
Celeron 3855U vs Core 2 Duo T9900

Celeron 3855U

Core 2 Duo T9900
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 Core 2 Duo T9900 is on rank 635, so the Celeron 3855U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 3855U
Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo T9900
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron 3855U | Core 2 Duo T9900 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron 3855U | Core 2 Duo T9900 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 3855U and Core 2 Duo T9900

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.

Core 2 Duo T9900
The Core 2 Duo T9900 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 June 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.06 GHz, with boost up to 0.07 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,204 points. Launch price was $530.
Processing Power
Both the Celeron 3855U and Core 2 Duo T9900 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 3855U versus 0.07 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T9900 — a 183.2% clock advantage for the Celeron 3855U (base: 1.6 GHz vs 3.06 GHz). The Celeron 3855U uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Core 2 Duo T9900 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 3855U scores 1,215 against the Core 2 Duo T9900's 1,204 — a 0.9% lead for the Celeron 3855U. L3 cache: 2 MB on the Celeron 3855U vs 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo T9900.
| Feature | Celeron 3855U | Core 2 Duo T9900 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.6 GHz+2186% | 0.07 GHz |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | 3.06 GHz+91% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB | 6 MB L2 Cache+200% |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB | 6 MB (total)+1100% |
| Process | 14 nm-69% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Skylake (2015−2016) | Penryn (2008−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,215 | 1,204 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 361 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 632 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron 3855U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core 2 Duo T9900 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Celeron 3855U | Core 2 Duo T9900 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA1356 | PGA478 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+173% | PCIe 1.1 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4 2133 MHz | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 10 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: true (Celeron 3855U) / not specified (Core 2 Duo T9900). The Celeron 3855U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 510), while the Core 2 Duo T9900 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 3855U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 3855U rivals Pentium 3825U.
| Feature | Celeron 3855U | Core 2 Duo T9900 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | Intel HD Graphics 510 | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | true | — |
| Target Use | Budget | — |
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