Celeron N5100 vs Core i7-6500U

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 N5100 vs Core i7-6500U 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 N5100 vs Core i7-6500U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Celeron N5100

2021

Why buy it

✅+1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 6W instead of 15W, a 9W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Core i7-6500U

2015

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,271 vs 3,305).
❌150% higher power demand at 15W vs 6W.

Quick Answers

So, is Celeron N5100 better than Core i7-6500U?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i7-6500U is ahead with a 0.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Celeron N5100 pulls ahead with 1% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Celeron N5100 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Celeron N5100 still makes the most sense overall. Celeron N5100 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 1% better PassMark.

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

Celeron N5100 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2015) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Celeron N5100 vs Core i7-6500U Technical Specifications

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

Celeron N5100

The Celeron N5100 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Jasper Lake (2021) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.5 MB (total). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1338. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,305 points. Launch price was $69.

Core i7-6500U

The Core i7-6500U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,271 points. Launch price was $393.

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Processing Power

The Celeron N5100 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-6500U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Celeron N5100 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Celeron N5100 versus 3.1 GHz on the Core i7-6500U — a 10.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-6500U (base: 1.1 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Celeron N5100 uses the Jasper Lake (2021) architecture (10 nm), while the Core i7-6500U uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron N5100 scores 3,305 against the Core i7-6500U's 3,271 — a 1% lead for the Celeron N5100. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Celeron N5100 vs 4 MB on the Core i7-6500U.

Feature	Celeron N5100	Core i7-6500U
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.8 GHz	3.1 GHz+11%
Base Clock	1.1 GHz	2.5 GHz+127%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	4 MB
L2 Cache	1.5 MB (total)+200%	512 kB
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Jasper Lake (2021)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	3,305+1%	3,271

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Memory & Platform

The Celeron N5100 uses the BGA1338 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i7-6500U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.