CPU
GPU
Celeron 2961Y
Athlon II X2 235e
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 2961Y is positioned at rank 397 and the Athlon II X2 235e is on rank 888, so the Celeron 2961Y offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2961Y
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 235e
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron 2961Y | Athlon II X2 235e |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron 2961Y | Athlon II X2 235e |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
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.
Path of Exile 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Celeron 2961Y and Athlon II X2 235e
Celeron 2961Y
The Celeron 2961Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 December 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 1.1 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 11.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,085 points. Launch price was $107.
Athlon II X2 235e
The Athlon II X2 235e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,079 points. Launch price was $84.
Processing Power
Both the Celeron 2961Y and Athlon II X2 235e share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.1 GHz on the Celeron 2961Y versus 2.7 GHz on the Athlon II X2 235e — a 84.2% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 235e (base: 1.1 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Celeron 2961Y uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Athlon II X2 235e uses Regor (2009−2013) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 2961Y scores 1,085 against the Athlon II X2 235e's 1,079 — a 0.6% lead for the Celeron 2961Y. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Celeron 2961Y vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 235e.
| Feature | Celeron 2961Y | Athlon II X2 235e |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.1 GHz | 2.7 GHz+145% |
| Base Clock | 1.1 GHz | 2.7 GHz+145% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 1 MB+300% |
| Process | 22 nm-51% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Haswell (2013−2015) | Regor (2009−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,085 | 1,079 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 240 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 450 |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron 2961Y uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon II X2 235e uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3L-1600 memory speed. Both support up to 16 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 12 (Celeron 2961Y) vs 0 (Athlon II X2 235e) — the Celeron 2961Y offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Wildcat Point-LP (Celeron 2961Y) and 760G,780G,785G,790GX (Athlon II X2 235e).
| Feature | Celeron 2961Y | Athlon II X2 235e |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1168 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3L-1600 | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | 12 | 0 |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x (Celeron 2961Y) vs AMD-V (Athlon II X2 235e). The Celeron 2961Y includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Athlon II X2 235e requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2961Y targets Budget, Athlon II X2 235e targets Energy Efficient Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Celeron 2961Y rivals Pentium 2117U; Athlon II X2 235e rivals Pentium E5300.
| Feature | Celeron 2961Y | Athlon II X2 235e |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | No |
| IGPU Model | HD Graphics (Haswell) | — |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | VT-x | AMD-V |
| Target Use | Budget | Energy Efficient Legacy Desktop |
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