Celeron M U3400 vs Pentium N3540

CPU

GPU

Celeron M U3400

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.06 GHz2010

Pentium N3540

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.66 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Celeron M U3400

2 / 2

1,205

0.0%

Celeron E1200

Celeron 877

Pentium Dual-Core E2180

1,207

+0.2%

Celeron 1047UE

Celeron 877

Pentium Dual-Core E2180

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 U3400 is positioned at rank 998 and the Pentium N3540 is on rank 1149, so the Celeron M U3400 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 U3400

#986

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2094%

#987

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2064%

#988

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1894%

#989

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1886%

#990

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1869%

#992

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1804%

#993

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1730%

#994

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1727%

#995

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1681%

#998

Celeron M U3400

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

100%

#999

3015Ce

MSRP: $150|Avg: $40

100%

#1000

Core i7-4700MQ

MSRP: $383|Avg: $50

100%

#1001

Athlon II M340

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

100%

#1005

Pentium P6000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $90

98%

#1007

Core i7-3630QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

97%

#1008

Core i7-3610QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

97%

#1009

Core i3-1115GRE

MSRP: $338|Avg: $480

97%

#1010

Pentium A1020

MSRP: $86|Avg: $86

97%

#1011

Core i7-4702MQ

MSRP: $383|Avg: $50

97%

#1012

Pentium N4200

MSRP: $161|Avg: $30.89

96%

#1013

Pentium J2900

MSRP: $94|Avg: $20

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium N3540

#1137

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3912%

#1138

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3855%

#1139

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3539%

#1140

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3523%

#1141

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3490%

#1143

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3371%

#1144

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3232%

#1145

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3227%

#1146

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3140%

#1149

Pentium N3540

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

100%

#1150

Core i7-3555LE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $280

99%

#1151

Core i3-2377M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

99%

#1152

Core 2 Duo E8435

MSRP: $150|Avg: $74

98%

#1153

Celeron M 723

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

98%

#1154

Core i7-3517UE

MSRP: $330|Avg: $35

96%

#1155

Core M-5Y51

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

96%

#1156

Pentium N3530

MSRP: $161|Avg: $20

96%

#1157

Core i3-330E

MSRP: $177|Avg: $89

95%

#1159

Core i7-2640M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

94%

#1160

Core M-5Y71

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

94%

#1162

Core i7-2620M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

93%

#1164

Celeron N3010

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium N3540 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Celeron M U3400 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.2% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Celeron M U3400	Pentium N3540
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($5)	⚠️ Higher cost ($161)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Celeron M U3400 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $5 (vs $161), it costs 97% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 3115% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Pentium N3540.

Insight	Celeron M U3400	Pentium N3540
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+3115%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($5)	⚠️ Higher cost ($161)

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 U3400 Benchmark Check

Pentium N3540 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron M U3400 and Pentium N3540

Celeron M U3400

The Celeron M U3400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.06 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1288. Thermal design power (TDP): 512 kB + 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,205 points. Launch price was $69.

Pentium N3540

The Pentium N3540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 22 May 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.16 GHz, with boost up to 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 7.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 1,207 points. Launch price was $251.

⚡

Processing Power

The Celeron M U3400 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Pentium N3540 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium N3540 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.06 GHz on the Celeron M U3400 versus 2.66 GHz on the Pentium N3540 — a 86% clock advantage for the Pentium N3540. The Celeron M U3400 uses the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium N3540 uses Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron M U3400 scores 1,205 against the Pentium N3540's 1,207 — a 0.2% lead for the Pentium N3540. L3 cache: 2 MB on the Celeron M U3400 vs 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium N3540.

Feature	Celeron M U3400	Pentium N3540
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	1.06 GHz	2.66 GHz+151%
Base Clock	—	2.16 GHz
L3 Cache	2 MB	2 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	512 kB	2 MB+300%
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Arrandale (2010−2011)	Bay Trail-M (2013−2014)
PassMark	1,205	1,207

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Celeron M U3400 uses the BGA1288 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium N3540 uses FCBGA1170 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Celeron M U3400	Pentium N3540
Socket	BGA1288	FCBGA1170
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0

💰

Value Analysis

The Celeron M U3400 launched at $86 MSRP, while the Pentium N3540 debuted at $161. At current prices ($5 vs $161), the Celeron M U3400 is $156 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Celeron M U3400 delivers 241.0 pts/$ vs 7.5 pts/$ for the Pentium N3540 — making the Celeron M U3400 the 187.9% better value option.