Celeron 3955U vs Pentium G6960

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 3955U vs Pentium G6960 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 3955U vs Pentium G6960: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Celeron 3955U

2015

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 73W, a 58W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with HD Graphics 510, while Pentium G6960 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (2 MB vs 3 MB).

Pentium G6960

2011

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (3 MB vs 2 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,433 vs 1,443).
❌Launch MSRP is still $89 MSRP, while Celeron 3955U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌386.7% higher power demand at 73W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Celeron 3955U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Celeron 3955U better than Pentium G6960?

Yes. Celeron 3955U is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 0.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.7% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Celeron 3955U is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 0.3% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Celeron 3955U 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?

Celeron 3955U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Celeron 3955U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $89 MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Pentium G6960 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2011 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (16.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1156.

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

Celeron 3955U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2015 vs 2011) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Celeron 3955U vs Pentium G6960 Technical Specifications

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

Celeron 3955U

The Celeron 3955U 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 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 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: 1,443 points. Launch price was $107.

Pentium G6960

The Pentium G6960 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Clarkdale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.93 GHz, with boost up to 0.93 GHz. L3 cache: 3072 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 73 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,433 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

Both the Celeron 3955U and Pentium G6960 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Celeron 3955U versus 0.93 GHz on the Pentium G6960 — a 73% clock advantage for the Celeron 3955U (base: 2 GHz vs 2.93 GHz). The Celeron 3955U uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium G6960 uses Clarkdale (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 3955U scores 1,443 against the Pentium G6960's 1,433 — a 0.7% lead for the Celeron 3955U. L3 cache: 2 MB on the Celeron 3955U vs 3072 kB (total) on the Pentium G6960.

Feature	Celeron 3955U	Pentium G6960
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2 GHz+115%	0.93 GHz
Base Clock	2 GHz	2.93 GHz+47%
L3 Cache	2 MB	3072 kB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	512 kB+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-56%	32 nm
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	Clarkdale (2010−2011)
PassMark	1,443	1,433
Geekbench 6 Single	431	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	741	—

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Memory & Platform

The Celeron 3955U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium G6960 uses LGA1156 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Celeron 3955U	Pentium G6960
Socket	BGA1356	LGA1156
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2133	—
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	12	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Celeron 3955U) / not specified (Pentium G6960). The Celeron 3955U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 510), while the Pentium G6960 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 3955U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 3955U rivals Pentium 3825U.