Pentium 957 vs Pentium B960

Pentium 957

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.2 GHz2011

Pentium B960

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 957

2 / 2

1,015

0.0%

1,019

+0.4%

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 Pentium B960 is on rank 1144, so the Pentium B960 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 Pentium B960

#1132

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3861%

#1133

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3804%

#1134

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3492%

#1135

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3476%

#1136

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3444%

#1138

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3326%

#1139

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3189%

#1140

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3184%

#1141

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3099%

#1144

Pentium B960

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

100%

#1146

Pentium 957

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

100%

#1147

Core 2 Duo SL9400

MSRP: $284|Avg: N/A

99%

#1149

Pentium N3540

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

99%

#1150

Core i7-3555LE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $280

98%

#1151

Core i3-2377M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

97%

#1152

Core 2 Duo E8435

MSRP: $150|Avg: $74

97%

#1153

Celeron M 723

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

96%

#1154

Core M-5Y51

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1155

Core i7-3517UE

MSRP: $330|Avg: $35

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%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium B960 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium 957 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.4% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium 957	Pentium B960
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior 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 (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Pentium 957 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $10 (vs $15), it costs 33% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 49% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Pentium B960.

Insight	Pentium 957	Pentium B960
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

Pentium B960 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 957 and Pentium B960

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.

Pentium B960

The Pentium B960 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 October 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,019 points. Launch price was $134.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium 957 and Pentium B960 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.2 GHz on the Pentium 957 versus 2.2 GHz on the Pentium B960 — a 58.8% clock advantage for the Pentium B960 (base: 1.2 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). Both are built on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture using a 32 nm process. In PassMark, the Pentium 957 scores 1,015 against the Pentium B960's 1,019 — a 0.4% lead for the Pentium B960. Both processors carry 2 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Pentium 957	Pentium B960
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.2 GHz	2.2 GHz+83%
Base Clock	1.2 GHz	2.2 GHz+83%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,015	1,019
Geekbench 6 Single	—	383
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	679

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 957 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium B960 uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 957	Pentium B960
Socket	BGA1023	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

The Pentium B960 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)), while the Pentium 957 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium B960 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Pentium B960 rivals AMD A8-3500M.

Feature	Pentium 957	Pentium B960
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Target Use	—	Budget

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium 957 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Pentium B960 debuted at $134. 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 67.9 pts/$ for the Pentium B960 — making the Pentium 957 the 39.6% better value option.