Celeron 2970M vs Celeron 1017U

Celeron 2970M

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2014

Celeron 1017U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Celeron 2970M

2 / 2

1,501

0.0%

1,508

+0.5%

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 2970M is positioned at rank 591 and the Celeron 1017U is on rank 975, 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 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 Per Dollar Celeron 1017U

#963

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1946%

#964

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1917%

#965

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1760%

#966

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1752%

#967

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1736%

#969

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1676%

#970

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1607%

#971

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1605%

#972

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1562%

#975

Celeron 1017U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#977

Phenom II X2 N640

MSRP: $100|Avg: $55

100%

#978

A10-8700P

MSRP: $150|Avg: $40

100%

#982

Athlon II Neo K125

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

99%

#986

Pro A8-8600B

MSRP: $150|Avg: $25

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Celeron 2970M leads in gaming performance. However, the Celeron 1017U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.5% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Celeron 2970M	Celeron 1017U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower 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 (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Celeron 2970M	Celeron 1017U
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 2970M Benchmark Check

Celeron 1017U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron 2970M and Celeron 1017U

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.

Celeron 1017U

The Celeron 1017U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,508 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Celeron 2970M and Celeron 1017U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Celeron 2970M versus 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 1017U — a 31.6% clock advantage for the Celeron 2970M (base: 2.2 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Celeron 2970M uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Celeron 1017U uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 2970M scores 1,501 against the Celeron 1017U's 1,508 — a 0.5% lead for the Celeron 1017U. Both processors carry 2 MB of L3 cache.

Feature	Celeron 2970M	Celeron 1017U
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz+38%	1.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.2 GHz+38%	1.6 GHz
L3 Cache	2 MB	2 MB
L2 Cache	512 kB	512 kB
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	1,501	1,508

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Celeron 2970M uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Celeron 1017U uses BGA1023 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3L-1600 memory speed. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: HM87,HM86 (Celeron 2970M) and Intel FCBGA1023 (Celeron 1017U).

Feature	Celeron 2970M	Celeron 1017U
Socket	PGA946	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1600	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron 2970M) / not specified (Celeron 1017U). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics (Haswell) (Celeron 2970M) and Intel HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge) (Celeron 1017U) — 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.