Athlon II X2 270u
Celeron N2930
Athlon II X2 270u vs Celeron N2930 Performance Spectrum
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 X2 270u vs Celeron N2930 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Athlon II X2 270u vs Celeron N2930: 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 X2 270u
2010Why buy it
- ✅+76.5% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
- ✅300% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 4) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
- ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Stock Cooler), unlike Celeron N2930.
Trade-offs
- ❌Launch MSRP is still $68 MSRP, while Celeron N2930 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
- ❌257.1% higher power demand at 25W vs 7W.
- ❌No integrated graphics, while Celeron N2930 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
Celeron N2930
2014Why buy it
- ✅Draws 7W instead of 25W, a 18W reduction.
- ✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics, while Athlon II X2 270u needs a discrete GPU.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (170 vs 300).
- ❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (502 vs 550).
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X2 270u.
Quick Answers
So, is Athlon II X2 270u better than Celeron N2930?
Which one is better for gaming?
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Athlon II X2 270u vs Celeron N2930 Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
Athlon II X2 270u
The Athlon II X2 270u is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,045 points. Launch price was $68.
Celeron N2930
The Celeron N2930 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.83 GHz, with boost up to 2.16 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 7.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,032 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
The Athlon II X2 270u packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Celeron N2930 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Celeron N2930 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Athlon II X2 270u versus 2.16 GHz on the Celeron N2930 — a 7.7% clock advantage for the Celeron N2930. The Athlon II X2 270u uses the Regor (2009−2013) architecture (45 nm), while the Celeron N2930 uses Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X2 270u scores 1,045 against the Celeron N2930's 1,032 — a 1.3% lead for the Athlon II X2 270u. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 300 vs 170, a 55.3% lead for the Athlon II X2 270u that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 550 vs 502 (9.1% advantage for the Athlon II X2 270u). Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 270u | Celeron N2930 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2 GHz | 2.16 GHz+8% |
| Base Clock | — | 1.83 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 512K (per core)+51100% |
| Process | 45 nm | 22 nm-51% |
| Architecture | Regor (2009−2013) | Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) |
| PassMark | 1,045+1% | 1,032 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 531 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 300+76% | 170 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 550+10% | 502 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II X2 270u uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron N2930 uses FCBGA1170 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1333 memory speed. The Athlon II X2 270u supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Athlon II X2 270u) vs 4 (Celeron N2930) — the Athlon II X2 270u offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD 760G,AMD 880G,AMD 970 (Athlon II X2 270u) and SoC (Celeron N2930).
| Feature | Athlon II X2 270u | Celeron N2930 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM3 | FCBGA1170 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1333 | DDR3L-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB+100% | 8 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | No | No |
| PCIe Lanes | 16+300% | 4 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization support: AMD-V (Athlon II X2 270u) vs Yes (Celeron N2930). The Celeron N2930 includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics), while the Athlon II X2 270u requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon II X2 270u targets Office/Budget Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 270u rivals Pentium E5700.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 270u | Celeron N2930 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | Yes |
| IGPU Model | None | Intel HD Graphics |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | Yes |
| Target Use | Office/Budget Desktop | — |
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