Celeron 2980U vs Pentium Extreme Edition 955
Celeron 2980U
Pentium Extreme Edition 955
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 Pentium Extreme Edition 955 is on rank 1123, 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 Pentium Extreme Edition 955
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron 2980U | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Presler (2005−2007) / 65 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron 2980U | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) |
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 Pentium Extreme Edition 955
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.
Pentium Extreme Edition 955
The Pentium Extreme Edition 955 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 27 December 2005 (19 years ago). It is based on the Presler (2005−2007) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.466 GHz, with boost up to 0.47 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 1,095 points. Launch price was $999.
Processing Power
The Celeron 2980U packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Pentium Extreme Edition 955's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 2980U versus 0.47 GHz on the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 — a 109.2% clock advantage for the Celeron 2980U (base: 1.6 GHz vs 3.466 GHz). The Celeron 2980U uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 uses Presler (2005−2007) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 2980U scores 1,092 against the Pentium Extreme Edition 955's 1,095 — a 0.3% lead for the Pentium Extreme Edition 955.
| Feature | Celeron 2980U | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 1.6 GHz+240% | 0.47 GHz |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | 3.466 GHz+117% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | — |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 2 MB (per core)+700% |
| Process | 22 nm-66% | 65 nm |
| Architecture | Haswell (2013−2015) | Presler (2005−2007) |
| PassMark | 1,092 | 1,095 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 354 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 694 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron 2980U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Celeron 2980U | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1168 | LGA775 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+173% | PCIe 1.1 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3L-1600 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 12 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron 2980U) / not specified (Pentium Extreme Edition 955). The Celeron 2980U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2980U targets Low Power. Direct competitor: Celeron 2980U rivals AMD A4-5000.
| Feature | Celeron 2980U | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | Intel HD Graphics (Haswell) | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x | — |
| Target Use | Low Power | — |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar CPU comparisons based on Celeron 2980U and Pentium Extreme Edition 955
