Pentium 957 vs Core 2 Duo E8135

Pentium 957

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.2 GHz2011

Core 2 Duo E8135

2 Cores2 Thrd44 WWMax: 0.67 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 957

2 / 2

1,015

0.0%

1,020

+0.5%

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 Core 2 Duo E8135 is on rank 1203, so the Pentium 957 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 Core 2 Duo E8135

#1191

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

5753%

#1192

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

5669%

#1193

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

5204%

#1194

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

5180%

#1195

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

5133%

#1197

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

4957%

#1198

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

4753%

#1199

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

4745%

#1200

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

4618%

#1203

Core 2 Duo E8135

MSRP: $200|Avg: $15

100%

#1204

Core 2 Duo U7700

MSRP: $262|Avg: $10

100%

#1205

Core Duo T2400

MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A

99%

#1206

Core 2 Duo U7600

MSRP: $250|Avg: $5

99%

#1207

Pentium M 735

MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A

97%

#1208

Core i7-620LM

MSRP: $300|Avg: N/A

96%

#1209

Core i7-740QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

95%

#1211

Core 2 Solo SU3300

MSRP: $262|Avg: $50

93%

#1212

Celeron 540

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

93%

#1213

Celeron U3600

MSRP: $134|Avg: $134

91%

#1216

Core 2 Quad Q9000

MSRP: $348|Avg: $15

90%

#1217

Core i5-2537M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

90%

#1218

Core i7-720QM

MSRP: $364|Avg: N/A

89%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Pentium 957 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core 2 Duo E8135 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.5% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Pentium 957	Core 2 Duo E8135
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 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.

Insight	Pentium 957	Core 2 Duo E8135
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+49%)	❌ 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.

Pentium 957 Benchmark Check

Core 2 Duo E8135 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 957 and Core 2 Duo E8135

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.

Core 2 Duo E8135

The Core 2 Duo E8135 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.667 GHz, with boost up to 0.67 GHz. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: P. Thermal design power (TDP): 44 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,020 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium 957 and Core 2 Duo E8135 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.2 GHz on the Pentium 957 versus 0.67 GHz on the Core 2 Duo E8135 — a 56.7% clock advantage for the Pentium 957 (base: 1.2 GHz vs 2.667 GHz). The Pentium 957 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core 2 Duo E8135 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 957 scores 1,015 against the Core 2 Duo E8135's 1,020 — a 0.5% lead for the Core 2 Duo E8135.

Feature	Pentium 957	Core 2 Duo E8135
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.2 GHz+79%	0.67 GHz
Base Clock	1.2 GHz	2.667 GHz+122%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	—
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	6 MB (total)+2300%
Process	32 nm-29%	45 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark	1,015	1,020

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 957 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo E8135 uses P (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 957	Core 2 Duo E8135
Socket	BGA1023	P
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium 957 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Core 2 Duo E8135 debuted at $200. 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 68.0 pts/$ for the Core 2 Duo E8135 — making the Pentium 957 the 39.5% better value option.