These are the 12 processors the source lists with the PGA988 socket, ranked by PassMark multicore benchmark score. If your motherboard uses this socket, this is the set of processors worth checking against its support list.
Sorting by multicore score shows the upgrade ceiling for the platform; the single-core column shows which parts are strongest on lightly threaded work.
| # | Processor | Single core | Multicore | Price | Cores | Socket | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intel Core i5-3230M @ 2.60GHz | 1,571 | 2,570 | $99.99 | 2 | PGA988 | 35 W |
| 2 | Intel Core i7-940XM @ 2.13GHz | 1,124 | 2,269 | Not listed | 4 | PGA988 | 55 W |
| 3 | Intel Core i3-3120M @ 2.50GHz | 1,258 | 1,698 | $109.95 | 2 | PGA988 | 35 W |
| 4 | Intel Core i3-2328M @ 2.20GHz | 958 | 1,216 | $150.11 | 2 | PGA988 | 35 W |
| 5 | Intel Pentium B970 @ 2.30GHz | 1,019 | 1,096 | $50.99 | 2 | PGA988 | 35 W |
| 6 | Intel Pentium B960 @ 2.20GHz | 987 | 1,033 | $38.68 | 2 | PGA988 | 35 W |
| 7 | Intel Pentium B950 @ 2.10GHz | 943 | 1,022 | Not listed | 2 | PGA988 | 35 W |
| 8 | Intel Pentium P6300 @ 2.27GHz | 847 | 950 | Not listed | 2 | PGA988 | 35 W |
| 9 | Intel Pentium P6200 @ 2.13GHz | 874 | 940 | $24.95 | 2 | PGA988 | 35 W |
| 10 | Intel Pentium B940 @ 2.00GHz | 865 | 901 | $89.95 | 2 | PGA988 | 35 W |
| 11 | Intel Pentium P6100 @ 2.00GHz | 819 | 880 | $18.44 | 2 | PGA988 | 35 W |
| 12 | Intel Pentium P6000 @ 1.87GHz | 745 | 844 | Not listed | 2 | PGA988 | 35 W |
Sharing a socket is necessary for a processor to fit, but it is not sufficient for it to work. The motherboard chipset and BIOS version also decide support. Check the exact board and revision on its manufacturer's CPU support list before buying.
Single-core scores describe one thread and track lightly threaded work. Multicore scores describe total throughput and track rendering, encoding, and large compiles. A processor that leads one column can trail the other, so compare the column that matches your workload.
Every price here is the USD estimate published with the source benchmark data. It is not a live store price and does not confirm stock. Other currencies are converted from that USD estimate. Check a retailer for what you would actually pay today.
Browse the same benchmark data filtered a different way.
Benchmark and specification data from PassMark CPU Benchmarks. How our data and recommendations work.