Celeron 2981U
VS
Pentium N3510

Celeron 2981U vs Pentium N3510

Intel

Celeron 2981U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2014
VS
Intel

Pentium N3510

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2 GHz2013

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 Pentium N3510 is on rank 1180, 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 N3510

#1168
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
4542%
#1169
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
4475%
#1170
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
4108%
#1171
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
4090%
#1172
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
4052%
#1174
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
3913%
#1175
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
3752%
#1176
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
3746%
#1177
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
3646%
#1180
Pentium N3510
MSRP: $161|Avg: $161
100%
#1181
Core i7-7Y75
MSRP: $393|Avg: $285
100%
#1183
Core i7-4500U
MSRP: $398|Avg: N/A
97%
#1185
Athlon Neo X2 L325
MSRP: $100|Avg: $5
95%
#1186
Core i3-2370M
MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A
94%
#1187
Core i3-3217UE
MSRP: $225|Avg: $35
94%
#1188
Celeron T3000
MSRP: $150|Avg: $54
93%
#1189
Core m7-6Y75
MSRP: $393|Avg: $393
93%
#1190
Core M-5Y10
MSRP: $281|Avg: $20
91%
#1193
Celeron 900
MSRP: $86|Avg: $5
87%
#1194
Pentium T3400
MSRP: $150|Avg: $90
87%
#1195
Core 2 Solo SU3500
MSRP: $262|Avg: $15
87%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium N3510 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Celeron 2981U in both compute-intensive tasks (0.4% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightCeleron 2981UPentium N3510
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($137)
⚠️ Higher cost ($161)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Celeron 2981U holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $137 (vs $161), it costs 15% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 17% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Pentium N3510.
InsightCeleron 2981UPentium N3510
Cost Efficiency
Better overall value (+17%)
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($137)
⚠️ Higher cost ($161)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron 2981U and Pentium N3510

Intel

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.

Intel

Pentium N3510

The Pentium N3510 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 December 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 7.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 1,040 points. Launch price was $161.

Processing Power

The Celeron 2981U packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Pentium N3510 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium N3510 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 2981U versus 2 GHz on the Pentium N3510 — a 22.2% clock advantage for the Pentium N3510 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Celeron 2981U uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium N3510 uses Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 2981U scores 1,036 against the Pentium N3510's 1,040 — a 0.4% lead for the Pentium N3510. Both processors carry 2 MB of L3 cache.

FeatureCeleron 2981UPentium N3510
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock
1.6 GHz
2 GHz+25%
Base Clock
1.6 GHz
2 GHz+25%
L3 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
L2 Cache
512 kB
2 MB+300%
Process
22 nm
22 nm
Architecture
Haswell (2013−2015)
Bay Trail-M (2013−2014)
PassMark
1,036
1,040
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Celeron 2981U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium N3510 uses FCBGA1170 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCeleron 2981UPentium N3510
Socket
FCBGA1168
FCBGA1170
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0+50%
PCIe 2.0
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 N3510). The Celeron 2981U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Pentium N3510 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2981U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 2981U rivals Pentium 2117U.

FeatureCeleron 2981UPentium N3510
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics (Haswell)
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x
Target Use
Budget
💰

Value Analysis

The Celeron 2981U launched at $137 MSRP, while the Pentium N3510 debuted at $161.

FeatureCeleron 2981UPentium N3510
MSRP
$137-15%
$161
Avg Price (30d)
$161
Release Date
2014
2013