Athlon X2 L310 vs Celeron M 540

CPU

GPU

Athlon X2 L310

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 1.2 GHz2009

Celeron M 540

1 Cores1 Thrd1 WWMax: 1.86 GHz2007

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Athlon X2 L310

2 / 2

1,747

+0.2%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Celeron M 540

1 / 1

1,744

0.0%

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 X2 L310 is positioned at rank 933 and the Celeron M 540 is on rank 873, so the Celeron M 540 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon X2 L310

#921

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1679%

#922

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1655%

#923

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1519%

#924

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1512%

#925

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1498%

#927

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1447%

#928

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1388%

#929

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1385%

#930

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1348%

#933

Athlon X2 L310

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

100%

#939

FX-7600P

MSRP: $150|Avg: $45

98%

#940

Athlon II M300

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

97%

#944

Athlon Neo X2 L335

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

95%

#945

Core i7-3610QE

MSRP: $315|Avg: $105

95%

#948

A8-8600P

MSRP: $150|Avg: $30

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron M 540

#861

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1447%

#862

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1426%

#863

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1309%

#864

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1303%

#865

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1291%

#867

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1247%

#868

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1195%

#869

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1193%

#870

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1161%

#873

Celeron M 540

MSRP: $86|Avg: $20

100%

#877

Microsoft SQ1

MSRP: $300|Avg: $180

99%

#879

Core i5-6440HQ

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

99%

#883

Celeron Dual-Core T1600

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

99%

#884

Athlon II N330

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Celeron M 540 leads in gaming performance. However, the Athlon X2 L310 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.2% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Athlon X2 L310	Celeron M 540
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Conesus (2009) / 65 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Merom (2006−2008) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Athlon X2 L310 stands out as the superior choice. It delivers superior performance at a comparable price point.

Insight	Athlon X2 L310	Celeron M 540
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+0%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Athlon X2 L310 Benchmark Check

Celeron M 540 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Athlon X2 L310 and Celeron M 540

Athlon X2 L310

The Athlon X2 L310 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Conesus (2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.2 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,747 points. Launch price was $149.

Celeron M 540

The Celeron M 540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Merom (2006−2008) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.86 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,744 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon X2 L310 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Celeron M 540 offers 1 cores / 1 threads — the Athlon X2 L310 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 1.2 GHz on the Athlon X2 L310 versus 1.86 GHz on the Celeron M 540 — a 43.1% clock advantage for the Celeron M 540. The Athlon X2 L310 uses the Conesus (2009) architecture (65 nm), while the Celeron M 540 uses Merom (2006−2008) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X2 L310 scores 1,747 against the Celeron M 540's 1,744 — a 0.2% lead for the Athlon X2 L310.

Feature	Athlon X2 L310	Celeron M 540
Cores / Threads	2 / 2+100%	1 / 1
Boost Clock	1.2 GHz	1.86 GHz+55%
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB
Process	65 nm	65 nm
Architecture	Conesus (2009)	Merom (2006−2008)
PassMark	1,747	1,744
Geekbench 6 Single	120	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	213	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

Maximum memory speed reaches DDR2-667 on the Athlon X2 L310 versus 667 on the Celeron M 540 — the Celeron M 540 supports 198.8% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 4 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 0 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Socket S1 (Athlon X2 L310) and GL960,GM965 (Celeron M 540).

Feature	Athlon X2 L310	Celeron M 540
Socket	S1	—
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR2-667	667+33250%
Max RAM Capacity	4 GB+104857500%	4
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	0	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: Yes (Athlon X2 L310) vs false (Celeron M 540). Primary use case: Athlon X2 L310 targets Mobile. Direct competitor: Celeron M 540 rivals Mobile Sempron 3600+.

Feature	Athlon X2 L310	Celeron M 540
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	Yes	false
Target Use	Mobile	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Athlon X2 L310 launched at $100 MSRP, while the Celeron M 540 debuted at $86. At current prices ($20 vs $20), the Celeron M 540 is $0 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon X2 L310 delivers 87.3 pts/$ vs 87.2 pts/$ for the Celeron M 540 — making the Athlon X2 L310 the 0.2% better value option.