Celeron E3400
VS
Core i3-380M

Celeron E3400 vs Core i3-380M

Intel

Celeron E3400

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 2.6 GHz2010
VS
Intel

Core i3-380M

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 0.53 GHz2010

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 E3400 is positioned at rank 727 and the Core i3-380M is on rank 11, so the Core i3-380M 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 E3400

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
13541%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
12795%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
9290%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
2799%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
2217%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
1939%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
1111%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
1096%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
998%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
998%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
987%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
960%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
947%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
943%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
934%
#727
Celeron E3400
MSRP: $53|Avg: $15
100%
#728
FX-4100
MSRP: $115|Avg: $20
99%
#729
Core i5-7440EQ
MSRP: $250|Avg: $30
99%
#730
Core i5-3350P
MSRP: $189|Avg: $25
99%
#732
Core i3-4350T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $20
99%
#733
Athlon II X4 641
MSRP: $102|Avg: $102
99%
#734
Athlon II X3 460
MSRP: $87|Avg: $15
98%
#735
Pentium G2100T
MSRP: $75|Avg: $10
98%
#736
Core i5-3330
MSRP: $182|Avg: $21
98%
#737
Core i3-4330T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $15
98%
#738
Pentium E5300
MSRP: $62|Avg: $25
98%
#739
Athlon II X2 215
MSRP: $45|Avg: $10
98%
#740
Core i7-4790S
MSRP: $312|Avg: $60
97%
#741
FX-6100
MSRP: $165|Avg: $25
97%
#742
Pentium G2020T
MSRP: $64|Avg: $69
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-380M

#4
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
121%
#5
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
119%
#6
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
109%
#7
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
109%
#8
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
108%
#10
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
104%
#11
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
100%
#12
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
100%
#13
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
97%
#17
Core i3-350M
MSRP: $130|Avg: $10
90%
#18
Atom x5-E8000
MSRP: $18|Avg: N/A
89%
#19
Core 2 Duo T5900
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $5
88%
#22
Core i3-3130M
MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A
79%
#23
Core 2 Duo T5550
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $5
75%
#24
Core 2 Duo T7100
MSRP: $197|Avg: $15
75%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i3-380M leads in gaming performance. However, the Celeron E3400 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.7% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightCeleron E3400Core i3-380M
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
More affordable ($15)
⚠️ Higher cost ($25)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Wolfdale (2008−2010) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Celeron E3400 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 40% cheaper ($15 vs $25) while identifying as the stronger performer.
InsightCeleron E3400Core i3-380M
Cost Efficiency
Better overall value (+68%)
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($15)
⚠️ Higher cost ($25)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron E3400 and Core i3-380M

Intel

Celeron E3400

The Celeron E3400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 17 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,220 points. Launch price was $76.

Intel

Core i3-380M

The Core i3-380M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 26 October 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.53 GHz, with boost up to 0.53 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,212 points. Launch price was $49.

Processing Power

The Celeron E3400 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i3-380M's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.6 GHz on the Celeron E3400 versus 0.53 GHz on the Core i3-380M — a 132.3% clock advantage for the Celeron E3400 (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2.53 GHz). The Celeron E3400 uses the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i3-380M uses Arrandale (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron E3400 scores 1,220 against the Core i3-380M's 1,212 — a 0.7% lead for the Celeron E3400. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 347 vs 450, a 25.8% lead for the Core i3-380M that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 624 vs 1,100 (55.2% advantage for the Core i3-380M). L3 cache: 0 kB on the Celeron E3400 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-380M.

FeatureCeleron E3400Core i3-380M
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 4
Boost Clock
2.6 GHz+391%
0.53 GHz
Base Clock
2.6 GHz+3%
2.53 GHz
L3 Cache
0 kB
3 MB (total)
L2 Cache
1 MB (total)+300%
256K (per core)
Process
45 nm
32 nm-29%
Architecture
Wolfdale (2008−2010)
Arrandale (2010−2011)
PassMark
1,220
1,212
Geekbench 6 Single
347
450+30%
Geekbench 6 Multi
624
1,100+76%
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Celeron E3400 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Core i3-380M uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 1066 on the Celeron E3400 versus DDR3-1066 on the Core i3-380M — the Celeron E3400 supports 198.9% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 8 of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Celeron E3400) vs 16 (Core i3-380M) — the Core i3-380M offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: G31,G41,P35,P45 (Celeron E3400) and HM55,HM57,QM57 (Core i3-380M).

FeatureCeleron E3400Core i3-380M
Socket
LGA775
PGA988
PCIe Generation
PCIe 1.1
PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed
1066+35433%
DDR3-1066
Max RAM Capacity
8
8 GB+104857500%
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
0
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: true (Celeron E3400) vs VT-x (Core i3-380M). The Core i3-380M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Gen 1)), while the Celeron E3400 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron E3400 targets Budget, Core i3-380M targets Legacy Laptop. Direct competitor: Celeron E3400 rivals Pentium E5200; Core i3-380M rivals AMD Athlon II P320.

FeatureCeleron E3400Core i3-380M
Integrated GPU
No
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel HD Graphics (Gen 1)
Unlocked
No
No
AVX-512
No
No
Virtualization
true
VT-x
Target Use
Budget
Legacy Laptop
💰

Value Analysis

The Celeron E3400 launched at $53 MSRP, while the Core i3-380M debuted at $49. At current prices ($15 vs $25), the Celeron E3400 is $10 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Celeron E3400 delivers 81.3 pts/$ vs 48.5 pts/$ for the Core i3-380M — making the Celeron E3400 the 50.6% better value option.

FeatureCeleron E3400Core i3-380M
MSRP
$53
$49-8%
Avg Price (30d)
$15-40%
$25
Performance per Dollar
81.3+68%
48.5
Release Date
2010
2010