Celeron T3100 vs Athlon II X2 250u

CPU

GPU

Celeron T3100

35 WW2008

Athlon II X2 250u

2 Cores2 Thrd25 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Celeron T3100

945

+1.1%

935

0.0%

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 T3100 is positioned at rank 970 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 T3100

#958

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1925%

#959

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1897%

#960

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1741%

#961

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1734%

#962

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1718%

#964

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1659%

#965

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1591%

#966

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1588%

#967

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1545%

#970

Celeron T3100

MSRP: $62|Avg: $62

100%

#971

Core i7-4800MQ

MSRP: $380|Avg: $378

100%

#977

Phenom II X2 N640

MSRP: $100|Avg: $55

99%

#978

A10-8700P

MSRP: $150|Avg: $40

99%

#982

Athlon II Neo K125

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

98%

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 Celeron T3100 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Athlon II X2 250u in both compute-intensive tasks (1.1% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Celeron T3100	Athlon II X2 250u
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($62)	✅ More affordable ($15)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Athlon II X2 250u holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $15 (vs $62), it costs 76% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 309% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Celeron T3100.

Insight	Celeron T3100	Athlon II X2 250u
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+309%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($62)	✅ 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 T3100 Benchmark Check

Athlon II X2 250u Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron T3100 and Athlon II X2 250u

Celeron T3100

The Celeron T3100 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. Base frequency: 1.9 GHz. L3 cache: 1 MB L2 Cache. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 945 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

The Athlon II X2 250u is built on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. In PassMark, the Celeron T3100 scores 945 against the Athlon II X2 250u's 935 — a 1.1% lead for the Celeron T3100. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 350 vs 222, a 44.8% lead for the Celeron T3100 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 650 vs 423 (42.3% advantage for the Celeron T3100). L3 cache: 1 MB L2 Cache on the Celeron T3100 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 250u.

Feature	Celeron T3100	Athlon II X2 250u
Cores / Threads	—	2 / 2
Boost Clock	—	1.6 GHz
Base Clock	1.9 GHz	—
L3 Cache	1 MB L2 Cache	0 kB
L2 Cache	—	1 MB
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	—	Regor (2009−2013)
PassMark	945+1%	935
Geekbench 6 Single	350+58%	222
Geekbench 6 Multi	650+54%	423

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Celeron T3100 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. Both support up to DDR3-800 memory speed. Both support up to 8 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Celeron T3100) vs 16 (Athlon II X2 250u) — the Athlon II X2 250u offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: GL40,GM45 (Celeron T3100) and 760G,785G (Athlon II X2 250u).

Feature	Celeron T3100	Athlon II X2 250u
Socket	PGA478	AM3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-800	DDR3-1066
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	0	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: None (Celeron T3100) vs AMD-V (Athlon II X2 250u). Primary use case: Celeron T3100 targets Legacy Laptop, Athlon II X2 250u targets Low Power Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 250u rivals Core 2 Duo E7500.

Feature	Celeron T3100	Athlon II X2 250u
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	None	AMD-V
Target Use	Legacy Laptop	Low Power Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Celeron T3100 launched at $62 MSRP, while the Athlon II X2 250u debuted at $60. At current prices ($62 vs $15), the Athlon II X2 250u is $47 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Celeron T3100 delivers 15.2 pts/$ vs 62.3 pts/$ for the Athlon II X2 250u — making the Athlon II X2 250u the 121.4% better value option.