Celeron 2981U vs Athlon II N350
Celeron 2981U
Athlon II N350
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 2981U is positioned at rank 426 and the Athlon II N350 is on rank 1067, so the Celeron 2981U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2981U
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II N350
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron 2981U | Athlon II N350 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($137) | ✅ More affordable ($100) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron 2981U | Athlon II N350 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+38%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($137) | ✅ More affordable ($100) |
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 2981U and Athlon II N350
Celeron 2981U
The Celeron 2981U 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. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,036 points. Launch price was $69.
Athlon II N350
The Athlon II N350 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.4 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,045 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Celeron 2981U and Athlon II N350 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 2981U versus 2.4 GHz on the Athlon II N350 — a 40% clock advantage for the Athlon II N350. The Celeron 2981U uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Athlon II N350 uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 2981U scores 1,036 against the Athlon II N350's 1,045 — a 0.9% lead for the Athlon II N350.
| Feature | Celeron 2981U | Athlon II N350 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.6 GHz | 2.4 GHz+50% |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB | — |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB | 1 MB+100% |
| Process | 22 nm-51% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Haswell (2013−2015) | Champlain (2010−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,036 | 1,045 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 210 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 400 |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron 2981U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon II N350 uses S1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3L-1600 memory speed. The Celeron 2981U supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 12 (Celeron 2981U) vs 0 (Athlon II N350) — the Celeron 2981U offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Wildcat Point-LP (Celeron 2981U) and RS880M,SB850 (Athlon II N350).
| Feature | Celeron 2981U | Athlon II N350 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1168 | S1 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3L-1600 | DDR3-1066 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB+100% | 8 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 12 | 0 |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x (Celeron 2981U) vs AMD-V (Athlon II N350). The Celeron 2981U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Athlon II N350 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2981U targets Budget, Athlon II N350 targets Legacy Laptop. Direct competitor: Celeron 2981U rivals Pentium 2117U; Athlon II N350 rivals Pentium P6100.
| Feature | Celeron 2981U | Athlon II N350 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | No |
| IGPU Model | HD Graphics (Haswell) | — |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | VT-x | AMD-V |
| Target Use | Budget | Legacy Laptop |
Value Analysis
The Celeron 2981U launched at $137 MSRP, while the Athlon II N350 debuted at $100.
| Feature | Celeron 2981U | Athlon II N350 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $137 | $100-27% |
| Avg Price (30d) | — | $100 |
| Release Date | 2014 | 2010 |
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