Celeron M 743 vs Pentium 3550M

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 M 743 vs Pentium 3550M 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 M 743 vs Pentium 3550M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Celeron M 743

2009

Why buy it

✅Draws 1W instead of 512W, a 511W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,324 vs 1,327).
❌Launch MSRP is still $107 MSRP, while Pentium 3550M mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Pentium 3550M

2013

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌51100% higher power demand at 512W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium 3550M better than Celeron M 743?

Yes. Pentium 3550M is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 0.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.2% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Pentium 3550M is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 0.9% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 3550M is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Pentium 3550M is the easy recommendation for a fresh desktop build. Pentium 3550M comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $107 MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Celeron M 743 only looks good on raw value math because it is a cheap legacy laptop chip, not because it is a real desktop gaming recommendation. It simply does not keep up in modern games.

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

Pentium 3550M makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2009) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 1/1. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Celeron M 743 vs Pentium 3550M Technical Specifications

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

Celeron M 743

The Celeron M 743 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.3 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: BGA965. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,324 points. Launch price was $107.

Pentium 3550M

The Pentium 3550M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 37 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,327 points. Launch price was $134.

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Processing Power

The Celeron M 743 packs 1 cores / 1 threads, while the Pentium 3550M offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Pentium 3550M has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 1.3 GHz on the Celeron M 743 versus 2.3 GHz on the Pentium 3550M — a 55.6% clock advantage for the Pentium 3550M. The Celeron M 743 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 3550M uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron M 743 scores 1,324 against the Pentium 3550M's 1,327 — a 0.2% lead for the Pentium 3550M.

Feature	Celeron M 743	Pentium 3550M
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	2 / 2+100%
Boost Clock	1.3 GHz	2.3 GHz+77%
Base Clock	—	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	—	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB	256K (per core)+25500%
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,324	1,327

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Memory & Platform

The Celeron M 743 uses the BGA965 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium 3550M uses PGA946 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.