Celeron N4000C vs Pentium D 820

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 N4000C vs Pentium D 820 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 N4000C vs Pentium D 820: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Celeron N4000C

2019

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌200% higher power demand at 6W vs 2W.

Pentium D 820

2005

Why buy it

✅Draws 2W instead of 6W, a 4W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,412 vs 1,430).
❌Launch MSRP is still $241 MSRP, while Celeron N4000C mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium D 820 better than Celeron N4000C?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium D 820 is ahead with a 0.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Celeron N4000C pulls ahead with 1.3% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Celeron N4000C is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Pentium D 820 is the better buy right now. Pentium D 820 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $241 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Celeron N4000C is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1.3% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (5.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Celeron N4000C makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2005) 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 N4000C vs Pentium D 820 Technical Specifications

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

Celeron N4000C

The Celeron N4000C is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1090. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR4/LPDDR4 up to 2400 MT/s. Passmark benchmark score: 1,430 points. Launch price was $69.

Pentium D 820

The Pentium D 820 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 90 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,412 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

Both the Celeron N4000C and Pentium D 820 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.6 GHz on the Celeron N4000C versus 2.8 GHz on the Pentium D 820 — a 7.4% clock advantage for the Pentium D 820 (base: 1.1 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Pentium D 820 is built on the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture. In PassMark, the Celeron N4000C scores 1,430 against the Pentium D 820's 1,412 — a 1.3% lead for the Celeron N4000C. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Celeron N4000C vs 0 kB on the Pentium D 820.

Feature	Celeron N4000C	Pentium D 820
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.6 GHz	2.8 GHz+8%
Base Clock	1.1 GHz	2.8 GHz+155%
L3 Cache	4 MB	0 kB
L2 Cache	—	2 MB
Process	14 nm-84%	90 nm
Architecture	—	NetBurst (2000−2006)
PassMark	1,430+1%	1,412
Geekbench 6 Single	—	166

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Memory & Platform

The Celeron N4000C uses the FCBGA1090 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium D 820 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Celeron N4000C	Pentium D 820
Socket	FCBGA1090	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+173%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR2-667
Max RAM Capacity	—	4 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	0