Pentium B950
VS
Core 2 Duo E8135

Pentium B950 vs Core 2 Duo E8135

Intel

Pentium B950

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.1 GHz2011
VS
Intel

Core 2 Duo E8135

2 Cores2 Thrd44 WWMax: 0.67 GHz2009

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 B950 is positioned at rank 1142 and the Core 2 Duo E8135 is on rank 1203, so the Pentium B950 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 B950

#1130
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
3845%
#1131
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
3789%
#1132
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
3478%
#1133
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
3463%
#1134
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
3431%
#1136
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
3313%
#1137
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
3177%
#1138
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
3172%
#1139
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
3087%
#1142
Pentium B950
MSRP: $134|Avg: $35
100%
#1143
Celeron 220
MSRP: $42|Avg: $42
100%
#1144
Pentium B960
MSRP: $134|Avg: $15
100%
#1146
Pentium 957
MSRP: $134|Avg: $10
99%
#1147
Core 2 Duo SL9400
MSRP: $284|Avg: N/A
99%
#1149
Pentium N3540
MSRP: $161|Avg: $161
98%
#1150
Core i7-3555LE
MSRP: $300|Avg: $280
98%
#1151
Core i3-2377M
MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A
97%
#1152
Core 2 Duo E8435
MSRP: $150|Avg: $74
96%
#1153
Celeron M 723
MSRP: $161|Avg: $161
96%
#1154
Core M-5Y51
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
95%
#1155
Core i7-3517UE
MSRP: $330|Avg: $35
95%
#1156
Pentium N3530
MSRP: $161|Avg: $20
94%
#1157
Core i3-330E
MSRP: $177|Avg: $89
93%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo E8135

#1191
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
5753%
#1192
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
5669%
#1193
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
5204%
#1194
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
5180%
#1195
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
5133%
#1197
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
4957%
#1198
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
4753%
#1199
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
4745%
#1200
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
4618%
#1203
Core 2 Duo E8135
MSRP: $200|Avg: $15
100%
#1204
Core 2 Duo U7700
MSRP: $262|Avg: $10
100%
#1205
Core Duo T2400
MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A
99%
#1206
Core 2 Duo U7600
MSRP: $250|Avg: $5
99%
#1207
Pentium M 735
MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A
97%
#1208
Core i7-620LM
MSRP: $300|Avg: N/A
96%
#1209
Core i7-740QM
MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A
95%
#1211
Core 2 Solo SU3300
MSRP: $262|Avg: $50
93%
#1212
Celeron 540
MSRP: $86|Avg: $5
93%
#1213
Celeron U3600
MSRP: $134|Avg: $134
91%
#1216
Core 2 Quad Q9000
MSRP: $348|Avg: $15
90%
#1217
Core i5-2537M
MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A
90%
#1218
Core i7-720QM
MSRP: $364|Avg: N/A
89%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium B950 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Duo E8135 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.2% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightPentium B950Core 2 Duo E8135
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($35)
More affordable ($15)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Core 2 Duo E8135 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $15 (vs $35), it costs 57% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 133% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Pentium B950.
InsightPentium B950Core 2 Duo E8135
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Better overall value (+133%)
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($35)
More affordable ($15)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium B950 and Core 2 Duo E8135

Intel

Pentium B950

The Pentium B950 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 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.1 GHz. L3 cache: 2 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: 1,022 points. Launch price was $134.

Intel

Core 2 Duo E8135

The Core 2 Duo E8135 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.667 GHz, with boost up to 0.67 GHz. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: P. Thermal design power (TDP): 44 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,020 points. Launch price was $249.

Processing Power

Both the Pentium B950 and Core 2 Duo E8135 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.1 GHz on the Pentium B950 versus 0.67 GHz on the Core 2 Duo E8135 — a 103.2% clock advantage for the Pentium B950 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2.667 GHz). The Pentium B950 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core 2 Duo E8135 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B950 scores 1,022 against the Core 2 Duo E8135's 1,020 — a 0.2% lead for the Pentium B950.

FeaturePentium B950Core 2 Duo E8135
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 2
Boost Clock
2.1 GHz+213%
0.67 GHz
Base Clock
2.1 GHz
2.667 GHz+27%
L3 Cache
2 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
6 MB (total)+2300%
Process
32 nm-29%
45 nm
Architecture
Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark
1,022
1,020
Geekbench 6 Single
379
Geekbench 6 Multi
671
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium B950 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo E8135 uses P (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeaturePentium B950Core 2 Duo E8135
Socket
PGA988
P
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0+82%
PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity
16 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x (Pentium B950) / not specified (Core 2 Duo E8135). The Pentium B950 includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)), while the Core 2 Duo E8135 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium B950 targets Budget.

FeaturePentium B950Core 2 Duo E8135
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x
Target Use
Budget
💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium B950 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Core 2 Duo E8135 debuted at $200. At current prices ($35 vs $15), the Core 2 Duo E8135 is $20 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium B950 delivers 29.2 pts/$ vs 68.0 pts/$ for the Core 2 Duo E8135 — making the Core 2 Duo E8135 the 79.8% better value option.

FeaturePentium B950Core 2 Duo E8135
MSRP
$134-33%
$200
Avg Price (30d)
$35
$15-57%
Performance per Dollar
29.2
68.0+133%
Release Date
2011
2009