Pentium B960 vs Pentium J2850

Pentium B960

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2011

Pentium J2850

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium B960

2 / 2

1,019

+0.3%

1,016

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 Pentium J2850 is on rank 1057, so the Pentium J2850 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 Pentium J2850

#1045

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2714%

#1046

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2674%

#1047

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2455%

#1048

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2444%

#1049

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2422%

#1051

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2339%

#1052

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2242%

#1053

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2239%

#1054

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2179%

#1057

Pentium J2850

MSRP: $94|Avg: $94

100%

#1058

Core i7-4900MQ

MSRP: $570|Avg: $40

100%

#1059

Pentium Dual Core T2370

MSRP: $150|Avg: $25

99%

#1060

Celeron P4505

MSRP: $86|Avg: $86

99%

#1061

Pentium T4200

MSRP: $99|Avg: $10

99%

#1062

Core i7-2720QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

98%

#1063

Pentium 2020M

MSRP: $134|Avg: N/A

98%

#1064

Celeron P4500

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

97%

#1065

Pentium Dual Core SU4100

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

97%

#1066

Processor N50

MSRP: $128|Avg: $120

97%

#1067

Athlon II N350

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

97%

#1068

Celeron N3350

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

96%

#1070

Core i7-2675QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

96%

#1071

A9-9410

MSRP: $150|Avg: $25

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Pentium J2850 leads in gaming performance. However, the Pentium B960 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.3% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Pentium B960	Pentium J2850
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ Higher cost ($94)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-D (2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Pentium B960 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 84% cheaper ($15 vs $94) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Pentium B960	Pentium J2850
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+529%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ Higher cost ($94)

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

Pentium J2850 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium B960 and Pentium J2850

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.

Pentium J2850

The Pentium J2850 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-D (2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.41 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,016 points. Launch price was $94.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium B960 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Pentium J2850 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium J2850 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Pentium B960 versus 2.4 GHz on the Pentium J2850 — a 8.7% clock advantage for the Pentium J2850 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 2.41 GHz). The Pentium B960 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium J2850 uses Bay Trail-D (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B960 scores 1,019 against the Pentium J2850's 1,016 — a 0.3% lead for the Pentium B960. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B960 vs 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium J2850.

Feature	Pentium B960	Pentium J2850
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz	2.4 GHz+9%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	2.41 GHz+10%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	2 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB+700%
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Bay Trail-D (2013)
PassMark	1,019	1,016
Geekbench 6 Single	383	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	679	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium B960 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium J2850 uses FCBGA1170 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium B960	Pentium J2850
Socket	PGA988	FCBGA1170
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

The Pentium B960 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)), while the Pentium J2850 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium B960 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Pentium B960 rivals AMD A8-3500M.

Feature	Pentium B960	Pentium J2850
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Target Use	Budget	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium B960 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Pentium J2850 debuted at $94. At current prices ($15 vs $94), the Pentium B960 is $79 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium B960 delivers 67.9 pts/$ vs 10.8 pts/$ for the Pentium J2850 — making the Pentium B960 the 145.1% better value option.