Celeron N2930
VS
Celeron 3205U

Celeron N2930 vs Celeron 3205U

Intel

Celeron N2930

4 Cores4 Thrd7 WWMax: 2.16 GHz2014
VS
Intel

Celeron 3205U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.5 GHz2015

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 N2930 is positioned at rank 1087 and the Celeron 3205U is on rank 279, so the Celeron 3205U 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 N2930

#1075
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
3044%
#1076
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
2999%
#1077
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
2753%
#1078
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
2741%
#1079
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
2716%
#1081
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
2622%
#1082
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
2515%
#1083
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
2510%
#1084
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
2443%
#1087
Celeron N2930
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#1089
Core i5-3610ME
MSRP: $276|Avg: $22
100%
#1090
Core m3-7Y32
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
100%
#1091
Celeron B720
MSRP: $70|Avg: $10
99%
#1093
Celeron 847
MSRP: $134|Avg: $15
98%
#1094
Core i7-2630QM
MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A
97%
#1096
Core i7-2635QM
MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A
97%
#1097
Celeron 877
MSRP: $86|Avg: $15
97%
#1098
Celeron Dual-Core SU2300
MSRP: $134|Avg: $50
97%
#1099
Core i5-3337U
MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A
96%
#1100
Core i5-2450M
MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A
96%
#1101
Core i5-7Y57
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
95%
#1102
Core i5-7Y54
MSRP: $281|Avg: $100
95%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron 3205U

#82
Core i7-11700B
MSRP: $323|Avg: $311
98%
#83
Core i7-13700HX
MSRP: $485|Avg: N/A
97%
#266
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
429%
#267
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
423%
#268
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
388%
#269
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
387%
#270
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
383%
#272
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
370%
#273
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
355%
#274
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
354%
#275
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
345%
#279
Celeron 3205U
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 Trade-off: The Celeron 3205U leads in gaming performance. However, the Celeron N2930 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.7% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightCeleron N2930Celeron 3205U
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-U (2015) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCeleron N2930Celeron 3205U
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron N2930 and Celeron 3205U

Intel

Celeron N2930

The Celeron N2930 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.83 GHz, with boost up to 2.16 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 7.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,032 points. Launch price was $69.

Intel

Celeron 3205U

The Celeron 3205U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 1.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,025 points. Launch price was $107.

Processing Power

The Celeron N2930 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Celeron 3205U offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Celeron N2930 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.16 GHz on the Celeron N2930 versus 1.5 GHz on the Celeron 3205U — a 36.1% clock advantage for the Celeron N2930 (base: 1.83 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Celeron N2930 uses the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Celeron 3205U uses Broadwell-U (2015) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron N2930 scores 1,032 against the Celeron 3205U's 1,025 — a 0.7% lead for the Celeron N2930. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 170 vs 287, a 51.2% lead for the Celeron 3205U that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 502 vs 483 (3.9% advantage for the Celeron N2930). L3 cache: 0 kB on the Celeron N2930 vs 2 MB (total) on the Celeron 3205U.

FeatureCeleron N2930Celeron 3205U
Cores / Threads
4 / 4+100%
2 / 2
Boost Clock
2.16 GHz+44%
1.5 GHz
Base Clock
1.83 GHz+22%
1.5 GHz
L3 Cache
0 kB
2 MB (total)
L2 Cache
512K (per core)+100%
256K (per core)
Process
22 nm
14 nm-36%
Architecture
Bay Trail-M (2013−2014)
Broadwell-U (2015)
PassMark
1,032
1,025
Geekbench 6 Single
170
287+69%
Geekbench 6 Multi
502+4%
483
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Celeron N2930 uses the FCBGA1170 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron 3205U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3L-1333 memory speed. The Celeron 3205U supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 4 (Celeron N2930) vs 16 (Celeron 3205U) — the Celeron 3205U offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Celeron N2930) and Wildcat Point-LP (Celeron 3205U).

FeatureCeleron N2930Celeron 3205U
Socket
FCBGA1170
FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed
DDR3L-1333
DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity
8 GB
16 GB+100%
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
4
16+300%
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: Yes (Celeron N2930) vs VT-x (Celeron 3205U). Both include integrated graphics Intel HD Graphics (Celeron N2930) and HD Graphics (Broadwell) (Celeron 3205U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 3205U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 3205U rivals Pentium 2117U.

FeatureCeleron N2930Celeron 3205U
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel HD Graphics
HD Graphics (Broadwell)
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
No
Virtualization
Yes
VT-x
Target Use
Budget