Celeron 3215U vs Celeron 2961Y

CPU

GPU

Celeron 3215U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.7 GHz2015

Celeron 2961Y

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.1 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Celeron 3215U

2 / 2

1,091

+0.6%

1,085

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 3215U is positioned at rank 241 and the Celeron 2961Y is on rank 397, so the Celeron 3215U 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 3215U

#64

Ryzen AI Max PRO 390

MSRP: $600|Avg: $600

99%

#229

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

403%

#230

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

397%

#231

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

365%

#232

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

363%

#233

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

360%

#235

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

348%

#236

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

333%

#237

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

333%

#238

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

324%

#241

Celeron 3215U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2961Y

#120

Core i7-11850HE

MSRP: $400|Avg: $75

98%

#385

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

541%

#386

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

533%

#387

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

489%

#388

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

487%

#389

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

483%

#391

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

466%

#392

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

447%

#393

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

446%

#394

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

434%

#397

Celeron 2961Y

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Celeron 3215U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Celeron 2961Y in both compute-intensive tasks (0.6% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Celeron 3215U	Celeron 2961Y
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Broadwell (2015−2019) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Celeron 3215U	Celeron 2961Y
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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 3215U Benchmark Check

Celeron 2961Y Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron 3215U and Celeron 2961Y

Celeron 3215U

The Celeron 3215U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 June 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,091 points. Launch price was $107.

Celeron 2961Y

The Celeron 2961Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 December 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 1.1 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 11.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,085 points. Launch price was $107.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Celeron 3215U and Celeron 2961Y share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.7 GHz on the Celeron 3215U versus 1.1 GHz on the Celeron 2961Y — a 42.9% clock advantage for the Celeron 3215U (base: 1.7 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Celeron 3215U uses the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Celeron 2961Y uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 3215U scores 1,091 against the Celeron 2961Y's 1,085 — a 0.6% lead for the Celeron 3215U. L3 cache: 2 MB on the Celeron 3215U vs 2 MB (total) on the Celeron 2961Y.

Feature	Celeron 3215U	Celeron 2961Y
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.7 GHz+55%	1.1 GHz
Base Clock	1.7 GHz+55%	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	2 MB	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB+100%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Broadwell (2015−2019)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,091	1,085
Geekbench 6 Single	339	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the FCBGA1168 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR3L-1600 memory speed. Both support up to 16 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 12 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Wildcat Point-LP (Celeron 3215U) and Wildcat Point-LP (Celeron 2961Y).

Feature	Celeron 3215U	Celeron 2961Y
Socket	FCBGA1168	FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1600	DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	16 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	12	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Celeron 3215U) vs VT-x (Celeron 2961Y). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics (Broadwell) (Celeron 3215U) and HD Graphics (Haswell) (Celeron 2961Y) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 3215U targets Budget, Celeron 2961Y targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 3215U rivals Pentium 3825U; Celeron 2961Y rivals Pentium 2117U.