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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Pentium B950

2011

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge), while Pentium E6300 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,022 vs 1,032).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.6 vs 12.3 PassMark/$ ($134 MSRP vs $84 MSRP).

Pentium E6300

2009

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($84 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).
✅Delivers 61.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 12.3 vs 7.6 PassMark/$ ($84 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Pentium B950 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Pentium B950

2011

Pentium E6300

2009

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge), while Pentium E6300 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($84 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).
✅Delivers 61.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 12.3 vs 7.6 PassMark/$ ($84 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,022 vs 1,032).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.6 vs 12.3 PassMark/$ ($134 MSRP vs $84 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Pentium B950 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium E6300 better than Pentium B950?

Yes. Pentium E6300 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting 1% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Pentium E6300 is the better fit because it leads the single-thread side of the matchup with 33.3% higher max boost clock.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium E6300 is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium E6300 is the smarter buy today. Pentium E6300 is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $84 MSRP versus $134 MSRP, and it gives you 1.0% higher PassMark. It is also 61.1% better value on MSRP (12.3 vs 7.6 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium B950 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2011 vs 2009). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

Games Benchmarks

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 B950 Benchmark Check

Pentium E6300 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Pentium B950	Pentium E6300
1080p
low	26 FPS	26 FPS
medium	26 FPS	26 FPS
high	26 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	26 FPS
1440p
low	26 FPS	26 FPS
medium	26 FPS	26 FPS
high	26 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	26 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	26 FPS
medium	26 FPS	26 FPS
high	26 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	26 FPS

Open Pentium B950 Open Pentium E6300

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Pentium B950	Pentium E6300
1080p
low	26 FPS	26 FPS
medium	26 FPS	26 FPS
high	26 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	26 FPS
1440p
low	26 FPS	26 FPS
medium	26 FPS	26 FPS
high	26 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	26 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	26 FPS
medium	26 FPS	26 FPS
high	26 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	19 FPS	26 FPS

Open Pentium B950 Open Pentium E6300

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Pentium B950	Pentium E6300
1080p
low	26 FPS	26 FPS
medium	26 FPS	26 FPS
high	26 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	26 FPS
1440p
low	26 FPS	26 FPS
medium	26 FPS	26 FPS
high	26 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	26 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	26 FPS
medium	26 FPS	26 FPS
high	26 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	26 FPS

Open Pentium B950 Open Pentium E6300

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Pentium B950	Pentium E6300
1080p
low	26 FPS	26 FPS
medium	26 FPS	26 FPS
high	26 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	26 FPS
1440p
low	26 FPS	26 FPS
medium	26 FPS	26 FPS
high	26 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	26 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	26 FPS
medium	26 FPS	26 FPS
high	26 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	26 FPS

Open Pentium B950 Open Pentium E6300

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium B950 and Pentium E6300

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.

Pentium E6300

The Pentium E6300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 May 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,032 points. Launch price was $40.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium B950 and Pentium E6300 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.1 GHz on the Pentium B950 versus 2.8 GHz on the Pentium E6300 — a 28.6% clock advantage for the Pentium E6300 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Pentium B950 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium E6300 uses Wolfdale (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B950 scores 1,022 against the Pentium E6300's 1,032 — a 1% lead for the Pentium E6300. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B950 vs 0 kB on the Pentium E6300.

Feature	Pentium B950	Pentium E6300
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.1 GHz	2.8 GHz+33%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	2.8 GHz+33%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (total)+700%
Process	32 nm-29%	45 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Wolfdale (2008−2010)
PassMark	1,022	1,032
Geekbench 6 Single	379	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	671	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium B950 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium E6300 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium B950	Pentium E6300
Socket	PGA988	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x (Pentium B950) / not specified (Pentium E6300). The Pentium B950 includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)), while the Pentium E6300 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium B950 targets Budget.

Feature	Pentium B950	Pentium E6300
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 Pentium E6300 debuted at $84. On MSRP ($134 vs $84), the Pentium E6300 is $50 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium B950 delivers 7.6 pts/$ vs 12.3 pts/$ for the Pentium E6300 — making the Pentium E6300 the 46.8% better value option.