Celeron 2950M vs Atom x5-Z8500
Celeron 2950M
Atom x5-Z8500
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 Celeron 2950M is positioned at rank 545 and the Atom x5-Z8500 is on rank 450, 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 Celeron 2950M
Performance Per Dollar Atom x5-Z8500
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron 2950M | Atom x5-Z8500 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Cherry Trail (2015−2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron 2950M | Atom x5-Z8500 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Celeron 2950M and Atom x5-Z8500
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.
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.
Processing Power
The Celeron 2950M packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Atom x5-Z8500 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Atom x5-Z8500 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Celeron 2950M versus 2.24 GHz on the Atom x5-Z8500 — a 11.3% clock advantage for the Atom x5-Z8500 (base: 2 GHz vs 1.44 GHz). The Celeron 2950M uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Atom x5-Z8500 uses Cherry Trail (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 2950M scores 1,238 against the Atom x5-Z8500's 1,242 — a 0.3% lead for the Atom x5-Z8500. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Celeron 2950M vs 0 kB on the Atom x5-Z8500.
| Feature | Celeron 2950M | Atom x5-Z8500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2 GHz | 2.24 GHz+12% |
| Base Clock | 2 GHz+39% | 1.44 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 2 MB+700% |
| Process | 22 nm | 14 nm-36% |
| Architecture | Haswell (2013−2015) | Cherry Trail (2015−2016) |
| PassMark | 1,238 | 1,242 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 352 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 636 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron 2950M uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Atom x5-Z8500 uses UTFCBGA1380 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3L-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: 16 (Celeron 2950M) vs 2 (Atom x5-Z8500) — the Celeron 2950M offers 14 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: HM87,HM86 (Celeron 2950M) and Intel FC-UTBGA592 (Atom x5-Z8500).
| Feature | Celeron 2950M | Atom x5-Z8500 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA946 | UTFCBGA1380 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3L-1600 | LPDDR3-1600 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB+300% | 8 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 16+700% | 2 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron 2950M) / not specified (Atom x5-Z8500). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics (Haswell) (Celeron 2950M) and Intel HD Graphics (Cherry Trail) (Atom x5-Z8500) — 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 | Celeron 2950M | Atom x5-Z8500 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | HD Graphics (Haswell) | Intel HD Graphics (Cherry Trail) |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x | — |
| Target Use | Budget | — |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar CPU comparisons based on Celeron 2950M and Atom x5-Z8500
