101.5+51%
67.0
Release Date
2011
2010