Atom x5-Z8500 vs Celeron 2950M
Atom x5-Z8500
Celeron 2950M
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 Atom x5-Z8500 is positioned at rank 450 and the Celeron 2950M is on rank 545, so the Atom x5-Z8500 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Atom x5-Z8500
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2950M
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Atom x5-Z8500 | Celeron 2950M |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Cherry Trail (2015−2016) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Atom x5-Z8500 | Celeron 2950M |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 Atom x5-Z8500 and Celeron 2950M
Atom x5-Z8500
The Atom x5-Z8500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 March 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Cherry Trail (2015−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.44 GHz, with boost up to 2.24 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: UTFCBGA1380. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,242 points. Launch price was $69.
Celeron 2950M
The Celeron 2950M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 37 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,238 points. Launch price was $75.
Processing Power
The Atom x5-Z8500 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Celeron 2950M offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Atom x5-Z8500 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.24 GHz on the Atom x5-Z8500 versus 2 GHz on the Celeron 2950M — a 11.3% clock advantage for the Atom x5-Z8500 (base: 1.44 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Atom x5-Z8500 uses the Cherry Trail (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Celeron 2950M uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Atom x5-Z8500 scores 1,242 against the Celeron 2950M's 1,238 — a 0.3% lead for the Atom x5-Z8500. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Atom x5-Z8500 vs 2 MB (total) on the Celeron 2950M.
| Feature | Atom x5-Z8500 | Celeron 2950M |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.24 GHz+12% | 2 GHz |
| Base Clock | 1.44 GHz | 2 GHz+39% |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+700% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm-36% | 22 nm |
| Architecture | Cherry Trail (2015−2016) | Haswell (2013−2015) |
| PassMark | 1,242 | 1,238 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 352 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 636 |
Memory & Platform
The Atom x5-Z8500 uses the UTFCBGA1380 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Celeron 2950M uses PGA946 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to LPDDR3-1600 memory speed. The Celeron 2950M supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 2 (Atom x5-Z8500) vs 16 (Celeron 2950M) — the Celeron 2950M offers 14 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel FC-UTBGA592 (Atom x5-Z8500) and HM87,HM86 (Celeron 2950M).
| Feature | Atom x5-Z8500 | Celeron 2950M |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | UTFCBGA1380 | PGA946 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | LPDDR3-1600 | DDR3L-1600 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | 32 GB+300% |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 2 | 16+700% |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Atom x5-Z8500) / VT-x (Celeron 2950M). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics (Cherry Trail) (Atom x5-Z8500) and HD Graphics (Haswell) (Celeron 2950M) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2950M targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 2950M rivals Pentium 2020M.
| Feature | Atom x5-Z8500 | Celeron 2950M |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | Intel HD Graphics (Cherry Trail) | HD Graphics (Haswell) |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x |
| Target Use | — | Budget |
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