Pentium B960 vs Athlon II X2 215

Pentium B960

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2011

Athlon II X2 215

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 2.7 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium B960

2 / 2

1,019

+0.8%

1,011

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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 B960 is positioned at rank 1144 and the Athlon II X2 215 is on rank 739, so the Athlon II X2 215 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 B960

#1132

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3861%

#1133

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3804%

#1134

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3492%

#1135

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3476%

#1136

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3444%

#1138

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3326%

#1139

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3189%

#1140

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3184%

#1141

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3099%

#1144

Pentium B960

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

100%

#1146

Pentium 957

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

100%

#1147

Core 2 Duo SL9400

MSRP: $284|Avg: N/A

99%

#1149

Pentium N3540

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

99%

#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

97%

#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

95%

#1157

Core i3-330E

MSRP: $177|Avg: $89

94%

#1159

Core i7-2640M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 215

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

13872%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

13108%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

9518%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

2867%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2271%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

1987%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1138%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1123%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1023%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1023%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1011%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

984%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

970%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

966%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

957%

#288

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

MSRP: $999|Avg: $300

98%

#392

Celeron G4920

MSRP: $52|Avg: $115

99%

#739

Athlon II X2 215

MSRP: $45|Avg: $10

100%

#740

Core i7-4790S

MSRP: $312|Avg: $60

99%

#741

Pentium G2020T

MSRP: $64|Avg: $69

99%

#742

FX-6100

MSRP: $165|Avg: $25

99%

#743

Core i7-4771

MSRP: $320|Avg: $78

99%

#746

Core i7-4770S

MSRP: $305|Avg: $35

98%

#747

Core i5-6400T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $40

98%

#749

Core i5-3570K

MSRP: $225|Avg: $35

98%

#750

Athlon II X3 455

MSRP: $88|Avg: $15

98%

#751

Core i5-3570S

MSRP: $213|Avg: $59

98%

#752

Core i7-3770

MSRP: $294|Avg: $60

97%

#753

Pentium G2120

MSRP: $86|Avg: $20

97%

#754

Core i5-3340S

MSRP: $182|Avg: $25

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium B960 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Athlon II X2 215 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.8% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium B960	Athlon II X2 215
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)	✅ More affordable ($10)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Athlon II X2 215 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $10 (vs $15), it costs 33% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 49% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Pentium B960.

Insight	Pentium B960	Athlon II X2 215
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+49%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)	✅ More affordable ($10)

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 B960 Benchmark Check

Athlon II X2 215 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium B960 and Athlon II X2 215

Pentium B960

The Pentium B960 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 October 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 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: 1,019 points. Launch price was $134.

Athlon II X2 215

The Athlon II X2 215 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,011 points. Launch price was $45.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium B960 and Athlon II X2 215 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Pentium B960 versus 2.7 GHz on the Athlon II X2 215 — a 20.4% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 215 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Pentium B960 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon II X2 215 uses Regor (2009−2013) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B960 scores 1,019 against the Athlon II X2 215's 1,011 — a 0.8% lead for the Pentium B960. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 383 vs 274, a 33.2% lead for the Pentium B960 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 679 vs 674 (0.7% advantage for the Pentium B960). L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B960 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 215.

Feature	Pentium B960	Athlon II X2 215
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz	2.7 GHz+23%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	2.7 GHz+23%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB+100%
Process	32 nm-29%	45 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Regor (2009−2013)
PassMark	1,019	1,011
Geekbench 6 Single	383+40%	274
Geekbench 6 Multi	679	674

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium B960 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X2 215 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1333 on the Pentium B960 versus 1333 on the Athlon II X2 215 — the Athlon II X2 215 supports 199.1% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 16 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Pentium B960) vs 0 (Athlon II X2 215) — the Pentium B960 offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: HM76 (Pentium B960) and AM2+,AM3 (Athlon II X2 215).

Feature	Pentium B960	Athlon II X2 215
Socket	PGA988	AM3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	1333+44333%
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB+104857500%	16
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	16	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization: not specified (Pentium B960) / true (Athlon II X2 215). The Pentium B960 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)), while the Athlon II X2 215 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium B960 targets Budget, Athlon II X2 215 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Pentium B960 rivals AMD A8-3500M; Athlon II X2 215 rivals Pentium E5400.

Feature	Pentium B960	Athlon II X2 215
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	—	true
Target Use	Budget	Budget

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium B960 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Athlon II X2 215 debuted at $45. At current prices ($15 vs $10), the Athlon II X2 215 is $5 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium B960 delivers 67.9 pts/$ vs 101.1 pts/$ for the Athlon II X2 215 — making the Athlon II X2 215 the 39.2% better value option.