Pentium B960 vs Celeron 3205U
Pentium B960
Celeron 3205U
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 B960 is positioned at rank 1144 and the Celeron 3205U is on rank 279, so the Celeron 3205U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium B960
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 3205U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium B960 | Celeron 3205U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-U (2015) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium B960 | Celeron 3205U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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 B960 and Celeron 3205U
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.
Celeron 3205U
The Celeron 3205U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 1.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,025 points. Launch price was $107.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium B960 and Celeron 3205U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Pentium B960 versus 1.5 GHz on the Celeron 3205U — a 37.8% clock advantage for the Pentium B960 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Pentium B960 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Celeron 3205U uses Broadwell-U (2015) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B960 scores 1,019 against the Celeron 3205U's 1,025 — a 0.6% lead for the Celeron 3205U. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 383 vs 287, a 28.7% lead for the Pentium B960 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 679 vs 483 (33.7% advantage for the Pentium B960). Both processors carry 2 MB (total) of L3 cache.
| Feature | Pentium B960 | Celeron 3205U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.2 GHz+47% | 1.5 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.2 GHz+47% | 1.5 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 14 nm-56% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Broadwell-U (2015) |
| PassMark | 1,019 | 1,025 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 383+33% | 287 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 679+41% | 483 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium B960 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron 3205U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1333 memory speed. Both support up to 16 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: HM76 (Pentium B960) and Wildcat Point-LP (Celeron 3205U).
| Feature | Pentium B960 | Celeron 3205U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA988 | FCBGA1168 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1333 | DDR3L-1600 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | 16 |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization: not specified (Pentium B960) / VT-x (Celeron 3205U). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge) (Pentium B960) and HD Graphics (Broadwell) (Celeron 3205U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium B960 targets Budget, Celeron 3205U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Pentium B960 rivals AMD A8-3500M; Celeron 3205U rivals Pentium 2117U.
| Feature | Pentium B960 | Celeron 3205U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge) | HD Graphics (Broadwell) |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x |
| Target Use | Budget | Budget |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar CPU comparisons based on Pentium B960 and Celeron 3205U
