Athlon II X2 270u vs Celeron N2940

Athlon II X2 270u vs Celeron N2940 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X2 270u

2 / 2

1,045

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Celeron N2940

4 / 4

1,054

+0.9%

Core Duo T2050

Celeron N3000

Celeron J1800

Pentium Dual-Core E2180

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 N2940 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 X2 270u vs Celeron N2940: 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

2010

Why buy it

✅+25% 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 N2940.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (550 vs 850).
❌Launch MSRP is still $68 MSRP, while Celeron N2940 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌257.1% higher power demand at 25W vs 7W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Celeron N2940 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Celeron N2940

2014

Why buy it

✅+54.5% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Draws 7W instead of 25W, a 18W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), while Athlon II X2 270u needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (240 vs 300).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X2 270u.

Quick Answers

So, is Celeron N2940 better than Athlon II X2 270u?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon II X2 270u is ahead with 25% stronger Geekbench single-core performance. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Celeron N2940 pulls ahead with 54.5% better Geekbench multi-core.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Celeron N2940 is the stronger fit. You are getting 54.5% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Celeron N2940 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Celeron N2940 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $68 MSRP, and it still gives you 54.5% better Geekbench multi-core. Athlon II X2 270u only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2010 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (15.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on AM3.

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

Celeron N2940 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2014 vs 2010) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 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 X2 270u vs Celeron N2940 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 N2940

The Celeron N2940 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 2.25 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: 1,054 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Athlon II X2 270u packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Celeron N2940 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Celeron N2940 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Athlon II X2 270u versus 2.25 GHz on the Celeron N2940 — a 11.8% clock advantage for the Celeron N2940. The Athlon II X2 270u uses the Regor (2009−2013) architecture (45 nm), while the Celeron N2940 uses Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X2 270u scores 1,045 against the Celeron N2940's 1,054 — a 0.9% lead for the Celeron N2940. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 300 vs 240, a 22.2% lead for the Athlon II X2 270u that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 550 vs 850 (42.9% advantage for the Celeron N2940). Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon II X2 270u	Celeron N2940
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2 GHz	2.25 GHz+13%
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	1,054
Cinebench R23 Multi	531	—
Geekbench 6 Single	300+25%	240
Geekbench 6 Multi	550	850+55%

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X2 270u uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron N2940 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 N2940) — 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 N2940).

Feature	Athlon II X2 270u	Celeron N2940
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

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Athlon II X2 270u) vs VT-x (Celeron N2940). The Celeron N2940 includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail)), while the Athlon II X2 270u requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon II X2 270u targets Office/Budget Desktop, Celeron N2940 targets Budget Laptop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 270u rivals Pentium E5700; Celeron N2940 rivals AMD A6-6310.

Feature	Athlon II X2 270u	Celeron N2940
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	None	Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail)
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x
Target Use	Office/Budget Desktop	Budget Laptop