Pentium 957 vs Pentium E5400

Pentium 957

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.2 GHz2011

Pentium E5400

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 2.7 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 957

2 / 2

1,015

+0.8%

1,007

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 Pentium E5400 is on rank 830, so the Pentium E5400 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 E5400

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

17024%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

16086%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

11680%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

3519%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2787%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2438%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1397%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1378%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1255%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1255%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1241%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1207%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1190%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1186%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1175%

#295

Core i9-7940X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $275

99%

#829

Core i5-4570R

MSRP: $250|Avg: $20

100%

#830

Pentium E5400

MSRP: $55|Avg: $49

100%

#831

A6-3650

MSRP: $115|Avg: $20

100%

#832

Core i7-4770R

MSRP: $360|Avg: $89

100%

#834

Core i7-2600

MSRP: $294|Avg: $50

99%

#835

Pentium G870

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

99%

#836

Athlon II X2 210e

MSRP: $60|Avg: $28

99%

#837

Pentium G645

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

99%

#839

Pentium G630

MSRP: $75|Avg: $46

99%

#840

Core i5-2550K

MSRP: $235|Avg: $46

98%

#841

Athlon II X4 600e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

98%

#842

Core i5-6442EQ

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

98%

#843

Core i7-4785T

MSRP: $306|Avg: $32

98%

#844

Core i5-4690S

MSRP: $306|Avg: $189

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Pentium E5400 leads in gaming performance. However, the Pentium 957 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.8% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Pentium 957	Pentium E5400
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($49)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Wolfdale (2008−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Pentium 957 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 80% cheaper ($10 vs $49) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Pentium 957	Pentium E5400
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+394%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($49)

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 E5400 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 957 and Pentium E5400

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 E5400

The Pentium E5400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 18 January 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,007 points. Launch price was $55.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium 957 and Pentium E5400 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.2 GHz on the Pentium 957 versus 2.7 GHz on the Pentium E5400 — a 76.9% clock advantage for the Pentium E5400 (base: 1.2 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Pentium 957 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium E5400 uses Wolfdale (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 957 scores 1,015 against the Pentium E5400's 1,007 — a 0.8% lead for the Pentium 957. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 957 vs 0 kB on the Pentium E5400.

Feature	Pentium 957	Pentium E5400
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.2 GHz	2.7 GHz+125%
Base Clock	1.2 GHz	2.7 GHz+125%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (total)+700%
Process	32 nm-29%	45 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Wolfdale (2008−2010)
PassMark	1,015	1,007

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 957 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium E5400 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 957	Pentium E5400
Socket	BGA1023	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium 957 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Pentium E5400 debuted at $55. At current prices ($10 vs $49), the Pentium 957 is $39 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium 957 delivers 101.5 pts/$ vs 20.6 pts/$ for the Pentium E5400 — making the Pentium 957 the 132.6% better value option.