Celeron 3965U vs Athlon II X3 440
Celeron 3965U
Athlon II X3 440
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 3965U is positioned at rank 265 and the Athlon II X3 440 is on rank 722, so the Celeron 3965U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 3965U
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X3 440
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron 3965U | Athlon II X3 440 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Kaby Lake-U (2017) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Rana (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron 3965U | Athlon II X3 440 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) |
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 3965U and Athlon II X3 440
Celeron 3965U
The Celeron 3965U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake-U (2017) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,753 points. Launch price was $107.
Athlon II X3 440
The Athlon II X3 440 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 25 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Rana (2009−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,743 points. Launch price was $47.
Processing Power
The Celeron 3965U packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Athlon II X3 440 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Athlon II X3 440 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Celeron 3965U versus 3 GHz on the Athlon II X3 440 — a 30.8% clock advantage for the Athlon II X3 440 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Celeron 3965U uses the Kaby Lake-U (2017) architecture (14 nm), while the Athlon II X3 440 uses Rana (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 3965U scores 1,753 against the Athlon II X3 440's 1,743 — a 0.6% lead for the Celeron 3965U. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Celeron 3965U vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X3 440.
| Feature | Celeron 3965U | Athlon II X3 440 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 3 / 3+50% |
| Boost Clock | 2.2 GHz | 3 GHz+36% |
| Base Clock | 2.2 GHz | 3 GHz+36% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 14 nm-69% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Kaby Lake-U (2017) | Rana (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,753 | 1,743 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 600 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 1,200 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron 3965U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon II X3 440 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2133 on the Celeron 3965U versus DDR3-1333 on the Athlon II X3 440 — the Celeron 3965U supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 10 (Celeron 3965U) vs 0 (Athlon II X3 440) — the Celeron 3965U offers 10 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Celeron 3965U) and AMD AM3 (Athlon II X3 440).
| Feature | Celeron 3965U | Athlon II X3 440 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA1356 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2133+33% | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 10 | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron 3965U) / not specified (Athlon II X3 440). The Celeron 3965U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 610), while the Athlon II X3 440 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 3965U targets Budget Laptop. Direct competitor: Celeron 3965U rivals Pentium Gold 4415U.
| Feature | Celeron 3965U | Athlon II X3 440 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | No |
| IGPU Model | Intel HD Graphics 610 | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x | — |
| Target Use | Budget Laptop | — |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar CPU comparisons based on Celeron 3965U and Athlon II X3 440
