Celeron G3950 vs Pentium Gold 5405U

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 G3950 vs Pentium Gold 5405U 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 G3950 vs Pentium Gold 5405U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Celeron G3950

2017

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with HD Graphics 610, while Pentium Gold 5405U needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,336 vs 2,357).
❌Launch MSRP is still $52 MSRP, while Pentium Gold 5405U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌240% higher power demand at 51W vs 15W.

Pentium Gold 5405U

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 51W, a 36W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Celeron G3950 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Gold 5405U better than Celeron G3950?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Celeron G3950 is ahead with a 1.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold 5405U pulls ahead with 0.9% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold 5405U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium Gold 5405U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium Gold 5405U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $52 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.9% better PassMark. Celeron G3950 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2017 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (44.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1151.

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

Pentium Gold 5405U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Celeron G3950 vs Pentium Gold 5405U Technical Specifications

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

Celeron G3950

The Celeron G3950 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 51 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 2133, DDR3L 1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 2,336 points. Launch price was $52.

Pentium Gold 5405U

The Pentium Gold 5405U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 January 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Whiskey Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,357 points. Launch price was $161.

⚡

Processing Power

The Celeron G3950 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Pentium Gold 5405U's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Celeron G3950 versus 2.3 GHz on the Pentium Gold 5405U — a 26.4% clock advantage for the Celeron G3950 (base: 3 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Celeron G3950 uses the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium Gold 5405U uses Whiskey Lake-U (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron G3950 scores 2,336 against the Pentium Gold 5405U's 2,357 — a 0.9% lead for the Pentium Gold 5405U. Both processors carry 2 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Celeron G3950	Pentium Gold 5405U
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3 GHz+30%	2.3 GHz
Base Clock	3 GHz+30%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)	Whiskey Lake-U (2018−2019)
PassMark	2,336	2,357
Geekbench 6 Single	750	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,100	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Celeron G3950 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold 5405U uses FCBGA1528 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Celeron G3950	Pentium Gold 5405U
Socket	LGA1151	FCBGA1528
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron G3950) / not specified (Pentium Gold 5405U). The Celeron G3950 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 610), while the Pentium Gold 5405U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron G3950 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron G3950 rivals Pentium G4560.