Celeron T3000 vs Athlon II X2 250u

Celeron T3000

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WW2009

Athlon II X2 250u

2 Cores2 Thrd25 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Celeron T3000

905

0.0%

935

+3.3%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

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.

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 T3000 is positioned at rank 1188 and the Athlon II X2 250u is on rank 891, so the Athlon II X2 250u offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron T3000

#1176

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

4866%

#1177

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

4794%

#1178

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

4401%

#1179

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

4381%

#1180

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

4341%

#1182

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

4192%

#1183

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

4020%

#1184

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

4013%

#1185

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3905%

#1188

Celeron T3000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $54

100%

#1189

Core m7-6Y75

MSRP: $393|Avg: $393

100%

#1190

Core M-5Y10

MSRP: $281|Avg: $20

97%

#1193

Celeron 900

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

94%

#1194

Pentium T3400

MSRP: $150|Avg: $90

93%

#1195

Core 2 Solo SU3500

MSRP: $262|Avg: $15

93%

#1196

Core 2 Duo E8335

MSRP: $200|Avg: $50

91%

#1199

Celeron 560

MSRP: $89|Avg: $5

89%

#1200

Core i3-2312M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

88%

#1201

Celeron 857

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

87%

#1202

Celeron 925

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

87%

#1203

Core 2 Duo E8135

MSRP: $200|Avg: $15

85%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 250u

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

20007%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

18905%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

13727%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

4135%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3276%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2865%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1641%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1620%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1475%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1475%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1458%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1419%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1399%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1393%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1381%

#299

Core i9-7980XE

MSRP: $1999|Avg: $300

95%

#891

Athlon II X2 250u

MSRP: $60|Avg: $15

100%

#892

Core i3-2125

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

100%

#893

Pentium G6951

MSRP: $89|Avg: $50

100%

#895

Celeron G1820

MSRP: $110|Avg: $15

99%

#896

Celeron E1600

MSRP: $53|Avg: $10

99%

#897

Athlon II X2 270u

MSRP: $68|Avg: $10

99%

#898

Core i5-4570TE

MSRP: $202|Avg: $40

98%

#899

Core i3-2130

MSRP: $138|Avg: $138

96%

#902

Core i3-6100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $50

95%

#903

Core i3-4330TE

MSRP: $138|Avg: $15

94%

#904

Pentium E5700

MSRP: $75|Avg: $15

94%

#906

Athlon II X3 420e

MSRP: $107|Avg: $15

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Athlon II X2 250u delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Celeron T3000 in both compute-intensive tasks (3.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Celeron T3000	Athlon II X2 250u
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($54)	✅ More affordable ($15)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Athlon II X2 250u stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 72% cheaper ($15 vs $54) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Celeron T3000	Athlon II X2 250u
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+272%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($54)	✅ More affordable ($15)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Celeron T3000 Benchmark Check

Athlon II X2 250u Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron T3000 and Athlon II X2 250u

Celeron T3000

The Celeron T3000 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency: 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 1 MB L2 Cache. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 905 points. Launch price was $69.

Athlon II X2 250u

The Athlon II X2 250u is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 935 points. Launch price was $35.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Celeron T3000 and Athlon II X2 250u share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. The Athlon II X2 250u is built on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. In PassMark, the Celeron T3000 scores 905 against the Athlon II X2 250u's 935 — a 3.3% lead for the Athlon II X2 250u. L3 cache: 1 MB L2 Cache on the Celeron T3000 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 250u.

Feature	Celeron T3000	Athlon II X2 250u
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	—	1.6 GHz
Base Clock	1.8 GHz	—
L3 Cache	1 MB L2 Cache	0 kB
L2 Cache	—	1 MB
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	—	Regor (2009−2013)
PassMark	905	935+3%
Geekbench 6 Single	—	222
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	423

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Celeron T3000 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X2 250u uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Celeron T3000	Athlon II X2 250u
Socket	PGA478	AM3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1066
Max RAM Capacity	—	8 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Celeron T3000) / AMD-V (Athlon II X2 250u). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 250u targets Low Power Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 250u rivals Core 2 Duo E7500.

Feature	Celeron T3000	Athlon II X2 250u
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Low Power Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Celeron T3000 launched at $150 MSRP, while the Athlon II X2 250u debuted at $60. At current prices ($54 vs $15), the Athlon II X2 250u is $39 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Celeron T3000 delivers 16.8 pts/$ vs 62.3 pts/$ for the Athlon II X2 250u — making the Athlon II X2 250u the 115.2% better value option.