
Celeron N3050

Pentium Extreme Edition 955
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 N3050 is positioned at rank 744 and the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 is on rank 1123, so the Celeron N3050 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron N3050
Performance Per Dollar Pentium Extreme Edition 955
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron N3050 | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Braswell (2015−2016) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Presler (2005−2007) / 65 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron N3050 | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) |
Performance Check
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 N3050 and Pentium Extreme Edition 955

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 Extreme Edition 955
The Pentium Extreme Edition 955 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 27 December 2005 (19 years ago). It is based on the Presler (2005−2007) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.466 GHz, with boost up to 0.47 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 1,095 points. Launch price was $999.
Processing Power
The Celeron N3050 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Pentium Extreme Edition 955's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.16 GHz on the Celeron N3050 versus 0.47 GHz on the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 — a 128.5% clock advantage for the Celeron N3050 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 3.466 GHz). The Celeron N3050 uses the Braswell (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 uses Presler (2005−2007) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron N3050 scores 1,099 against the Pentium Extreme Edition 955's 1,095 — a 0.4% lead for the Celeron N3050.
| Feature | Celeron N3050 | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 2.16 GHz+360% | 0.47 GHz |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | 3.466 GHz+117% |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | — |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 2 MB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 14 nm-78% | 65 nm |
| Architecture | Braswell (2015−2016) | Presler (2005−2007) |
| PassMark | 1,099 | 1,095 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 221 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 440 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron N3050 uses the FCBGA1170 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Celeron N3050 | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1170 | LGA775 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+173% | PCIe 1.1 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3L-1600 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 4 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x / EPT (Celeron N3050) / not specified (Pentium Extreme Edition 955). The Celeron N3050 includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Braswell)), while the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron N3050 targets Netbook. Direct competitor: Celeron N3050 rivals AMD E2-7110.
| Feature | Celeron N3050 | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | Intel HD Graphics (Braswell) | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x / EPT | — |
| Target Use | Netbook | — |
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