Pentium G3258 vs Celeron 2957U

Pentium G3258

2 Cores2 Thrd54 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2014

Celeron 2957U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.4 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium G3258

2 / 2

2,063

0.0%

Pentium E6800

Core Duo T2300

Pentium Dual Core T2370

2,077

+0.7%

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 G3258 is positioned at rank 632 and the Celeron 2957U is on rank 53, so the Celeron 2957U 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 G3258

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

11331%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

10707%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

7774%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

2342%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

1855%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

1623%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

929%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

917%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

835%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

835%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

826%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

804%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

792%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

789%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

782%

#284

Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $300

100%

#387

Ryzen Embedded V1807B

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

98%

#632

Pentium G3258

MSRP: $75|Avg: $72

100%

#633

Celeron G555

MSRP: $52|Avg: $15

100%

#634

Celeron G530

MSRP: $42|Avg: $10

99%

#635

Core i3-7350K

MSRP: $179|Avg: $45

99%

#636

FX-4130

MSRP: $100|Avg: $25

99%

#637

Athlon II X2 280

MSRP: $50|Avg: $15

99%

#638

FX-8300

MSRP: $197|Avg: $50

98%

#639

Celeron G540T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $42

98%

#640

Core i5-6600

MSRP: $224|Avg: $90

98%

#641

Core i5-4460

MSRP: $182|Avg: $40

98%

#644

Core i3-4170T

MSRP: $117|Avg: $17

97%

#645

FX-8370E

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

97%

#646

Core i5-4590S

MSRP: $192|Avg: $45

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2957U

#13

Ryzen 3 210

MSRP: $99|Avg: $99

96%

#14

Ryzen 5 PRO 230

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

95%

#41

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

212%

#42

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

209%

#43

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

192%

#44

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

191%

#45

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

189%

#47

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

183%

#48

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

175%

#49

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

175%

#50

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

170%

#53

Celeron 2957U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#65

Core i5-3320M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

96%

#66

Core i7-4510U

MSRP: $393|Avg: N/A

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Pentium G3258 leads in gaming performance. However, the Celeron 2957U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.7% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Pentium G3258	Celeron 2957U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($72)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Pentium G3258	Celeron 2957U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($72)	✅ 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 G3258 Benchmark Check

Celeron 2957U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium G3258 and Celeron 2957U

Pentium G3258

The Pentium G3258 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 June 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 53 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,063 points. Launch price was $77.

Celeron 2957U

The Celeron 2957U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 1.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,077 points. Launch price was $107.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium G3258 and Celeron 2957U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Pentium G3258 versus 1.4 GHz on the Celeron 2957U — a 78.3% clock advantage for the Pentium G3258 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 1.4 GHz). Both are built on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture using a 22 nm process. In PassMark, the Pentium G3258 scores 2,063 against the Celeron 2957U's 2,077 — a 0.7% lead for the Celeron 2957U. L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Pentium G3258 vs 2 MB on the Celeron 2957U.

Feature	Pentium G3258	Celeron 2957U
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz+129%	1.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+129%	1.4 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB (total)+50%	2 MB
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512 kB+100%
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	2,063	2,077
Geekbench 6 Single	—	284

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium G3258 uses the LGA1150 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Celeron 2957U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1333 memory speed. The Pentium G3258 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. PCIe lanes: 16 (Pentium G3258) vs 10 (Celeron 2957U) — the Pentium G3258 offers 6 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Pentium G3258	Celeron 2957U
Socket	LGA1150	FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB+100%	16 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	✅	❌
PCIe Lanes	16+60%	10

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Pentium G3258 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support VT-x virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics (Pentium G3258) and HD Graphics (Haswell) (Celeron 2957U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium G3258 targets Desktop, Celeron 2957U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 2957U rivals Pentium 2117U.