Celeron M 900 vs Core i7-3517U

Celeron M 900

1 Cores1 Thrd1 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2009

Core i7-3517U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 3 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Celeron M 900

1 / 1

2,101

0.0%

2,108

+0.3%

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 M 900 is positioned at rank 797 and the Core i7-3517U is on rank 340, so the Core i7-3517U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron M 900

#785

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1201%

#786

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1183%

#787

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1086%

#788

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1081%

#789

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1072%

#791

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1035%

#792

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

992%

#793

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

991%

#794

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

964%

#797

Celeron M 900

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

100%

#799

Celeron B815

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

100%

#801

Celeron B810

MSRP: $86|Avg: $86

100%

#803

Core i7-1365UE

MSRP: $429|Avg: $429

99%

#805

3020e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $25

98%

#809

Athlon II M320

MSRP: $75|Avg: $15

98%

#810

Celeron B800

MSRP: $80|Avg: $5

98%

#811

Celeron B710

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-3517U

#101

Core i5-1350P

MSRP: $320|Avg: $250

97%

#328

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

487%

#329

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

480%

#330

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

441%

#331

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

439%

#332

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

435%

#334

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

420%

#335

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

402%

#336

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

402%

#337

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

391%

#340

Core i7-3517U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-3517U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Celeron M 900 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Celeron M 900	Core i7-3517U
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Celeron M 900	Core i7-3517U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Celeron M 900 Benchmark Check

Core i7-3517U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron M 900 and Core i7-3517U

Celeron M 900

The Celeron M 900 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 April 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 2.2 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 2,101 points. Launch price was $70.

Core i7-3517U

The Core i7-3517U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 June 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3/L/-RS 1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 2,108 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Celeron M 900 packs 1 cores / 1 threads, while the Core i7-3517U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Core i7-3517U has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Celeron M 900 versus 3 GHz on the Core i7-3517U — a 30.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-3517U. The Celeron M 900 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i7-3517U uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron M 900 scores 2,101 against the Core i7-3517U's 2,108 — a 0.3% lead for the Core i7-3517U.

Feature	Celeron M 900	Core i7-3517U
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	2 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz	3 GHz+36%
Base Clock	—	1.9 GHz
L3 Cache	—	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	2,101	2,108

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Celeron M 900 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Core i7-3517U uses BGA1023 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Celeron M 900	Core i7-3517U
Socket	PGA478	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 3.0+173%
Max RAM Speed	—	1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	32
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Celeron M 900) / true (Core i7-3517U). The Core i7-3517U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4000), while the Celeron M 900 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-3517U rivals AMD A10-4655M.