Celeron J3160 vs Phenom II X3 N850
Celeron J3160
Phenom II X3 N850
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 J3160 is positioned at rank 485 and the Phenom II X3 N850 is on rank 539, so the Celeron J3160 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron J3160
Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X3 N850
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron J3160 | Phenom II X3 N850 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Airmont (2016) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron J3160 | Phenom II X3 N850 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 J3160 and Phenom II X3 N850
Celeron J3160
The Celeron J3160 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 January 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Airmont (2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.24 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 1,250 points. Launch price was $107.
Phenom II X3 N850
The Phenom II X3 N850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Max frequency: 2.2 GHz. L2 cache: 1.5 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g4. Thermal design power (TDP): 1.5 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,253 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Celeron J3160 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Phenom II X3 N850 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Celeron J3160 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.24 GHz on the Celeron J3160 versus 2.2 GHz on the Phenom II X3 N850 — a 1.8% clock advantage for the Celeron J3160. The Celeron J3160 uses the Airmont (2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Phenom II X3 N850 uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron J3160 scores 1,250 against the Phenom II X3 N850's 1,253 — a 0.2% lead for the Phenom II X3 N850.
| Feature | Celeron J3160 | Phenom II X3 N850 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+33% | 3 / 3 |
| Boost Clock | 2.24 GHz+2% | 2.2 GHz |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | — |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+33% | 1.5 MB |
| Process | 14 nm-69% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Airmont (2016) | Champlain (2010−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,250 | 1,253 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 350 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 650 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron J3160 uses the FCBGA1170 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Phenom II X3 N850 uses S1g4 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Celeron J3160 | Phenom II X3 N850 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1170 | S1g4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3L-1600 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 4 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron J3160) / not specified (Phenom II X3 N850). The Celeron J3160 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 400), while the Phenom II X3 N850 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron J3160 targets Low Power. Direct competitor: Celeron J3160 rivals Pentium J3710.
| Feature | Celeron J3160 | Phenom II X3 N850 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | HD Graphics 400 | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x | — |
| Target Use | Low Power | — |
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