Pentium B960 vs Core i3-3229Y

Pentium B960

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2011

Core i3-3229Y

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.4 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium B960

2 / 2

1,019

+0.5%

1,014

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 i3-3229Y is on rank 437, so the Core i3-3229Y 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 i3-3229Y

#425

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

579%

#426

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

570%

#427

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

523%

#428

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

521%

#429

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

516%

#431

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

499%

#432

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

478%

#433

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

477%

#434

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

464%

#437

Core i3-3229Y

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

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 Core i3-3229Y in both compute-intensive tasks (0.5% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium B960	Core i3-3229Y
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-Y (2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Pentium B960	Core i3-3229Y
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 i3-3229Y Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium B960 and Core i3-3229Y

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 i3-3229Y

The Core i3-3229Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-Y (2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 1.4 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 13 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,014 points. Launch price was $250.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium B960 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i3-3229Y's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Pentium B960 versus 1.4 GHz on the Core i3-3229Y — a 44.4% clock advantage for the Pentium B960 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 1.4 GHz). The Pentium B960 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i3-3229Y uses Ivy Bridge-Y (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B960 scores 1,019 against the Core i3-3229Y's 1,014 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium B960. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 383 vs 350, a 9% lead for the Pentium B960 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 679 vs 657 (3.3% advantage for the Pentium B960). L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B960 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-3229Y.

Feature	Pentium B960	Core i3-3229Y
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz+57%	1.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.2 GHz+57%	1.4 GHz
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	3 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Ivy Bridge-Y (2013)
PassMark	1,019	1,014
Geekbench 6 Single	383+9%	350
Geekbench 6 Multi	679+3%	657

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium B960 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-3229Y uses BGA1023 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1333 memory speed. The Core i3-3229Y supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: HM76 (Pentium B960) and HM77,UM77 (Core i3-3229Y).

Feature	Pentium B960	Core i3-3229Y
Socket	PGA988	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	32 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization: not specified (Pentium B960) / VT-x, EPT (Core i3-3229Y). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge) (Pentium B960) and HD Graphics 4000 (Core i3-3229Y) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium B960 targets Budget, Core i3-3229Y targets Budget. Direct competitor: Pentium B960 rivals AMD A8-3500M; Core i3-3229Y rivals Athlon Silver 3050GE.