Pentium 977 vs Pentium N3520

Pentium 977

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.4 GHz2012

Pentium N3520

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.42 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 977

2 / 2

1,148

+0.3%

1,144

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 977 is positioned at rank 1117 and the Pentium N3520 is on rank 1046, so the Pentium N3520 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 977

#1105

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3424%

#1106

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3373%

#1107

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3097%

#1108

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3083%

#1109

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3055%

#1111

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2950%

#1112

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2828%

#1113

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2824%

#1114

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2748%

#1117

Pentium 977

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

100%

#1118

Core i7-2715QE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $50

99%

#1119

VIA Nano U2250

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

99%

#1121

Core i5-560M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

98%

#1122

Pentium U5600

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

97%

#1123

Core m5-6Y57

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

97%

#1125

Core i7-610E

MSRP: $250|Avg: $40

97%

#1126

Core i5-5350U

MSRP: $315|Avg: N/A

96%

#1127

Core i7-3520M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

96%

#1128

Pentium Dual Core T4300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $99

96%

#1129

Core i3-4100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

96%

#1130

Core i3-2310E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $20

96%

#1131

Core i5-2510E

MSRP: $230|Avg: $30

96%

#1132

Core m5-6Y54

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium N3520

#1034

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2565%

#1035

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2527%

#1036

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2320%

#1037

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2309%

#1038

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2288%

#1040

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2210%

#1041

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2119%

#1042

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2115%

#1043

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2059%

#1046

Pentium N3520

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

100%

#1047

E2-3800

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

99%

#1048

Athlon X2 QL-66

MSRP: $150|Avg: $5

99%

#1049

Athlon II Neo K145

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

99%

#1050

Celeron P4600

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

98%

#1051

Core 2 Duo U7500

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

98%

#1052

Pentium 987

MSRP: $134|Avg: $20

97%

#1053

Core i7-4910MQ

MSRP: $570|Avg: $570

97%

#1054

Pentium T4400

MSRP: $107|Avg: $5

96%

#1056

Athlon X2 QL-65

MSRP: $150|Avg: $22

95%

#1057

Pentium J2850

MSRP: $94|Avg: $94

94%

#1058

Core i7-4900MQ

MSRP: $570|Avg: $40

94%

#1059

Pentium Dual Core T2370

MSRP: $150|Avg: $25

93%

#1060

Celeron P4505

MSRP: $86|Avg: $86

93%

#1061

Pentium T4200

MSRP: $99|Avg: $10

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Pentium N3520 leads in gaming performance. However, the Pentium 977 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.3% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Pentium 977	Pentium N3520
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Pentium 977 stands out as the superior choice. It delivers superior performance at a comparable price point.

Insight	Pentium 977	Pentium N3520
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+0%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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 977 Benchmark Check

Pentium N3520 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 977 and Pentium N3520

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.

Pentium N3520

The Pentium N3520 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 December 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.17 GHz, with boost up to 2.42 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 7.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 1,144 points. Launch price was $161.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium 977 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Pentium N3520 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium N3520 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.4 GHz on the Pentium 977 versus 2.42 GHz on the Pentium N3520 — a 53.4% clock advantage for the Pentium N3520 (base: 1.4 GHz vs 2.17 GHz). The Pentium 977 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium N3520 uses Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 977 scores 1,148 against the Pentium N3520's 1,144 — a 0.3% lead for the Pentium 977. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 977 vs 2 MB on the Pentium N3520.

Feature	Pentium 977	Pentium N3520
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	1.4 GHz	2.42 GHz+73%
Base Clock	1.4 GHz	2.17 GHz+55%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	2 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB+700%
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Bay Trail-M (2013−2014)
PassMark	1,148	1,144

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 977 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium N3520 uses FCBGA1170 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 977	Pentium N3520
Socket	BGA1023	FCBGA1170
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium 977 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Pentium N3520 debuted at $100. At current prices ($10 vs $10), the Pentium N3520 is $0 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium 977 delivers 114.8 pts/$ vs 114.4 pts/$ for the Pentium N3520 — making the Pentium 977 the 0.3% better value option.