Pentium 997 vs Core i3-2310M

Pentium 997

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2012

Core i3-2310M

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.1 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 997

2 / 2

1,215

0.0%

1,222

+0.6%

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 997 is positioned at rank 1104 and the Core i3-2310M is on rank 1032, so the Core i3-2310M 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 997

#1092

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3235%

#1093

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3187%

#1094

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2926%

#1095

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2913%

#1096

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2886%

#1098

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2787%

#1099

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2673%

#1100

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2668%

#1101

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2596%

#1104

Pentium 997

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

100%

#1105

Pentium A1018

MSRP: $132|Avg: $15

99%

#1106

Core i5-2430M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

99%

#1108

Pentium Dual Core T4500

MSRP: $150|Avg: $30

98%

#1109

Celeron B820

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

98%

#1110

Pentium B980

MSRP: $125|Avg: $35

97%

#1111

Celeron 867

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

97%

#1112

Pentium B970

MSRP: $125|Avg: $39

96%

#1113

Core i5-2410M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

96%

#1114

Pentium T2370

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

95%

#1115

Pentium N3710

MSRP: $161|Avg: $50

95%

#1116

Core m3-7Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1117

Pentium 977

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

94%

#1118

Core i7-2715QE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $50

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-2310M

#1019

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2401%

#1020

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2366%

#1021

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2172%

#1022

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2162%

#1023

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2142%

#1025

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2069%

#1026

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1984%

#1027

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1980%

#1028

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1927%

#1031

Core i5-4400E

MSRP: $266|Avg: $50

100%

#1032

Core i3-2310M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#1033

Pentium Dual Core T4400

MSRP: $107|Avg: $5

98%

#1036

Core i7-8665UE

MSRP: $409|Avg: $409

97%

#1037

Celeron T3300

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

96%

#1038

Celeron Dual-Core T3300

MSRP: $86|Avg: $30

96%

#1041

Core i7-3612QE

MSRP: $426|Avg: $50

95%

#1042

A10-7300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $50

95%

#1043

Pentium Dual Core T4200

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

94%

#1044

A6 Micro-6500T

MSRP: $100|Avg: $15

94%

#1045

Pentium N3520

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

94%

#1046

E2-3800

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i3-2310M delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium 997 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.6% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium 997	Core i3-2310M
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Pentium 997	Core i3-2310M
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 997 Benchmark Check

Core i3-2310M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 997 and Core i3-2310M

Pentium 997

The Pentium 997 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 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: 1,215 points. Launch price was $134.

Core i3-2310M

The Core i3-2310M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 February 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.1 GHz. L3 cache: 3 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: 1,222 points. Launch price was $225.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium 997 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i3-2310M's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Pentium 997 versus 2.1 GHz on the Core i3-2310M — a 27% clock advantage for the Core i3-2310M (base: 1.6 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). Both are built on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture using a 32 nm process. In PassMark, the Pentium 997 scores 1,215 against the Core i3-2310M's 1,222 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i3-2310M. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 997 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-2310M.

Feature	Pentium 997	Core i3-2310M
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	1.6 GHz	2.1 GHz+31%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	2.1 GHz+31%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	3 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,215	1,222
Geekbench 6 Single	—	350
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	658

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 997 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-2310M uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 997	Core i3-2310M
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

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium 997) / VT-x (Core i3-2310M). The Core i3-2310M includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 3000), while the Pentium 997 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-2310M targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core i3-2310M rivals Athlon Silver 3050U.