Celeron N4120 vs FX-9800P

Celeron N4120 vs FX-9800P Performance Spectrum

Celeron N4120

4 / 4

2,463

+0.1%

2,460

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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.

Celeron N4120 vs FX-9800P 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 N4120 vs FX-9800P: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Celeron N4120

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 4W instead of 15W, a 11W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

FX-9800P

2016

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,460 vs 2,463).
❌Launch MSRP is still $150 MSRP, while Celeron N4120 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌275% higher power demand at 15W vs 4W.

Quick Answers

So, is Celeron N4120 better than FX-9800P?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, FX-9800P is ahead with a 2.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Celeron N4120 pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Celeron N4120 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Celeron N4120 is the easy recommendation for a fresh desktop build. Celeron N4120 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $150 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark. FX-9800P only looks good on raw value math because it is a cheap legacy laptop chip, not because it is a real desktop gaming recommendation. It simply does not keep up in modern games.

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

Celeron N4120 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2016) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Celeron N4120 vs FX-9800P Technical Specifications

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

Celeron N4120

The Celeron N4120 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Gemini Lake Refresh (2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1090. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,463 points. Launch price was $69.

FX-9800P

The FX-9800P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 31 May 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB (per module). Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FP4. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,460 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

Both the Celeron N4120 and FX-9800P share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.6 GHz on the Celeron N4120 versus 3.6 GHz on the FX-9800P — a 32.3% clock advantage for the FX-9800P (base: 1.1 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Celeron N4120 uses the Gemini Lake Refresh (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the FX-9800P uses Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron N4120 scores 2,463 against the FX-9800P's 2,460 — a 0.1% lead for the Celeron N4120.

Feature	Celeron N4120	FX-9800P
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	2.6 GHz	3.6 GHz+38%
Base Clock	1.1 GHz	2.7 GHz+145%
L3 Cache	4 MB	—
L2 Cache	4 MB+300%	1 MB (per module)
Process	14 nm-50%	28 nm
Architecture	Gemini Lake Refresh (2019)	Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)
PassMark	2,463	2,460

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Memory & Platform

The Celeron N4120 uses the FCBGA1090 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the FX-9800P uses FP4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.