Athlon 64 X2 3800+ vs Celeron 2980U
Athlon 64 X2 3800+
Celeron 2980U
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 Athlon 64 X2 3800+ is positioned at rank 1094 and the Celeron 2980U is on rank 392, so the Celeron 2980U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon 64 X2 3800+
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2980U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon 64 X2 3800+ | Celeron 2980U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Manchester (2005−2006) / 90 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon 64 X2 3800+ | Celeron 2980U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 Athlon 64 X2 3800+ and Celeron 2980U
Athlon 64 X2 3800+
The Athlon 64 X2 3800+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Manchester (2005−2006) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 90 nm process technology. Socket: 939. Thermal design power (TDP): 89 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,095 points. Launch price was $149.
Celeron 2980U
The Celeron 2980U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) 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 (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,092 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ and Celeron 2980U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ versus 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 2980U — a 22.2% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 X2 3800+. The Athlon 64 X2 3800+ uses the Manchester (2005−2006) architecture (90 nm), while the Celeron 2980U uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ scores 1,095 against the Celeron 2980U's 1,092 — a 0.3% lead for the Athlon 64 X2 3800+. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ vs 2 MB (total) on the Celeron 2980U.
| Feature | Athlon 64 X2 3800+ | Celeron 2980U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2 GHz+25% | 1.6 GHz |
| Base Clock | — | 1.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB+100% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 90 nm | 22 nm-76% |
| Architecture | Manchester (2005−2006) | Haswell (2013−2015) |
| PassMark | 1,095 | 1,092 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 354 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 694 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon 64 X2 3800+ uses the 939 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Celeron 2980U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR2-800 on the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ versus DDR3L-1600 on the Celeron 2980U — the Celeron 2980U supports 40% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 16 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Athlon 64 X2 3800+) vs 12 (Celeron 2980U) — the Celeron 2980U offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD AM2 (Athlon 64 X2 3800+) and Haswell-ULT (Celeron 2980U).
| Feature | Athlon 64 X2 3800+ | Celeron 2980U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 939 | FCBGA1168 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 3.0+173% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR2-800 | DDR3L-1600+50% |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | 12 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Athlon 64 X2 3800+) / VT-x (Celeron 2980U). The Celeron 2980U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2980U targets Low Power. Direct competitor: Celeron 2980U rivals AMD A4-5000.
| Feature | Athlon 64 X2 3800+ | Celeron 2980U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Intel HD Graphics (Haswell) |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x |
| Target Use | — | Low Power |
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