Celeron 2981U vs Pentium E6300

Celeron 2981U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2014

Pentium E6300

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Celeron 2981U

2 / 2

1,036

+0.4%

1,032

0.0%

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 Pentium E6300 is on rank 958, so the Celeron 2981U 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 2981U

#414

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

566%

#415

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

558%

#416

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

512%

#417

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

510%

#418

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

505%

#420

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

488%

#421

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

468%

#422

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

467%

#423

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

455%

#426

Celeron 2981U

MSRP: $137|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium E6300

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

25363%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

23966%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

17401%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

5242%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

4152%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

3633%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2081%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2053%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1870%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1869%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1849%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1799%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1774%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1766%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1750%

#958

Pentium E6300

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

100%

#959

Core i5-661

MSRP: $196|Avg: $40

99%

#960

Core i3-4150

MSRP: $281|Avg: $70

99%

#961

Core i5-750

MSRP: $210|Avg: $30

99%

#962

Core i3-2100T

MSRP: $127|Avg: $127

98%

#963

Pentium E2210

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

97%

#964

Core i3-560

MSRP: $138|Avg: $10

97%

#965

Core i3-550

MSRP: $138|Avg: $5

96%

#966

Core i7-980

MSRP: $583|Avg: $50

96%

#967

Pentium G3250

MSRP: $171|Avg: $25

96%

#968

Pentium E2200

MSRP: $84|Avg: $5

95%

#969

Core 2 Duo E7300

MSRP: $133|Avg: $133

95%

#970

Core i3-540

MSRP: $133|Avg: $5

95%

#972

Phenom II X3 700e

MSRP: $125|Avg: $40

94%

#973

Core i5-760

MSRP: $230|Avg: $61

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Pentium E6300 leads in gaming performance. However, the Celeron 2981U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.4% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Celeron 2981U	Pentium E6300
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($137)	✅ More affordable ($15)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Wolfdale (2008−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Pentium E6300 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 89% cheaper ($15 vs $137) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Celeron 2981U	Pentium E6300
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+810%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($137)	✅ More affordable ($15)

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 2981U Benchmark Check

Pentium E6300 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron 2981U and Pentium E6300

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.

Pentium E6300

The Pentium E6300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 May 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,032 points. Launch price was $40.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Celeron 2981U and Pentium E6300 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 2981U versus 2.8 GHz on the Pentium E6300 — a 54.5% clock advantage for the Pentium E6300 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Celeron 2981U uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium E6300 uses Wolfdale (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 2981U scores 1,036 against the Pentium E6300's 1,032 — a 0.4% lead for the Celeron 2981U. L3 cache: 2 MB on the Celeron 2981U vs 0 kB on the Pentium E6300.

Feature	Celeron 2981U	Pentium E6300
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.6 GHz	2.8 GHz+75%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	2.8 GHz+75%
L3 Cache	2 MB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB	2 MB (total)+300%
Process	22 nm-51%	45 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Wolfdale (2008−2010)
PassMark	1,036	1,032

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Celeron 2981U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium E6300 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Celeron 2981U	Pentium E6300
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 2981U) / not specified (Pentium E6300). The Celeron 2981U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Pentium E6300 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2981U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 2981U rivals Pentium 2117U.