Pentium 977 vs Pentium N3530

Pentium 977

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.4 GHz2012

Pentium N3530

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.58 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 977

2 / 2

1,148

0.0%

1,159

+1.0%

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 N3530 is on rank 1156, so the Pentium 977 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 N3530

#1144

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

4075%

#1145

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

4015%

#1146

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3686%

#1147

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3669%

#1148

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3636%

#1150

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3511%

#1151

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3367%

#1152

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3361%

#1153

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3271%

#1156

Pentium N3530

MSRP: $161|Avg: $20

100%

#1158

Core i3-330E

MSRP: $177|Avg: $89

99%

#1159

Core i7-2640M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

98%

#1160

Core M-5Y71

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

98%

#1163

Core i7-2620M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

97%

#1164

Celeron N3010

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

95%

#1165

Core i7-3537U

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

94%

#1166

Core M-5Y10c

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

94%

#1167

Core M-5Y10a

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

94%

#1168

Core M-5Y31

MSRP: $281|Avg: $30

94%

#1170

Celeron 1047UE

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

94%

#1171

Core M-5Y70

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium N3530 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium 977 in both compute-intensive tasks (1% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium 977	Pentium N3530
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($20)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Pentium 977 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $10 (vs $20), it costs 50% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 98% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Pentium N3530.

Insight	Pentium 977	Pentium N3530
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+98%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($20)

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 N3530 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 977 and Pentium N3530

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 N3530

The Pentium N3530 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.16 GHz, with boost up to 2.58 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: 1,159 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium 977 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Pentium N3530 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium N3530 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.4 GHz on the Pentium 977 versus 2.58 GHz on the Pentium N3530 — a 59.3% clock advantage for the Pentium N3530 (base: 1.4 GHz vs 2.16 GHz). The Pentium 977 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium N3530 uses Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 977 scores 1,148 against the Pentium N3530's 1,159 — a 1% lead for the Pentium N3530. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 977 vs 2 MB on the Pentium N3530.

Feature	Pentium 977	Pentium N3530
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	1.4 GHz	2.58 GHz+84%
Base Clock	1.4 GHz	2.16 GHz+54%
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	1,159

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 977 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium N3530 uses FCBGA1170 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 977	Pentium N3530
Socket	BGA1023	FCBGA1170
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium 977 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Pentium N3530 debuted at $161. At current prices ($10 vs $20), the Pentium 977 is $10 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium 977 delivers 114.8 pts/$ vs 58.0 pts/$ for the Pentium N3530 — making the Pentium 977 the 65.8% better value option.