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Intel Pentium G3260

Intel Pentium G3260: Budget Processor of 2025 — Is It Worth Considering?

Introduction

In 2025, the processor market is filled with multi-core monsters, but older chips like the Intel Pentium G3260 still attract attention for their affordability. This dual-core processor, released in 2014, remains an option for ultra-budget builds. Let’s explore who it suits in the era of DDR5 and 5nm process technologies.

Key Specifications: Architecture and Performance

Haswell Architecture (4th Generation)

The Pentium G3260 is built on the Haswell microarchitecture (2013) and manufactured using a 22nm process. It is a dual-core processor without Hyper-Threading support (2 threads), with a base clock frequency of 3.3 GHz.

Performance

- Geekbench 6: 591 (Single-Core), 1018 (Multi-Core).

For comparison: the modern Celeron G6900 (2023) scores about ~1500/2500.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics (4th generation) — DirectX 11.1, supports 4K via DisplayPort, but lacks hardware decoding for HEVC/H.265.

Key Features

- Low power consumption (TDP 53W);

- Virtualization support (VT-x);

- No Turbo Boost or unlocked multiplier.

Price in 2025: New processors are rare, estimated cost — $40-50.

Compatible Motherboards

LGA1150 Socket

Motherboards for the G3260 are based on the following chipsets:

- H81/B85: Budget options with basic features (2 RAM slots, SATA III, USB 3.0).

- H87/Z87/Z97: Enhanced capabilities (RAID, more ports, overclocking for K-processors).

Selection Features

- New boards in 2025 are hardly produced. Remaining stock (e.g., ASUS H81M-K) costs $80-120, which is unreasonably expensive.

- It's wiser to look for used options ($30-50), but this article discusses only new products.

Recommendation: If budgets are tight, it’s better to choose a modern platform (LGA1700 or AM4).

Supported Memory

DDR3-1333/1600

- Maximum capacity: 32GB (depends on the chipset).

- No support for DDR4/DDR5 — this is the major limitation.

Tips

- For office tasks, 8GB (2x4GB) is sufficient.

- Use dual-channel mode to enhance graphics performance.

Power Supply Recommendations

Power Calculation

- Processor TDP: 53W.

- With integrated graphics: 300W power supply (e.g., be quiet! SFX Power 3 300W, $45).

- With discrete graphics card (e.g., GT 1030): 400W power supply (EVGA 400 N1, $35).

Important: Even weak power supplies with 80 Plus White certification will handle this system.

Pros and Cons

Pros

- Low cost (cheaper than most modern counterparts).

- Energy efficiency — suitable for mini PCs or media centers.

- Adequate performance for basic tasks (Word, YouTube, light gaming).

Cons

- Only 2 cores — multitasking is limited.

- Outdated platform (DDR3, PCIe 2.0).

- Weak graphics — won't run modern games.

Use Cases

1. Office and Web Surfing

- Working with documents, email, Zoom.

- Example: On G3260 + 8GB DDR3 + SSD, the system boots Windows 10 in 15 seconds.

2. Multimedia

- 1080p video playback (but 4K will stutter).

- Connecting to TV via HDMI (requires motherboard support check).

3. Light Gaming

- CS:GO — 720p, low settings, ~40-50 FPS.

- Minecraft — 1080p, ~60 FPS (no shaders).

4. Home Server

- NAS based on Linux: low power consumption and sufficient power for file tasks.

Comparison with Competitors

1. AMD Athlon 3000G (Price: $60-70)

- 2 cores/4 threads, Vega 3 graphics, supports DDR4.

- Geekbench 6: ~700/1400. Performs better in multi-threading and gaming.

2. Intel Celeron G6900 (Price: $80)

- 2 cores/2 threads, UHD Graphics 710, DDR4.

- Geekbench 6: ~1500/2500. Twice the performance.

Conclusion: G3260 lags behind even budget newcomers, but is cheaper.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. Choosing a Motherboard: Look for models with HDMI and USB 3.0 (for example, ASRock H81M-HDS).

2. SSD is Essential: Kingston A400 240GB ($25) will speed up system performance.

3. Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient — temperatures do not exceed 65°C even under load.

4. Upgrade: Don't plan on upgrading — the platform is morally outdated.

Final Conclusion: Who Should Consider the Pentium G3260?

1. Owners of Old PCs: For upgrading LGA1150 systems without replacing the motherboard.

2. Budget Builds: If the goal is minimal cost (PC for $150-200).

3. Media Centers/Servers: Low power consumption and quiet operation.

Alternative: If the budget allows $100-150, it’s better to buy a used Core i5-4590 (4 cores) or a new Athlon 3000G.

The Pentium G3260 in 2025 is a choice for those who value pennies more than performance. For everyone else, the market offers fresher solutions.

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.

G3260

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

3.30 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

53 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.

350 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

591

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1018

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

785

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1440

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1864

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

2088

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i5-3570S

663 +12.2%

Xeon E5-4650 v3

631 +6.8%

Pentium G3260

591

Xeon E5-2665

554 -6.3%

Xeon E5-2650 v2

512 -13.4%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Celeron G4930T

1263 +24.1%

Xeon E5-2403 v2

1116 +9.6%

Pentium G3260

1018

Celeron G4930E

920 -9.6%

Celeron G1610

778 -23.6%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E5-2618L v4

819 +4.3%

EPYC 7302

803 +2.3%

Pentium G3260

785

Ryzen 5 3400GE

769 -2%

Pentium G3460

745 -5.1%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i7-2630QM

1615 +12.2%

Core i3-3250

1511 +4.9%

Pentium G3260

1440

Core i7-2715QE

1371 -4.8%

Xeon Gold 6240

1295 -10.1%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon Silver 4316

1928 +3.4%

Core i7-3820QM

1899 +1.9%

Pentium G3260

1864

Xeon E5-4655 v3

1817 -2.5%

Xeon E5-2630 v4

1791 -3.9%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

A8-3850

2368 +13.4%

Core i3-3225

2242 +7.4%

Pentium G3260

2088

Core i7-2677M

1934 -7.4%

Core i3-2330E

1823 -12.7%