Celeron 3855U vs Pentium N3540

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.

Celeron 3855U vs Pentium N3540 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Celeron 3855U vs Pentium N3540: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Celeron 3855U

2015

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (10 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics 510, while Pentium N3540 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌650% higher power demand at 15W vs 2W.

Pentium N3540

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 2W instead of 15W, a 13W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,207 vs 1,215).
❌Launch MSRP is still $161 MSRP, while Celeron 3855U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No integrated graphics, while Celeron 3855U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium N3540 better than Celeron 3855U?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium N3540 is ahead with a 0.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Celeron 3855U pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Celeron 3855U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium N3540 is the better buy right now. Pentium N3540 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $161 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Celeron 3855U is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.7% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (7.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Celeron 3855U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2015 vs 2014) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Celeron 3855U vs Pentium N3540 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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.

Pentium N3540

The Pentium N3540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 22 May 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.16 GHz, with boost up to 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. 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: 1,207 points. Launch price was $251.

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Processing Power

The Celeron 3855U packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Pentium N3540 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium N3540 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 3855U versus 2.66 GHz on the Pentium N3540 — a 49.8% clock advantage for the Pentium N3540 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 2.16 GHz). The Celeron 3855U uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium N3540 uses Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 3855U scores 1,215 against the Pentium N3540's 1,207 — a 0.7% lead for the Celeron 3855U. L3 cache: 2 MB on the Celeron 3855U vs 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium N3540.

Feature	Celeron 3855U	Pentium N3540
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	1.6 GHz	2.66 GHz+66%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	2.16 GHz+35%
L3 Cache	2 MB	2 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	512 kB	2 MB+300%
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	Bay Trail-M (2013−2014)
PassMark	1,215	1,207
Geekbench 6 Single	361	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	632	—

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Memory & Platform

The Celeron 3855U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium N3540 uses FCBGA1170 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Celeron 3855U	Pentium N3540
Socket	BGA1356	FCBGA1170
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4 2133 MHz	—
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	10	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Celeron 3855U) / not specified (Pentium N3540). The Celeron 3855U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 510), while the Pentium N3540 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 3855U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 3855U rivals Pentium 3825U.