Pentium P6300
VS
Core i7-2617M

Pentium P6300 vs Core i7-2617M

Intel

Pentium P6300

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 0.27 GHz2011
VS
Intel

Core i7-2617M

2 Cores4 Thrd17 WWMax: 2.6 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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 P6300 is positioned at rank 852 and the Core i7-2617M is on rank 287, so the Core i7-2617M 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 P6300

#840
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1393%
#841
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1373%
#842
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1260%
#843
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1255%
#844
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1243%
#846
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1200%
#847
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1151%
#848
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1149%
#849
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1118%
#852
Pentium P6300
MSRP: $80|Avg: $10
100%
#854
E-350
MSRP: $50|Avg: $15
100%
#856
Ryzen Embedded R1305G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $50
99%
#863
Pentium Dual Core T2390
MSRP: $86|Avg: $5
98%
#867
Core i7-1160G7
MSRP: $426|Avg: N/A
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-2617M

#82
Core i7-11700B
MSRP: $323|Avg: $311
99%
#83
Core i7-13700HX
MSRP: $485|Avg: N/A
98%
#86
Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370
MSRP: $500|Avg: $500
97%
#274
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
435%
#275
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
428%
#276
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
393%
#277
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
392%
#278
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
388%
#280
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
375%
#281
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
359%
#282
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
359%
#283
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
349%
#287
Core i7-2617M
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 Core i7-2617M delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium P6300 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.1% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightPentium P6300Core i7-2617M
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($10)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightPentium P6300Core i7-2617M
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($10)
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium P6300 and Core i7-2617M

Intel

Pentium P6300

The Pentium P6300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.27 GHz, with boost up to 0.27 GHz. L3 cache: 3 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: 1,685 points. Launch price was $69.

Intel

Core i7-2617M

The Core i7-2617M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 1,687 points. Launch price was $100.

Processing Power

The Pentium P6300 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i7-2617M's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 0.27 GHz on the Pentium P6300 versus 2.6 GHz on the Core i7-2617M — a 162.4% clock advantage for the Core i7-2617M (base: 2.27 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Pentium P6300 uses the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i7-2617M uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium P6300 scores 1,685 against the Core i7-2617M's 1,687 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i7-2617M. L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Pentium P6300 vs 4 MB on the Core i7-2617M.

FeaturePentium P6300Core i7-2617M
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 4
Boost Clock
0.27 GHz
2.6 GHz+863%
Base Clock
2.27 GHz+51%
1.5 GHz
L3 Cache
3 MB (total)
4 MB+33%
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
512 kB+100%
Process
32 nm
32 nm
Architecture
Arrandale (2010−2011)
Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark
1,685
1,687
Geekbench 6 Single
448
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium P6300 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-2617M uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeaturePentium P6300Core i7-2617M
Socket
PGA988
BGA1023
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity
8 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium P6300) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-2617M). The Core i7-2617M includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 3000), while the Pentium P6300 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-2617M targets Ultrabook. Direct competitor: Core i7-2617M rivals A6-3400M.

FeaturePentium P6300Core i7-2617M
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics 3000
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use
Ultrabook