Celeron 2961Y vs Pentium 3556U

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 Pentium 3556U is on rank 253, so the Pentium 3556U 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 Pentium 3556U

#241

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

411%

#242

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

405%

#243

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

371%

#244

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

370%

#245

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

366%

#247

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

354%

#248

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

339%

#249

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

339%

#250

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

330%

#253

Pentium 3556U

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 Trade-off: The Pentium 3556U leads in gaming performance. However, the Celeron 2961Y is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 1.2% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Celeron 2961Y	Pentium 3556U
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Celeron 2961Y	Pentium 3556U
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.

Celeron 2961Y Benchmark Check

Pentium 3556U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

No prediction data available

League of Legends

No prediction data available

League of Legends

Valorant

No prediction data available

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron 2961Y and Pentium 3556U

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.

Pentium 3556U

The Pentium 3556U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) 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 (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,072 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Celeron 2961Y and Pentium 3556U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.1 GHz on the Celeron 2961Y versus 1.7 GHz on the Pentium 3556U — a 42.9% clock advantage for the Pentium 3556U (base: 1.1 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). Both are built on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture using a 22 nm process. In PassMark, the Celeron 2961Y scores 1,085 against the Pentium 3556U's 1,072 — a 1.2% lead for the Celeron 2961Y. Both processors carry 2 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Celeron 2961Y	Pentium 3556U
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 (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,085+1%	1,072

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the FCBGA1168 socket with PCIe 3.0.

Feature	Celeron 2961Y	Pentium 3556U
Socket	FCBGA1168	FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	12	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron 2961Y) / not specified (Pentium 3556U). The Celeron 2961Y includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Pentium 3556U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2961Y targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 2961Y rivals Pentium 2117U.