Celeron 2970M vs Phenom II X3 705e
Celeron 2970M
Phenom II X3 705e
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 2970M is positioned at rank 591 and the Phenom II X3 705e is on rank 423, so the Phenom II X3 705e offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2970M
Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X3 705e
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron 2970M | Phenom II X3 705e |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($69) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Heka (2009−2010) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron 2970M | Phenom II X3 705e |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($69) |
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 2970M and Phenom II X3 705e
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.
Phenom II X3 705e
The Phenom II X3 705e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2 June 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Heka (2009−2010) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,519 points. Launch price was $152.
Processing Power
The Celeron 2970M packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Phenom II X3 705e offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Phenom II X3 705e has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Celeron 2970M versus 2.5 GHz on the Phenom II X3 705e — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Phenom II X3 705e (base: 2.2 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Celeron 2970M uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Phenom II X3 705e uses Heka (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 2970M scores 1,501 against the Phenom II X3 705e's 1,519 — a 1.2% lead for the Phenom II X3 705e. L3 cache: 2 MB on the Celeron 2970M vs 6 MB (total) on the Phenom II X3 705e.
| Feature | Celeron 2970M | Phenom II X3 705e |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 3 / 3+50% |
| Boost Clock | 2.2 GHz | 2.5 GHz+14% |
| Base Clock | 2.2 GHz | 2.5 GHz+14% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB | 6 MB (total)+200% |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 22 nm-51% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Haswell (2013−2015) | Heka (2009−2010) |
| PassMark | 1,501 | 1,519+1% |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron 2970M uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Phenom II X3 705e uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Celeron 2970M | Phenom II X3 705e |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA946 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3L-1600 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron 2970M) / not specified (Phenom II X3 705e). The Celeron 2970M includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Phenom II X3 705e requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2970M targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 2970M rivals Pentium 2020M.
| Feature | Celeron 2970M | Phenom II X3 705e |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | HD Graphics (Haswell) | — |
| 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 2970M and Phenom II X3 705e
