CPU
GPU
Celeron E3500
Athlon X2 450
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 E3500 is positioned at rank 778 and the Athlon X2 450 is on rank 760, so the Athlon X2 450 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron E3500
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X2 450
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron E3500 | Athlon X2 450 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($10) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Wolfdale (2008−2010) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Kaveri (2014−2015) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron E3500 | Athlon X2 450 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+49%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($10) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
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 E3500 and Athlon X2 450
Celeron E3500
The Celeron E3500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 August 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 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: 1,290 points. Launch price was $62.
Athlon X2 450
The Athlon X2 450 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Kaveri (2014−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB (total). Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 1,295 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Celeron E3500 and Athlon X2 450 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the Celeron E3500 versus 3.9 GHz on the Athlon X2 450 — a 36.4% clock advantage for the Athlon X2 450 (base: 2.7 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Celeron E3500 uses the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon X2 450 uses Kaveri (2014−2015) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron E3500 scores 1,290 against the Athlon X2 450's 1,295 — a 0.4% lead for the Athlon X2 450. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 347 vs 450, a 25.8% lead for the Athlon X2 450 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 624 vs 800 (24.7% advantage for the Athlon X2 450).
| Feature | Celeron E3500 | Athlon X2 450 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.7 GHz | 3.9 GHz+44% |
| Base Clock | 2.7 GHz | 3.5 GHz+30% |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | — |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB (total) | 1 MB (total) |
| Process | 45 nm | 28 nm-38% |
| Architecture | Wolfdale (2008−2010) | Kaveri (2014−2015) |
| PassMark | 1,290 | 1,295 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | — | 1,500 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 347 | 450+30% |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 624 | 800+28% |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron E3500 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon X2 450 uses FM2+ (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1066 memory speed. The Athlon X2 450 supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Celeron E3500) vs 16 (Athlon X2 450) — the Athlon X2 450 offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: G31,G41,P45 (Celeron E3500) and A88X,A78,A68H (Athlon X2 450).
| Feature | Celeron E3500 | Athlon X2 450 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA775 | FM2+ |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 3.0+173% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1066 | DDR3-1866 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | 16 GB+100% |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | 16 |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x (Celeron E3500) vs AMD-V (Athlon X2 450). Primary use case: Celeron E3500 targets Budget, Athlon X2 450 targets Basic Desktop. Direct competitor: Celeron E3500 rivals Pentium E5200; Athlon X2 450 rivals Core i3-3220.
| Feature | Celeron E3500 | Athlon X2 450 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| IGPU Model | — | None |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | VT-x | AMD-V |
| Target Use | Budget | Basic Desktop |
Value Analysis
The Celeron E3500 launched at $62 MSRP, while the Athlon X2 450 debuted at $60. At current prices ($10 vs $15), the Celeron E3500 is $5 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Celeron E3500 delivers 129.0 pts/$ vs 86.3 pts/$ for the Athlon X2 450 — making the Celeron E3500 the 39.6% better value option.
| Feature | Celeron E3500 | Athlon X2 450 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $62 | $60-3% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $10-33% | $15 |
| Performance per Dollar | 129.0+49% | 86.3 |
| Release Date | 2010 | 2014 |
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