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Intel Pentium G3260T

Intel Pentium G3260T: A Budget Solution for Basic Tasks in 2025

Updated: April 2025

1. Key Specifications: Haswell Architecture and Its Features

The Intel Pentium G3260T processor, released in 2014, is still found in budget builds due to its energy efficiency and simplicity.

Architecture and Technology Process

- Codename: Haswell (4th generation Intel Core).

- Technology Process: 22 nm — a significant advance for its time, but in 2025, such chips are considered outdated.

- Cores and Threads: 2 cores, 2 threads. No support for Hyper-Threading, which limits multitasking.

- Clock Speed: 2.9 GHz (without Turbo Boost).

Performance

- Geekbench 6: 585 (Single-Core), 1020 (Multi-Core). For comparison, modern budget processors like the Intel Celeron G6900 score around ~1500/2500 points.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics for the 4th generation. Supports resolution up to 1920x1200 but is not suitable for gaming — for example, in CS:GO at low settings, it delivers 25-30 FPS.

Key Features

- Low Power Consumption (TDP 35W): Ideal for compact PCs or systems with passive cooling.

- Support for AES-NI Instructions: Useful for data encryption.

2. Compatible Motherboards

Socket: LGA1150 — an outdated socket, with no new boards being produced. In 2025, finding a new motherboard is difficult, but remnants may still be available:

- Chipsets: H81, B85, H87, Z87.

- Recommended Models:

- ASRock H81M-HDS (about $50–60, if you can find it for sale).

- Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H (up to $70).

Selection Tips

- Ensure that the board's BIOS supports Haswell (usually mentioned in the description).

- Check for required ports: SATA III, USB 3.0.

- Due to the age of the boards, warranty issues may arise.

3. Supported Memory

- Memory Type: Only DDR3 (not DDR4 or DDR5!).

- Speeds: Up to 1333 MHz (officially), but some boards allow overclocking to 1600 MHz.

- Modes: Dual-channel — use two identical modules (for example, 2x4 GB).

Tip: DDR3L (1.35 V) is compatible and reduces power consumption.

4. Power Supply Units: Minimal Cost

With a TDP of 35W, even a weak PSU will be more than enough:

- Minimum Wattage: 150W (for a system without a discrete graphics card).

- Recommendations:

- For an office PC: Be Quiet! SFX Power 3 300W ($45).

- If you plan to add a graphics card: EVGA 450 BR ($55).

Important: Integrated graphics do not require additional power.

5. Pros and Cons

Pros:

- Low price (new processors from $30, if you find them).

- Energy efficiency.

- Suitable for Linux and older operating systems (Windows 7/8).

Cons:

- Only 2 cores — multitasking is limited.

- No support for modern standards (USB-C, PCIe 4.0).

- Weak graphics.

6. Use Cases

Office and Web Surfing

- Document work, browsers (up to 10 tabs), Zoom.

Multimedia

- Playback of 1080p video via VLC or Kodi.

Light Gaming

- Minecraft, Stardew Valley, games up to 2012 (for example, Skyrim on low settings).

Server Tasks

- NAS or home server based on OpenMediaVault.

7. Comparison with Competitors

Intel Celeron G5905 (2020):

- 2 cores, 2 threads, 3.5 GHz.

- Geekbench 6: ~950/1800.

- Price: $50.

AMD Athlon 3000G (2019):

- 2 cores, 4 threads, Vega 3 graphics.

- Geekbench 6: ~1000/2000.

- Price: $70.

Conclusion: The G3260T falls short in performance but excels in price.

8. Practical Assembly Tips

1. Motherboard: Look for models with HDMI if you need video output.

2. Storage: Definitely choose SSD (for example, Kingston A400 240 GB — $25).

3. Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient, but for quieter operation, the Noctua NH-L9i ($50) is recommended.

4. Case: Mini-ITX (for example, Cooler Master Elite 110 — $70).

9. Final Conclusion: Who is the G3260T Suitable For?

This processor should only be considered in very limited scenarios:

- Budget Office PCs: For text and spreadsheet work.

- Home Media Centers: For watching movies and series.

- Retro Hardware Enthusiasts: Building a PC in a 2010s style.

Why is it not the best choice in 2025?

Even new budget processors (like the Intel N100) offer twice the performance at a similar price. However, if you find the G3260T for under $20 and want to build the most inexpensive system possible — it still has its place.

Price of the new processor in 2025: $25–40 (if available for sale).

Conclusion: The Pentium G3260T is a relic of the past, but under strict budget conditions or for nostalgic projects, it can still be useful. For any modern tasks, it's better to choose something more current.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

January 2015

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

G3260T

Code Name

Haswell

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

2.90 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCLGA1150

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

22 nm

TDP

35 W

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

Up to 3.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

Up to 1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8+2x4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR3-1333 | DDR3L-1333 @ 1.5V

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

32 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

5 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

21.3 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

Yes

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® HD Graphics for 4th Generation Intel® Processors

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

200 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.10 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

1.7 GB

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

11.1/12

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

1920x1080@60Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

2560x1600@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

2560x1600@60Hz

Max Resolution (VGA)

1920x1200@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP/DP/HDMI/DVI/VGA

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

3 MB

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.3

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

585

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1020

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

553

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

993

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1568

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

1755

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Celeron G5900TE

659 +12.6%

Athlon Gold 3150C

625 +6.8%

Pentium G3260T

585

Core i5-2320

549 -6.2%

FX-6350

508 -13.2%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Celeron G5900

1271 +24.6%

Core M-5Y71

1125 +10.3%

Pentium G3260T

1020

A8-7670K

923 -9.5%

Pentium G2020

781 -23.4%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E5-2643 v2

590 +6.7%

Core i5-2510E

570 +3.1%

Pentium G3260T

553

A8-6600K

533 -3.6%

Athlon X4 760K

519 -6.1%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Pentium G3250

1146 +15.4%

Pentium G2140

1070 +7.8%

Pentium G3260T

993

Athlon II X4 631

891 -10.3%

Celeron 3867U

832 -16.2%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i7-4765T

1624 +3.6%

Xeon E3-1505L v5

1590 +1.4%

Pentium G3260T

1568

Core i7-6970HQ

1532 -2.3%

PRO A6-9500E

1493 -4.8%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i3-2130

2030 +15.7%

Core i5-3439Y

1907 +8.7%

Pentium G3260T

1755

A8-3550MX

1579 -10%

Pentium G850

1424 -18.9%