Pentium N3540 vs Pentium 997

CPU

GPU

Pentium N3540

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.66 GHz2014

Pentium 997

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium N3540

4 / 4

1,207

0.0%

Celeron 1047UE

Celeron 877

Pentium Dual-Core E2180

1,215

+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 N3540 is positioned at rank 1149 and the Pentium 997 is on rank 1104, so the Pentium 997 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 N3540

#1137

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3912%

#1138

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3855%

#1139

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3539%

#1140

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3523%

#1141

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3490%

#1143

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3371%

#1144

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3232%

#1145

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3227%

#1146

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3140%

#1149

Pentium N3540

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

100%

#1150

Core i7-3555LE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $280

99%

#1151

Core i3-2377M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

99%

#1152

Core 2 Duo E8435

MSRP: $150|Avg: $74

98%

#1153

Celeron M 723

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

98%

#1154

Core i7-3517UE

MSRP: $330|Avg: $35

96%

#1155

Core M-5Y51

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

96%

#1156

Pentium N3530

MSRP: $161|Avg: $20

96%

#1157

Core i3-330E

MSRP: $177|Avg: $89

95%

#1159

Core i7-2640M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

94%

#1160

Core M-5Y71

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

94%

#1162

Core i7-2620M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

93%

#1164

Celeron N3010

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium 997

#1092

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3235%

#1093

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3187%

#1094

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2926%

#1095

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2913%

#1096

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2886%

#1098

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2787%

#1099

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2673%

#1100

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2668%

#1101

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2596%

#1104

Pentium 997

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

100%

#1105

Pentium A1018

MSRP: $132|Avg: $15

99%

#1106

Core i5-2430M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

99%

#1108

Pentium Dual Core T4500

MSRP: $150|Avg: $30

98%

#1109

Celeron B820

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

98%

#1110

Pentium B980

MSRP: $125|Avg: $35

97%

#1111

Celeron 867

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

97%

#1112

Pentium B970

MSRP: $125|Avg: $39

96%

#1113

Core i5-2410M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

96%

#1114

Pentium T2370

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

95%

#1115

Pentium N3710

MSRP: $161|Avg: $50

95%

#1116

Core m3-7Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1117

Pentium 977

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

94%

#1118

Core i7-2715QE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $50

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Pentium N3540 leads in gaming performance. However, the Pentium 997 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.7% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Pentium N3540	Pentium 997
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($161)	✅ More affordable ($10)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Pentium 997 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 94% cheaper ($10 vs $161) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Pentium N3540	Pentium 997
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+1521%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($161)	✅ 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 N3540 Benchmark Check

Pentium 997 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium N3540 and Pentium 997

Pentium N3540

The Pentium N3540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 22 May 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.16 GHz, with boost up to 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 7.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 1,207 points. Launch price was $251.

Pentium 997

The Pentium 997 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,215 points. Launch price was $134.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium N3540 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium 997 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Pentium N3540 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.66 GHz on the Pentium N3540 versus 1.6 GHz on the Pentium 997 — a 49.8% clock advantage for the Pentium N3540 (base: 2.16 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Pentium N3540 uses the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium 997 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium N3540 scores 1,207 against the Pentium 997's 1,215 — a 0.7% lead for the Pentium 997. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium N3540 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 997.

Feature	Pentium N3540	Pentium 997
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.66 GHz+66%	1.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.16 GHz+35%	1.6 GHz
L3 Cache	2 MB L2 Cache	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB+700%	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm-31%	32 nm
Architecture	Bay Trail-M (2013−2014)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,207	1,215

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium N3540 uses the FCBGA1170 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 997 uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium N3540	Pentium 997
Socket	FCBGA1170	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium N3540 launched at $161 MSRP, while the Pentium 997 debuted at $134. At current prices ($161 vs $10), the Pentium 997 is $151 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium N3540 delivers 7.5 pts/$ vs 121.5 pts/$ for the Pentium 997 — making the Pentium 997 the 176.8% better value option.