Athlon II N350 vs Celeron 2981U
Athlon II N350
Celeron 2981U
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 II N350 is positioned at rank 1067 and the Celeron 2981U is on rank 426, so the Celeron 2981U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II N350
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2981U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II N350 | Celeron 2981U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($100) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($137) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II N350 | Celeron 2981U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+38%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($100) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($137) |
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 II N350 and Celeron 2981U
Athlon II N350
The Athlon II N350 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.4 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,045 points. Launch price was $149.
Celeron 2981U
The Celeron 2981U 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. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,036 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon II N350 and Celeron 2981U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Athlon II N350 versus 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 2981U — a 40% clock advantage for the Athlon II N350. The Athlon II N350 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Celeron 2981U uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II N350 scores 1,045 against the Celeron 2981U's 1,036 — a 0.9% lead for the Athlon II N350.
| Feature | Athlon II N350 | Celeron 2981U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.4 GHz+50% | 1.6 GHz |
| Base Clock | — | 1.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 2 MB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+100% | 512 kB |
| Process | 45 nm | 22 nm-51% |
| Architecture | Champlain (2010−2011) | Haswell (2013−2015) |
| PassMark | 1,045 | 1,036 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 210 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 400 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II N350 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron 2981U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1066 memory speed. The Celeron 2981U supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Athlon II N350) vs 12 (Celeron 2981U) — the Celeron 2981U offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: RS880M,SB850 (Athlon II N350) and Wildcat Point-LP (Celeron 2981U).
| Feature | Athlon II N350 | Celeron 2981U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | S1 | FCBGA1168 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1066 | DDR3L-1600 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | 16 GB+100% |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | 12 |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Athlon II N350) vs VT-x (Celeron 2981U). The Celeron 2981U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Athlon II N350 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon II N350 targets Legacy Laptop, Celeron 2981U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Athlon II N350 rivals Pentium P6100; Celeron 2981U rivals Pentium 2117U.
| Feature | Athlon II N350 | Celeron 2981U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | HD Graphics (Haswell) |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | VT-x |
| Target Use | Legacy Laptop | Budget |
Value Analysis
The Athlon II N350 launched at $100 MSRP, while the Celeron 2981U debuted at $137.
| Feature | Athlon II N350 | Celeron 2981U |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $100-27% | $137 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $100 | — |
| Release Date | 2010 | 2014 |
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