Pentium 957 vs Core i3-3229Y

Pentium 957

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.2 GHz2011

Core i3-3229Y

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.4 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 957

2 / 2

1,015

+0.1%

1,014

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 957 is positioned at rank 1146 and the Core i3-3229Y is on rank 437, so the Core i3-3229Y 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 i3-3229Y

#425

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

579%

#426

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

570%

#427

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

523%

#428

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

521%

#429

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

516%

#431

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

499%

#432

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

478%

#433

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

477%

#434

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

464%

#437

Core i3-3229Y

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i3-3229Y leads in gaming performance. However, the Pentium 957 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.1% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Pentium 957	Core i3-3229Y
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-Y (2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Pentium 957	Core i3-3229Y
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

Core i3-3229Y Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 957 and Core i3-3229Y

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 i3-3229Y

The Core i3-3229Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-Y (2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 1.4 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 13 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,014 points. Launch price was $250.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium 957 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i3-3229Y's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.2 GHz on the Pentium 957 versus 1.4 GHz on the Core i3-3229Y — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Core i3-3229Y (base: 1.2 GHz vs 1.4 GHz). The Pentium 957 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i3-3229Y uses Ivy Bridge-Y (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 957 scores 1,015 against the Core i3-3229Y's 1,014 — a 0.1% lead for the Pentium 957. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 957 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-3229Y.

Feature	Pentium 957	Core i3-3229Y
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	1.2 GHz	1.4 GHz+17%
Base Clock	1.2 GHz	1.4 GHz+17%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	3 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Ivy Bridge-Y (2013)
PassMark	1,015	1,014
Geekbench 6 Single	—	350
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	657

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the BGA1023 socket with PCIe 2.0.

Feature	Pentium 957	Core i3-3229Y
Socket	BGA1023	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	32 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium 957) / VT-x, EPT (Core i3-3229Y). The Core i3-3229Y includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4000), while the Pentium 957 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-3229Y targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core i3-3229Y rivals Athlon Silver 3050GE.