Celeron 2961Y
VS
Celeron 3215U

Celeron 2961Y vs Celeron 3215U

Intel

Celeron 2961Y

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.1 GHz2013
VS
Intel

Celeron 3215U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.7 GHz2015

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 Celeron 3215U is on rank 241, so the Celeron 3215U 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 Celeron 2961Y

#120
Core i7-11850HE
MSRP: $400|Avg: $75
98%
#385
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
541%
#386
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
533%
#387
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
489%
#388
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
487%
#389
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
483%
#391
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
466%
#392
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
447%
#393
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
446%
#394
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
434%
#397
Celeron 2961Y
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron 3215U

#64
Ryzen AI Max PRO 390
MSRP: $600|Avg: $600
99%
#229
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
403%
#230
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
397%
#231
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
365%
#232
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
363%
#233
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
360%
#235
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
348%
#236
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
333%
#237
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
333%
#238
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
324%
#241
Celeron 3215U
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 3215U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Celeron 2961Y in both compute-intensive tasks (0.6% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightCeleron 2961YCeleron 3215U
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 (Broadwell (2015−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCeleron 2961YCeleron 3215U
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 Celeron 2961Y and Celeron 3215U

Intel

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.

Intel

Celeron 3215U

The Celeron 3215U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 June 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,091 points. Launch price was $107.

Processing Power

Both the Celeron 2961Y and Celeron 3215U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.1 GHz on the Celeron 2961Y versus 1.7 GHz on the Celeron 3215U — a 42.9% clock advantage for the Celeron 3215U (base: 1.1 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). The Celeron 2961Y uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Celeron 3215U uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 2961Y scores 1,085 against the Celeron 3215U's 1,091 — a 0.6% lead for the Celeron 3215U. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Celeron 2961Y vs 2 MB on the Celeron 3215U.

FeatureCeleron 2961YCeleron 3215U
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 2
Boost Clock
1.1 GHz
1.7 GHz+55%
Base Clock
1.1 GHz
1.7 GHz+55%
L3 Cache
2 MB (total)
2 MB
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
512 kB+100%
Process
22 nm
14 nm-36%
Architecture
Haswell (2013−2015)
Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark
1,085
1,091
Geekbench 6 Single
339
🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the FCBGA1168 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR3L-1600 memory speed. Both support up to 16 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 12 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Wildcat Point-LP (Celeron 2961Y) and Wildcat Point-LP (Celeron 3215U).

FeatureCeleron 2961YCeleron 3215U
Socket
FCBGA1168
FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR3L-1600
DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity
16 GB
16 GB
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
12
12
🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x (Celeron 2961Y) vs VT-x, VT-d (Celeron 3215U). Both include integrated graphics HD Graphics (Haswell) (Celeron 2961Y) and HD Graphics (Broadwell) (Celeron 3215U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2961Y targets Budget, Celeron 3215U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 2961Y rivals Pentium 2117U; Celeron 3215U rivals Pentium 3825U.

FeatureCeleron 2961YCeleron 3215U
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics (Haswell)
HD Graphics (Broadwell)
Unlocked
No
No
AVX-512
No
No
Virtualization
VT-x
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Budget
Budget