Intel Pentium G3258

The Intel Pentium G3258 is a desktop-market processor built on Intel’s 22 nm Haswell architecture and designed for the Intel Socket 1150 platform. It combines 2 cores and 2 threads with a 3.20 GHz base clock and no listed boost clock, within a 54 W TDP. Its cache subsystem includes 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, plus 3 MB of shared L3 cache. The composite database average is 601, and the processor sits at the 13th percentile among all CPUs.

How It Compares

Against the AMD Opteron 3250 HE, the G3258’s average score of 601 trails the Opteron’s 602 average, with a delta of -0.2%. These two processors sit at near parity in the aggregate metric, and the G3258 does not meaningfully separate itself from this closest neighbor.

Against the Intel Core i3-2130, the G3258’s 601 average compares to the i3-2130’s 604 average, a delta of -0.4%. The Core i3-2130 holds the higher aggregate score, but the margin is narrow enough that both chips are effectively in the same low-end band.

Against the Intel Celeron 4305UE, the G3258’s 601 average is below the Celeron’s 605 average, with a delta of -0.7%. The Celeron’s lead is narrow, and the delta remains small in aggregate terms.

Against the Intel Atom x7-E3950, the G3258 records a 601 average score against the Atom’s 606, a delta of -0.8%. This is the largest delta among the nearest rivals, but it is still 0.8 percent, so the cluster stays tight around the G3258.

Power and Thermals

With a TDP of 54 W, the G3258 belongs to a low-power desktop thermal class. The 22 nm process, 960-million-transistor count, and 131 mm² die size all align with a modest thermal profile. The chip has no listed boost clock, so the only operating frequency in the data is the 3.20 GHz base clock. In stock operation, an entry-level air cooler is sufficient for this TDP class. The multiplier is unlocked, which allows the operating frequency to be raised if the cooler has headroom; any manual frequency increase would move thermal load above the 54 W envelope. For cooling tier, the 54 W rating points to a basic air cooler rather than a high-end thermal system.

Benchmark Performance

Benchmark results place the G3258 low on the aggregate scale. Its average score of 601 corresponds to the 13th percentile, and each nearest-rival delta is negative: -0.2% against the AMD Opteron 3250 HE, -0.4% against the Intel Core i3-2130, -0.7% against the Intel Celeron 4305UE, and -0.8% against the Intel Atom x7-E3950. Every nearest rival has a higher average score; those averages are 602, 604, 605, and 606.

In the Cinebench tests, the G3258 scores 175 in R15 multi-core, 733 in R20 multi-core, and 1747 in R23 multi-core. The single-core scores are 103 in R20 and 246 in R23. These values are low in absolute terms, which is consistent with the 2-core/2-thread configuration. With only two threads, parallel workloads have limited headroom, and the multi-core scores reflect that restriction. The single-core R23 score of 246 is the highest single-thread score in the listed data, but it still leaves the chip near the lower portion of the database distribution. The R20 single-core score of 103 and multi-core score of 733 are both low, indicating that neither single-thread nor parallel work will produce strong results. The R15 multi-core score of 175 reinforces the same conclusion.

Viewed against nearest rivals, the G3258 is slightly behind each one in the composite. None of the deltas exceeds 0.8 percent, so the G3258 is virtually indistinguishable from the Opteron 3250 HE, Core i3-2130, Celeron 4305UE, and Atom x7-E3950 in average terms. The performance tier is therefore defined by the dual-thread design and 13th-percentile ranking, not by any clear edge within its nearest-rival group.

Who Should Consider It

Office and basic desktop use is the most appropriate target for the G3258. It has 2 cores, 2 threads, a 3.20 GHz base clock, DDR3 dual-channel memory support, and integrated Intel HD (Haswell) graphics, so it can handle display output and everyday productivity without a separate graphics adapter. The 54 W TDP keeps cooling simple. The ECC memory support may suit stability-sensitive tasks. However, the 13th-percentile ranking indicates that heavy multitasking will quickly exhaust the two-thread capacity.

For creation workloads, the Cinebench scores argue against this processor. Multi-core scores of 175 in R15, 733 in R20, and 1747 in R23 are low absolute numbers. Multi-threaded creation applications depend on parallel throughput, and the G3258 has only two threads. The single-core results of 103 in R20 and 246 in R23 do not offset that limitation. Users whose work is primarily creation-oriented should use the database’s higher-ranked parts.

For gaming, the profile is limited. The integrated Intel HD (Haswell) graphics is the only listed display hardware, and the 2-thread design leaves little headroom for demanding 3D workloads. The unlocked multiplier can raise the 3.20 GHz base clock for lightly-threaded tasks, but the 13th-percentile standing and negative deltas to every nearest rival show no aggregate advantage. A system built around the G3258 would be constrained by both the CPU and the integrated graphics tier.

Platform and Compatibility

The G3258 uses the Intel Socket 1150 platform and is built on the Haswell architecture, with a market segment of Desktop. It was released on 2014-06-01 and is marked end-of-life. The part number is SR1V0. The memory interface supports DDR3 in dual-channel mode, with a bandwidth of 21.3 GB/s and ECC memory support. PCIe Gen 3 is provided for expansion, and Intel HD (Haswell) integrated graphics are included.

The upgrade path is bounded by Socket 1150 and DDR3 memory support. Because the G3258 is end-of-life, future CPU changes would have to stay within the same socket and memory generation. The absence of a boost clock means the 3.20 GHz base clock is the only listed operating frequency. The cache hierarchy—64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 3 MB of shared L3—is part of the platform’s fixed specification, as is the 21.3 GB/s memory bandwidth. The unlocked multiplier offers manual frequency adjustment without altering the socket or memory type.