Celeron N3050 vs Pentium B970

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 N3050 vs Pentium B970 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 N3050 vs Pentium B970: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Celeron N3050

2015

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 6W instead of 35W, a 29W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (4 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), while Pentium B970 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Pentium B970

2012

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,093 vs 1,099).
❌Launch MSRP is still $125 MSRP, while Celeron N3050 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌483.3% higher power demand at 35W vs 6W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Celeron N3050 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Celeron N3050 better than Pentium B970?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium B970 is ahead with a 1.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Celeron N3050 pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Celeron N3050 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Celeron N3050 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Celeron N3050 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $125 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.5% better PassMark. Pentium B970 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2012 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (8.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on PGA988.

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

Celeron N3050 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2015 vs 2012) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Celeron N3050 vs Pentium B970 Technical Specifications

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

Celeron N3050

The Celeron N3050 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 April 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Braswell (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.16 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,099 points. Launch price was $107.

Pentium B970

The Pentium B970 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) 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 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,093 points. Launch price was $125.

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Processing Power

Both the Celeron N3050 and Pentium B970 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.16 GHz on the Celeron N3050 versus 2.3 GHz on the Pentium B970 — a 6.3% clock advantage for the Pentium B970 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Celeron N3050 uses the Braswell (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium B970 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron N3050 scores 1,099 against the Pentium B970's 1,093 — a 0.5% lead for the Celeron N3050. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Celeron N3050 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B970.

Feature	Celeron N3050	Pentium B970
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.16 GHz	2.3 GHz+6%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	2.3 GHz+44%
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB	256K (per core)+25500%
Process	14 nm-56%	32 nm
Architecture	Braswell (2015−2016)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,099	1,093
Geekbench 6 Single	221	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	440	—

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Memory & Platform

The Celeron N3050 uses the FCBGA1170 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium B970 uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Celeron N3050	Pentium B970
Socket	FCBGA1170	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	4	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x / EPT (Celeron N3050) / not specified (Pentium B970). The Celeron N3050 includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Braswell)), while the Pentium B970 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron N3050 targets Netbook. Direct competitor: Celeron N3050 rivals AMD E2-7110.