Pentium 977 vs Celeron E3300
Pentium 977
Celeron E3300
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 977 is positioned at rank 1117 and the Celeron E3300 is on rank 724, so the Celeron E3300 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 977
Performance Per Dollar Celeron E3300
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium 977 | Celeron E3300 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Wolfdale (2008−2010) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium 977 | Celeron E3300 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+1%) |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
Performance Check
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 977 and Celeron E3300
Pentium 977
The Pentium 977 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 1.4 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: 1,148 points. Launch price was $134.
Celeron E3300
The Celeron E3300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 August 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,155 points. Launch price was $70.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium 977 and Celeron E3300 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.4 GHz on the Pentium 977 versus 2.5 GHz on the Celeron E3300 — a 56.4% clock advantage for the Celeron E3300 (base: 1.4 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Pentium 977 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Celeron E3300 uses Wolfdale (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 977 scores 1,148 against the Celeron E3300's 1,155 — a 0.6% lead for the Celeron E3300. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 977 vs 0 kB on the Celeron E3300.
| Feature | Pentium 977 | Celeron E3300 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.4 GHz | 2.5 GHz+79% |
| Base Clock | 1.4 GHz | 2.5 GHz+79% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 1 MB (total)+300% |
| Process | 32 nm-29% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Wolfdale (2008−2010) |
| PassMark | 1,148 | 1,155 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 347 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 624 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium 977 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron E3300 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium 977 | Celeron E3300 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA1023 | LGA775 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0+82% | PCIe 1.1 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1066 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 8 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium 977) / VT-x (Celeron E3300). Primary use case: Celeron E3300 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron E3300 rivals Pentium E5200.
| Feature | Pentium 977 | Celeron E3300 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x |
| Target Use | — | Budget |
Value Analysis
The Pentium 977 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Celeron E3300 debuted at $50. At current prices ($10 vs $10), the Celeron E3300 is $0 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium 977 delivers 114.8 pts/$ vs 115.5 pts/$ for the Celeron E3300 — making the Celeron E3300 the 0.6% better value option.
| Feature | Pentium 977 | Celeron E3300 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $134 | $50-63% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $10 | $10 |
| Performance per Dollar | 114.8 | 115.5 |
| Release Date | 2012 | 2009 |
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