Athlon II Neo K345 vs Celeron 3965Y

Athlon II Neo K345 vs Celeron 3965Y Performance Spectrum

Athlon II Neo K345

2 / 2

1,191

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Celeron 3965Y

2 / 2

1,201

+0.8%

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.

Athlon II Neo K345 vs Celeron 3965Y FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Athlon II Neo K345 vs Celeron 3965Y: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon II Neo K345

2010

Why buy it

✅Draws 1W instead of 6W, a 5W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,191 vs 1,201).
❌Launch MSRP is still $50 MSRP, while Celeron 3965Y mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No integrated graphics, while Celeron 3965Y can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Celeron 3965Y

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (10 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics 615, while Athlon II Neo K345 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌500% higher power demand at 6W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II Neo K345 better than Celeron 3965Y?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon II Neo K345 is ahead with a 2.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Celeron 3965Y pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Celeron 3965Y is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Athlon II Neo K345 is the better buy right now. Athlon II Neo K345 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $50 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 2.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Celeron 3965Y is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.8% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (23.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Celeron 3965Y makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2010) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon II Neo K345 vs Celeron 3965Y Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Athlon II Neo K345

The Athlon II Neo K345 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: 1.4 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: 1,191 points. Launch price was $149.

Celeron 3965Y

The Celeron 3965Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 1.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1515. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,201 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

Both the Athlon II Neo K345 and Celeron 3965Y share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.4 GHz on the Athlon II Neo K345 versus 1.3 GHz on the Celeron 3965Y — a 7.4% clock advantage for the Athlon II Neo K345. The Athlon II Neo K345 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Celeron 3965Y uses Kaby Lake (2016−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II Neo K345 scores 1,191 against the Celeron 3965Y's 1,201 — a 0.8% lead for the Celeron 3965Y.

Feature	Athlon II Neo K345	Celeron 3965Y
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.4 GHz+8%	1.3 GHz
Base Clock	—	1.5 GHz
L3 Cache	—	2 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	512 kB
Process	45 nm	14 nm-69%
Architecture	Champlain (2010−2011)	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
PassMark	1,191	1,201
Geekbench 6 Single	—	372
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	708

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II Neo K345 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron 3965Y uses FCBGA1515 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1066 on the Athlon II Neo K345 versus LPDDR3-1866 on the Celeron 3965Y — the Celeron 3965Y supports 75% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Celeron 3965Y supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 4 GB — 300% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Athlon II Neo K345) vs 10 (Celeron 3965Y) — the Celeron 3965Y offers 10 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD ASB2 (Athlon II Neo K345) and SoC (Celeron 3965Y).

Feature	Athlon II Neo K345	Celeron 3965Y
Socket	S1	FCBGA1515
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1066	LPDDR3-1866+75%
Max RAM Capacity	4 GB	16 GB+300%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	0	10

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon II Neo K345) / VT-x, VT-d (Celeron 3965Y). The Celeron 3965Y includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 615), while the Athlon II Neo K345 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 3965Y targets Low Power. Direct competitor: Celeron 3965Y rivals Pentium Gold 4415Y.