Celeron 540 vs VIA Nano U2250

Celeron 540

30 WW2007

VIA Nano U2250

1 Cores1 Thrd1 WWMax: 1.5 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Celeron 540

408

0.0%

425

+4.2%

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 540 is positioned at rank 1212 and the VIA Nano U2250 is on rank 1119, so the VIA Nano U2250 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 540

#1200

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

6190%

#1201

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

6099%

#1202

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

5599%

#1203

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

5574%

#1204

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

5523%

#1206

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

5333%

#1207

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

5114%

#1208

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

5105%

#1209

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

4968%

#1212

Celeron 540

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

100%

#1213

Celeron U3600

MSRP: $134|Avg: $134

98%

#1216

Core 2 Quad Q9000

MSRP: $348|Avg: $15

97%

#1217

Core i5-2537M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

97%

#1218

Core i7-720QM

MSRP: $364|Avg: N/A

96%

#1219

Pentium U5400

MSRP: $289|Avg: $214

94%

#1220

Pentium T2330

MSRP: $150|Avg: $7

93%

#1221

Z-01

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

91%

#1222

Pentium T2310

MSRP: $150|Avg: $14

88%

#1223

Celeron SU2300

MSRP: $134|Avg: $134

86%

#1224

Core i5-560UM

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

86%

#1225

Core i7-660UM

MSRP: $317|Avg: N/A

85%

#1226

C-30

MSRP: $50|Avg: $15

85%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar VIA Nano U2250

#1106

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3452%

#1107

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3401%

#1108

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3122%

#1109

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3108%

#1110

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3080%

#1112

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2974%

#1113

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2852%

#1114

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2847%

#1115

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2771%

#1119

VIA Nano U2250

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

100%

#1120

Core i5-560M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

99%

#1121

Pentium U5600

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

98%

#1122

Core m5-6Y57

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

98%

#1124

Core i7-610E

MSRP: $250|Avg: $40

97%

#1125

Core i5-5350U

MSRP: $315|Avg: N/A

97%

#1126

Core i3-4100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

97%

#1127

Pentium Dual Core T4300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $99

97%

#1128

Core i7-3520M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

97%

#1129

Core i3-2310E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $20

96%

#1130

Core i5-2510E

MSRP: $230|Avg: $30

96%

#1131

Core m5-6Y54

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

96%

#1132

Core i3-2330E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $10

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The VIA Nano U2250 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Celeron 540 in both compute-intensive tasks (4.1% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Celeron 540	VIA Nano U2250
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($5)	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 65 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Isaiah (2009) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Celeron 540 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $5 (vs $10), it costs 50% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 92% higher cost efficiency score compared to the VIA Nano U2250.

Insight	Celeron 540	VIA Nano U2250
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+92%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($5)	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)

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.

Celeron 540 Benchmark Check

VIA Nano U2250 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron 540 and VIA Nano U2250

Celeron 540

The Celeron 540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. Base frequency: 1.86 GHz. L3 cache: 1 MB L2 Cache. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 30 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 408 points. Launch price was $69.

VIA Nano U2250

The VIA Nano U2250 is manufactured by VIA. It was released in 1 January 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Isaiah (2009) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.5 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: NanoBGA2. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 425 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The VIA Nano U2250 is built on the Isaiah (2009) architecture. In PassMark, the Celeron 540 scores 408 against the VIA Nano U2250's 425 — a 4.1% lead for the VIA Nano U2250.

Feature	Celeron 540	VIA Nano U2250
Cores / Threads	—	1 / 1
Boost Clock	—	1.5 GHz
Base Clock	1.86 GHz	—
L3 Cache	1 MB L2 Cache	—
L2 Cache	—	1 MB
Process	65 nm	65 nm
Architecture	—	Isaiah (2009)
PassMark	408	425+4%
Geekbench 6 Single	—	150
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	150

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Celeron 540 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the VIA Nano U2250 uses NanoBGA2 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR2-667 on the Celeron 540 versus DDR3-1333 on the VIA Nano U2250 — the VIA Nano U2250 supports 40% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 4 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 2 (Celeron 540) vs 1 (VIA Nano U2250). PCIe lanes: 0 (Celeron 540) vs 1 (VIA Nano U2250) — the VIA Nano U2250 offers 1 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Santa Rosa (Celeron 540) and VX900 (VIA Nano U2250).

Feature	Celeron 540	VIA Nano U2250
Socket	PGA478	NanoBGA2
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	DDR2-667	DDR3-1333+50%
Max RAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
RAM Channels	2+100%	1
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	0	1

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: No (Celeron 540) vs VT-x (VIA Nano U2250). Primary use case: Celeron 540 targets Budget, VIA Nano U2250 targets Embedded. Direct competitor: Celeron 540 rivals Pentium T2310.

Feature	Celeron 540	VIA Nano U2250
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	No	VT-x
Target Use	Budget	Embedded

💰

Value Analysis

The Celeron 540 launched at $86 MSRP, while the VIA Nano U2250 debuted at $50. At current prices ($5 vs $10), the Celeron 540 is $5 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Celeron 540 delivers 81.6 pts/$ vs 42.5 pts/$ for the VIA Nano U2250 — making the Celeron 540 the 63% better value option.