C-70
VS
Celeron 2970M

C-70 vs Celeron 2970M

AMD

C-70

2 Cores2 Thrd9 WWMax: 1.33 GHz2012
VS
Intel

Celeron 2970M

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2014

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 C-70 is positioned at rank 694 and the Celeron 2970M is on rank 591, so the Celeron 2970M 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 C-70

#682
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
981%
#683
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
967%
#684
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
888%
#685
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
884%
#686
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
876%
#688
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
845%
#689
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
811%
#690
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
809%
#691
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
788%
#694
C-70
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#695
Processor N95
MSRP: $160|Avg: $80
100%
#699
Athlon Silver 3050e
MSRP: $100|Avg: $60
100%
#704
C-60
MSRP: $50|Avg: $20
99%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2970M

#184
Core Ultra 7 266V
MSRP: $520|Avg: $520
99%
#579
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
782%
#580
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
770%
#581
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
707%
#582
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
704%
#583
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
698%
#585
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
674%
#586
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
646%
#587
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
645%
#588
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
627%
#591
Celeron 2970M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Celeron 2970M delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the C-70 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.4% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightC-70Celeron 2970M
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Ontario (2011−2012) / 40 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightC-70Celeron 2970M
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of C-70 and Celeron 2970M

AMD

C-70

The C-70 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ontario (2011−2012) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1 GHz, with boost up to 1.33 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 40 nm process technology. Socket: FT1. Thermal design power (TDP): 9 Watt. Memory support: DDR3 Single-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 1,495 points. Launch price was $69.

Intel

Celeron 2970M

The Celeron 2970M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 April 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 37 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,501 points. Launch price was $75.

Processing Power

Both the C-70 and Celeron 2970M share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.33 GHz on the C-70 versus 2.2 GHz on the Celeron 2970M — a 49.3% clock advantage for the Celeron 2970M (base: 1 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The C-70 uses the Ontario (2011−2012) architecture (40 nm), while the Celeron 2970M uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the C-70 scores 1,495 against the Celeron 2970M's 1,501 — a 0.4% lead for the Celeron 2970M. L3 cache: 0 kB on the C-70 vs 2 MB on the Celeron 2970M.

FeatureC-70Celeron 2970M
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 2
Boost Clock
1.33 GHz
2.2 GHz+65%
Base Clock
1 GHz
2.2 GHz+120%
L3 Cache
0 kB
2 MB
L2 Cache
512K (per core)
512 kB
Process
40 nm
22 nm-45%
Architecture
Ontario (2011−2012)
Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark
1,495
1,501
🧠

Memory & Platform

The C-70 uses the FT1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron 2970M uses PGA946 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1066 memory speed. The Celeron 2970M supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 4 GB 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 1 (C-70) vs 2 (Celeron 2970M). PCIe lanes: 4 (C-70) vs 16 (Celeron 2970M) — the Celeron 2970M offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD BGA413 (C-70) and HM87,HM86 (Celeron 2970M).

FeatureC-70Celeron 2970M
Socket
FT1
PGA946
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1066
DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity
4 GB
32 GB+700%
RAM Channels
1
2+100%
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
4
16+300%
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (C-70) / VT-x (Celeron 2970M). Both include integrated graphics Radeon HD 7290 (C-70) and HD Graphics (Haswell) (Celeron 2970M) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2970M targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 2970M rivals Pentium 2020M.

FeatureC-70Celeron 2970M
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
IGPU Model
Radeon HD 7290
HD Graphics (Haswell)
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x
Target Use
Budget