Pentium B960 vs Core 2 Duo E4700

Pentium B960

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2011

Core 2 Duo E4700

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 2.6 GHz2008

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium B960

2 / 2

1,019

+0.8%

1,011

0.0%

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 Core 2 Duo E4700 is on rank 1035, so the Core 2 Duo E4700 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 Core 2 Duo E4700

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

41015%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

38755%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

28139%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

8477%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

6715%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

5874%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

3364%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

3321%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

3023%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

3023%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

2989%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

2909%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

2868%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

2856%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

2831%

#1034

PRO A10-8770E

MSRP: $395|Avg: $210

100%

#1035

Core 2 Duo E4700

MSRP: $133|Avg: $10

100%

#1036

Athlon 64 X2 5800+

MSRP: $230|Avg: $20

100%

#1037

Phenom II X2 B53

MSRP: $150|Avg: $15

100%

#1038

Core 2 Quad Q9300

MSRP: $266|Avg: $27

99%

#1039

Core 2 Duo E7200

MSRP: $133|Avg: $133

99%

#1040

Athlon II X4 638

MSRP: $300|Avg: $280

99%

#1042

Phenom X3 8750

MSRP: $195|Avg: $20

98%

#1043

Pentium G4400TE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $250

96%

#1044

Celeron 2.60

MSRP: $53|Avg: $10

96%

#1045

Core i7-990X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $225

94%

#1046

Phenom X4 9750B

MSRP: $215|Avg: $34

93%

#1047

Core 2 Duo E8200

MSRP: $163|Avg: $20

92%

#1048

Core 2 Quad Q9450

MSRP: $316|Avg: $15

92%

#1049

Core 2 Duo E8600

MSRP: $200|Avg: $95

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core 2 Duo E4700 leads in gaming performance. However, the Pentium B960 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.8% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Pentium B960	Core 2 Duo E4700
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior 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 (Allendale (2006−2009) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core 2 Duo E4700 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 33% cheaper ($10 vs $15) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Pentium B960	Core 2 Duo E4700
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

Core 2 Duo E4700 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium B960 and Core 2 Duo E4700

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.

Core 2 Duo E4700

The Core 2 Duo E4700 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Allendale (2006−2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,011 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium B960 and Core 2 Duo E4700 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Pentium B960 versus 2.6 GHz on the Core 2 Duo E4700 — a 16.7% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo E4700 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Pentium B960 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core 2 Duo E4700 uses Allendale (2006−2009) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B960 scores 1,019 against the Core 2 Duo E4700's 1,011 — a 0.8% lead for the Pentium B960. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B960 vs 0 kB on the Core 2 Duo E4700.

Feature	Pentium B960	Core 2 Duo E4700
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz	2.6 GHz+18%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	2.6 GHz+18%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB+700%
Process	32 nm-51%	65 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Allendale (2006−2009)
PassMark	1,019	1,011
Geekbench 6 Single	383	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	679	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium B960 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo E4700 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1333 on the Pentium B960 versus 800 on the Core 2 Duo E4700 — the Core 2 Duo E4700 supports 198.5% 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. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: HM76 (Pentium B960) and P35,G31,G33,P45 (Core 2 Duo E4700).

Feature	Pentium B960	Core 2 Duo E4700
Socket	PGA988	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	800+26567%
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB+104857500%	16
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization: not specified (Pentium B960) / false (Core 2 Duo E4700). The Pentium B960 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)), while the Core 2 Duo E4700 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium B960 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Pentium B960 rivals AMD A8-3500M; Core 2 Duo E4700 rivals Athlon 64 X2 5000+.

Feature	Pentium B960	Core 2 Duo E4700
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	—	false
Target Use	Budget	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium B960 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Core 2 Duo E4700 debuted at $133. At current prices ($15 vs $10), the Core 2 Duo E4700 is $5 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium B960 delivers 67.9 pts/$ vs 101.1 pts/$ for the Core 2 Duo E4700 — making the Core 2 Duo E4700 the 39.2% better value option.