Pentium G6960 vs Celeron 5205U

CPU

GPU

Pentium G6960

2 Cores2 Thrd73 WWMax: 0.93 GHz2011

Celeron 5205U

2 Cores2 Thrd15 WWMax: 1.9 GHz2019

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium G6960

2 / 2

1,433

+0.1%

1,432

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 G6960 is positioned at rank 881 and the Celeron 5205U is on rank 1231, so the Pentium G6960 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 G6960

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

19361%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

18294%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

13283%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

4002%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3170%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2773%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1588%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1567%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1427%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1427%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1411%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1373%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1354%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1348%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1336%

#881

Pentium G6960

MSRP: $89|Avg: $15

100%

#882

Core i5-2500T

MSRP: $182|Avg: $30

100%

#884

Athlon II X2 265

MSRP: $83|Avg: $15

99%

#885

Core i3-2100

MSRP: $117|Avg: $10

99%

#886

A8-3800

MSRP: $130|Avg: $40

98%

#887

Pentium E5200

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

97%

#888

Athlon II X2 235e

MSRP: $69|Avg: $15

97%

#889

Athlon II X2 250e

MSRP: $77|Avg: $15

97%

#890

Core i7-2600S

MSRP: $297|Avg: $99

97%

#891

Athlon II X2 250u

MSRP: $60|Avg: $15

97%

#892

Core i3-2125

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

97%

#893

Pentium G6951

MSRP: $89|Avg: $50

97%

#895

Celeron G1820

MSRP: $110|Avg: $15

96%

#896

Celeron E1600

MSRP: $53|Avg: $10

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron 5205U

#1218

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

8811%

#1219

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

8682%

#1220

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

7970%

#1221

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

7934%

#1222

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

7861%

#1224

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

7592%

#1225

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

7279%

#1226

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

7267%

#1227

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

7072%

#1230

Core i7-820QM

MSRP: $546|Avg: N/A

100%

#1231

Celeron 5205U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#1232

Core Duo T2700

MSRP: $663|Avg: N/A

84%

#1234

Pentium SU4100

MSRP: $289|Avg: $15

71%

#1235

Core Solo T1400

MSRP: $200|Avg: $5

64%

#1236

Core i7-940XM

MSRP: $1096|Avg: N/A

62%

#1237

Core Solo T1350

MSRP: $200|Avg: $70

61%

#1239

Core Solo T1300

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

55%

#1240

Core Solo T1200

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

51%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Celeron 5205U (2019) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR3, DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Pentium G6960	Celeron 5205U
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 (Clarkdale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	✨ Modern (Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Pentium G6960 (2011) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Pentium G6960	Celeron 5205U
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 G6960 Benchmark Check

Celeron 5205U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium G6960 and Celeron 5205U

Pentium G6960

The Pentium G6960 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Clarkdale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.93 GHz, with boost up to 0.93 GHz. L3 cache: 3072 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 73 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,433 points. Launch price was $69.

Celeron 5205U

The Celeron 5205U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 31 October 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 1.9 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,432 points. Launch price was $107.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium G6960 and Celeron 5205U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 0.93 GHz on the Pentium G6960 versus 1.9 GHz on the Celeron 5205U — a 68.6% clock advantage for the Celeron 5205U (base: 2.93 GHz vs 1.9 GHz). The Pentium G6960 uses the Clarkdale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Celeron 5205U uses Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium G6960 scores 1,433 against the Celeron 5205U's 1,432 — a 0.1% lead for the Pentium G6960. L3 cache: 3072 kB (total) on the Pentium G6960 vs 2 MB on the Celeron 5205U.

Feature	Pentium G6960	Celeron 5205U
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	0.93 GHz	1.9 GHz+104%
Base Clock	2.93 GHz+54%	1.9 GHz
L3 Cache	3072 kB (total)+50%	2 MB
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	1 MB+300%
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Clarkdale (2010−2011)	Comet Lake-U (2019−2020)
PassMark	1,433	1,432
Geekbench 6 Single	—	385
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	650

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium G6960 uses the LGA1156 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron 5205U uses FCBGA1528 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium G6960	Celeron 5205U
Socket	LGA1156	FCBGA1528
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium G6960) / VT-x, VT-d (Celeron 5205U). The Celeron 5205U includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics (Comet Lake)), while the Pentium G6960 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 5205U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 5205U rivals Pentium Gold 6405U.