Celeron 2980U vs A9-9420e
Celeron 2980U
A9-9420e
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 2980U is positioned at rank 392 and the A9-9420e is on rank 833, so the Celeron 2980U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2980U
Performance Per Dollar A9-9420e
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron 2980U | A9-9420e |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | ✨ Modern (Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron 2980U | A9-9420e |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 2980U and A9-9420e
Celeron 2980U
The Celeron 2980U 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 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 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: 1,092 points. Launch price was $69.
A9-9420e
The A9-9420e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 June 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.5 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: BGA. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,101 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
Both the Celeron 2980U and A9-9420e share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 2980U versus 2.5 GHz on the A9-9420e — a 43.9% clock advantage for the A9-9420e. The Celeron 2980U uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the A9-9420e uses Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 2980U scores 1,092 against the A9-9420e's 1,101 — a 0.8% lead for the A9-9420e.
| Feature | Celeron 2980U | A9-9420e |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.6 GHz | 2.5 GHz+56% |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | — |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 1 MB+300% |
| Process | 22 nm-21% | 28 nm |
| Architecture | Haswell (2013−2015) | Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) |
| PassMark | 1,092 | 1,101 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 354 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 694 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron 2980U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the A9-9420e uses BGA (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3L-1600 on the Celeron 2980U versus 2133 on the A9-9420e — the A9-9420e supports 199.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 16 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 2 (Celeron 2980U) vs 1 (A9-9420e). PCIe lanes: 12 (Celeron 2980U) vs 4 (A9-9420e) — the Celeron 2980U offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Haswell-ULT (Celeron 2980U) and FT4,FP4 (A9-9420e).
| Feature | Celeron 2980U | A9-9420e |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1168 | BGA |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3L-1600 | 2133+71000% |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB+104857500% | 16 |
| RAM Channels | 2+100% | 1 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 12+200% | 4 |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x (Celeron 2980U) vs true (A9-9420e). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics (Haswell) (Celeron 2980U) and Radeon R5 Graphics (A9-9420e) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2980U targets Low Power. Direct competitor: Celeron 2980U rivals AMD A4-5000; A9-9420e rivals Pentium N4200.
| Feature | Celeron 2980U | A9-9420e |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | Intel HD Graphics (Haswell) | Radeon R5 Graphics |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | VT-x | true |
| Target Use | Low Power | — |
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