Celeron 3855U
VS
A4-9120

Celeron 3855U vs A4-9120

Intel

Celeron 3855U

2 Cores2 Thrd15 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2015
VS
AMD

A4-9120

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 2.5 GHz2017

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 3855U is positioned at rank 193 and the A4-9120 is on rank 871, so the Celeron 3855U 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 3855U

#181
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
362%
#182
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
357%
#183
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
328%
#184
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
326%
#185
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
323%
#187
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
312%
#188
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
299%
#189
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
299%
#190
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
291%
#193
Celeron 3855U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#194
Pentium Gold 4417U
MSRP: $161|Avg: N/A
100%
#195
Atom N475
MSRP: $75|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar A4-9120

#859
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1440%
#860
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1419%
#861
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1303%
#862
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1297%
#863
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1285%
#865
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1241%
#866
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1190%
#867
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1188%
#868
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1156%
#871
A4-9120
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#873
Celeron M 540
MSRP: $86|Avg: $20
100%
#877
Microsoft SQ1
MSRP: $300|Avg: $180
99%
#879
Core i5-6440HQ
MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A
99%
#882
Celeron Dual-Core T1600
MSRP: $150|Avg: $150
98%
#884
Athlon II N330
MSRP: $100|Avg: $50
98%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The A4-9120 (2017) utilizes 28 nm technology and DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.
InsightCeleron 3855UA4-9120
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Celeron 3855U (2015) relies on 14 nm technology and DDR4-1866/2133, LPDDR3-1600/1866, DDR3L-1333/1600, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.
InsightCeleron 3855UA4-9120
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron 3855U and A4-9120

Intel

Celeron 3855U

The Celeron 3855U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 August 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) 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 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1866/2133, LPDDR3-1600/1866, DDR3L-1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 1,215 points. Launch price was $107.

AMD

A4-9120

The A4-9120 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: BGA. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,222 points. Launch price was $50.

Processing Power

Both the Celeron 3855U and A4-9120 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 3855U versus 2.5 GHz on the A4-9120 — a 43.9% clock advantage for the A4-9120 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Celeron 3855U uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the A4-9120 uses Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 3855U scores 1,215 against the A4-9120's 1,222 — a 0.6% lead for the A4-9120. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 361 vs 350, a 3.1% lead for the Celeron 3855U that directly translates to higher frame rates.

FeatureCeleron 3855UA4-9120
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 2
Boost Clock
1.6 GHz
2.5 GHz+56%
Base Clock
1.6 GHz
2.2 GHz+38%
L3 Cache
2 MB
L2 Cache
512 kB
1 MB+100%
Process
14 nm-50%
28 nm
Architecture
Skylake (2015−2016)
Stoney Ridge (2016−2019)
PassMark
1,215
1,222
Geekbench 6 Single
361+3%
350
Geekbench 6 Multi
632
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Celeron 3855U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the A4-9120 uses BGA (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4 2133 MHz on the Celeron 3855U versus DDR4-2133 on the A4-9120 — the Celeron 3855U supports 200% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Celeron 3855U supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Celeron 3855U) vs 1 (A4-9120). PCIe lanes: 10 (Celeron 3855U) vs 8 (A4-9120) — the Celeron 3855U offers 2 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

FeatureCeleron 3855UA4-9120
Socket
BGA1356
BGA
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4 2133 MHz
DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB+300%
8 GB
RAM Channels
2+100%
1
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
10+25%
8
🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: true (Celeron 3855U) vs AMD-V (A4-9120). Both include integrated graphics Intel HD Graphics 510 (Celeron 3855U) and Radeon R3 (A4-9120) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 3855U targets Budget, A4-9120 targets Entry Laptop. Direct competitor: Celeron 3855U rivals Pentium 3825U; A4-9120 rivals Celeron N3350.

FeatureCeleron 3855UA4-9120
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel HD Graphics 510
Radeon R3
Unlocked
No
No
AVX-512
No
No
Virtualization
true
AMD-V
Target Use
Budget
Entry Laptop