Celeron G540 vs Atom x5-E3930
Celeron G540
Atom x5-E3930
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 G540 is positioned at rank 622 and the Atom x5-E3930 is on rank 706, so the Celeron G540 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron G540
Performance Per Dollar Atom x5-E3930
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron G540 | Atom x5-E3930 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Apollo Lake (2014−2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron G540 | Atom x5-E3930 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 G540 and Atom x5-E3930
Celeron G540
The Celeron G540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 September 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,182 points. Launch price was $158.
Atom x5-E3930
The Atom x5-E3930 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 August 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Apollo Lake (2014−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.3 GHz, with boost up to 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1296. Thermal design power (TDP): 7 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 1,185 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
Both the Celeron G540 and Atom x5-E3930 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Celeron G540 versus 1.8 GHz on the Atom x5-E3930 — a 32.6% clock advantage for the Celeron G540 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 1.3 GHz). The Celeron G540 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Atom x5-E3930 uses Apollo Lake (2014−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron G540 scores 1,182 against the Atom x5-E3930's 1,185 — a 0.3% lead for the Atom x5-E3930. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Celeron G540 vs 0 kB on the Atom x5-E3930.
| Feature | Celeron G540 | Atom x5-E3930 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.5 GHz+39% | 1.8 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.5 GHz+92% | 1.3 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 2 MB (total)+700% |
| Process | 32 nm | 14 nm-56% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Apollo Lake (2014−2016) |
| PassMark | 1,182 | 1,185 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 384 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 655 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron G540 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Atom x5-E3930 uses FCBGA1296 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1333 memory speed. The Celeron G540 supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Celeron G540) vs 4 (Atom x5-E3930) — the Celeron G540 offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H61,H67,P67,Z68,B75,Z77 (Celeron G540) and Intel FCBGA1296 (Atom x5-E3930).
| Feature | Celeron G540 | Atom x5-E3930 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1155 | FCBGA1296 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1333 | DDR3L-1866 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB+300% | 8 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | 16+300% | 4 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron G540) / not specified (Atom x5-E3930). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge) (Celeron G540) and Intel HD Graphics 500 (Atom x5-E3930) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron G540 targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Celeron G540 rivals Pentium G630.
| Feature | Celeron G540 | Atom x5-E3930 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge) | Intel HD Graphics 500 |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x | — |
| Target Use | Desktop | — |
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