A4-9120 vs Celeron 3855U
A4-9120
Celeron 3855U
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 A4-9120 is positioned at rank 871 and the Celeron 3855U is on rank 193, so the Celeron 3855U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar A4-9120
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 3855U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | A4-9120 | Celeron 3855U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | A4-9120 | Celeron 3855U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
Performance Check
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 A4-9120 and Celeron 3855U
A4-9120
The A4-9120 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: BGA. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,222 points. Launch price was $50.
Celeron 3855U
The Celeron 3855U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 August 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1866/2133, LPDDR3-1600/1866, DDR3L-1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 1,215 points. Launch price was $107.
Processing Power
Both the A4-9120 and Celeron 3855U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the A4-9120 versus 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 3855U — a 43.9% clock advantage for the A4-9120 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The A4-9120 uses the Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) architecture (28 nm), while the Celeron 3855U uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the A4-9120 scores 1,222 against the Celeron 3855U's 1,215 — a 0.6% lead for the A4-9120. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 350 vs 361, a 3.1% lead for the Celeron 3855U that directly translates to higher frame rates.
| Feature | A4-9120 | Celeron 3855U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.5 GHz+56% | 1.6 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.2 GHz+38% | 1.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 2 MB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+100% | 512 kB |
| Process | 28 nm | 14 nm-50% |
| Architecture | Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) | Skylake (2015−2016) |
| PassMark | 1,222 | 1,215 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 350 | 361+3% |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 632 |
Memory & Platform
The A4-9120 uses the BGA socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Celeron 3855U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2133 on the A4-9120 versus DDR4 2133 MHz on the Celeron 3855U — the Celeron 3855U supports 200% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Celeron 3855U supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 1 (A4-9120) vs 2 (Celeron 3855U). PCIe lanes: 8 (A4-9120) vs 10 (Celeron 3855U) — the Celeron 3855U offers 2 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.
| Feature | A4-9120 | Celeron 3855U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA | BGA1356 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2133 | DDR4 2133 MHz |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | 32 GB+300% |
| RAM Channels | 1 | 2+100% |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 8 | 10+25% |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (A4-9120) vs true (Celeron 3855U). Both include integrated graphics — Radeon R3 (A4-9120) and Intel HD Graphics 510 (Celeron 3855U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A4-9120 targets Entry Laptop, Celeron 3855U targets Budget. Direct competitor: A4-9120 rivals Celeron N3350; Celeron 3855U rivals Pentium 3825U.
| Feature | A4-9120 | Celeron 3855U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | Radeon R3 | Intel HD Graphics 510 |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | true |
| Target Use | Entry Laptop | Budget |
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