Core 2 Duo E8335 vs Celeron 2980U

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 Core 2 Duo E8335 is positioned at rank 1196 and the Celeron 2980U is on rank 392, so the Celeron 2980U 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 Core 2 Duo E8335

#1184

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

5364%

#1185

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

5285%

#1186

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

4852%

#1187

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

4830%

#1188

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

4786%

#1190

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

4622%

#1191

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

4431%

#1192

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

4424%

#1193

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

4305%

#1196

Core 2 Duo E8335

MSRP: $200|Avg: $50

100%

#1199

Celeron 560

MSRP: $89|Avg: $5

98%

#1200

Core i3-2312M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

97%

#1201

Celeron 857

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

96%

#1202

Celeron 925

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

96%

#1203

Core 2 Duo E8135

MSRP: $200|Avg: $15

93%

#1204

Core 2 Duo U7700

MSRP: $262|Avg: $10

93%

#1205

Core Duo T2400

MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A

93%

#1206

Core 2 Duo U7600

MSRP: $250|Avg: $5

92%

#1207

Pentium M 735

MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A

91%

#1208

Core i7-620LM

MSRP: $300|Avg: N/A

89%

#1209

Core i7-740QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

89%

#1211

Core 2 Solo SU3300

MSRP: $262|Avg: $50

87%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2980U

#119

Ryzen 7 PRO 250

MSRP: $400|Avg: $380

100%

#120

Core i7-11850HE

MSRP: $400|Avg: $75

98%

#380

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

537%

#381

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

529%

#382

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

486%

#383

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

484%

#384

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

479%

#386

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

463%

#387

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

444%

#388

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

443%

#389

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

431%

#392

Celeron 2980U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Celeron 2980U leads in gaming performance. However, the Core 2 Duo E8335 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.2% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core 2 Duo E8335	Celeron 2980U
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Duo E8335	Celeron 2980U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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.

Core 2 Duo E8335 Benchmark Check

Celeron 2980U Benchmark Check

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Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo E8335 and Celeron 2980U

Core 2 Duo E8335

The Core 2 Duo E8335 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.933 GHz, with boost up to 0.93 GHz. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: P. Thermal design power (TDP): 44 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,094 points. Launch price was $249.

Celeron 2980U

The Celeron 2980U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,092 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo E8335 and Celeron 2980U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 0.93 GHz on the Core 2 Duo E8335 versus 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 2980U — a 53% clock advantage for the Celeron 2980U (base: 2.933 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Core 2 Duo E8335 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Celeron 2980U uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo E8335 scores 1,094 against the Celeron 2980U's 1,092 — a 0.2% lead for the Core 2 Duo E8335.

Feature	Core 2 Duo E8335	Celeron 2980U
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	0.93 GHz	1.6 GHz+72%
Base Clock	2.933 GHz+83%	1.6 GHz
L3 Cache	—	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	6 MB (total)+2300%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,094	1,092
Geekbench 6 Single	—	354
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	694

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo E8335 uses the P socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Celeron 2980U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Duo E8335	Celeron 2980U
Socket	P	FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 3.0+173%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 2 Duo E8335) / VT-x (Celeron 2980U). The Celeron 2980U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Core 2 Duo E8335 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2980U targets Low Power. Direct competitor: Celeron 2980U rivals AMD A4-5000.