Core i5-2550K vs Celeron G6900E

CPU

GPU

Core i5-2550K

4 Cores4 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2012

Celeron G6900E

2 Cores2 Thrd46 WWMax: 3 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-2550K

4 / 4

4,228

0.0%

4,272

+1.0%

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. The Core i5-2550K is positioned at rank #841 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

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 i5-2550K

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

17327%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

16372%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

11888%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

3581%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2837%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2482%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1421%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1403%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1277%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1277%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1263%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1229%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1212%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1207%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1196%

#841

Core i5-2550K

MSRP: $235|Avg: $46

100%

#842

Athlon II X4 600e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

100%

#843

Core i7-4785T

MSRP: $306|Avg: $32

100%

#844

Core i5-6442EQ

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

100%

#845

Core i5-4690S

MSRP: $306|Avg: $189

99%

#846

Core i3-3250

MSRP: $138|Avg: $40

99%

#847

Core i3-3240

MSRP: $132|Avg: $15

99%

#848

Pentium G640T

MSRP: $64|Avg: $69

99%

#849

Core i7-5930K

MSRP: $583|Avg: $410

99%

#851

Core i3-3240T

MSRP: $117|Avg: $8

99%

#852

Athlon II X2 240

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

98%

#854

Core i5-2500S

MSRP: $192|Avg: $61

98%

#855

Athlon X2 BE-2400

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron G6900E

#227

Core i5-12600

MSRP: $233|Avg: $250

106%

#228

Core i7-11700T

MSRP: $323|Avg: $180

106%

#229

Core i5-10600

MSRP: $244|Avg: $159

106%

#230

Ryzen 5 PRO 2400G

MSRP: $193|Avg: $100

106%

#231

Core i7-8700B

MSRP: $303|Avg: $139

105%

#232

Ryzen 3 2200G

MSRP: $99|Avg: $80

104%

#233

Core i3-9100F

MSRP: $97|Avg: $80

104%

#234

Ryzen 7 9800X3D

MSRP: $479|Avg: $479

104%

#235

Ryzen 9 3900XT

MSRP: $499|Avg: $390

103%

#236

Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G

MSRP: $176|Avg: $176

102%

#237

Core i7-14700T

MSRP: $384|Avg: $384

102%

#238

Core i3-13100TE

MSRP: $137|Avg: $137

102%

#239

Core i5-9600T

MSRP: $213|Avg: $118

101%

#240

Core i5-12400T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $192

100%

#241

Core i9-14900F

MSRP: $524|Avg: $579

100%

#242

Celeron G6900E

MSRP: $53|Avg: $53

100%

#243

Core i3-12300T

MSRP: $209|Avg: $164

100%

#244

Core i9-12900

MSRP: $519|Avg: $420

100%

#245

Ryzen 3 8300G

MSRP: $176|Avg: $176

99%

#246

Core i7-11700KF

MSRP: $374|Avg: $299

99%

#247

Core i5-10600K

MSRP: $262|Avg: $179

99%

#248

Core i3-10325

MSRP: $154|Avg: $130

98%

#249

Ryzen Embedded V2718

MSRP: $250|Avg: $200

98%

#250

Core i7-8086K

MSRP: $425|Avg: $178

98%

#251

Core i3-10300T

MSRP: $157|Avg: $100

98%

#252

Core i9-10900TE

MSRP: $309|Avg: $180

98%

#253

Core i9-12900T

MSRP: $489|Avg: $378

97%

#254

Core i5-12600T

MSRP: $223|Avg: $223

97%

#255

Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $180

97%

#256

Ryzen 7 1700X

MSRP: $399|Avg: $60

49%

#256

Ryzen 5 3500X

MSRP: $155|Avg: $171

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Celeron G6900E (2022) utilizes 10 nm technology and **DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel**, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Core i5-2550K	Celeron G6900E
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($46)	⚠️ Higher cost ($53)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / 10 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-2550K (2012) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Core i5-2550K	Celeron G6900E
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+14%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($46)	⚠️ Higher cost ($53)

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 i5-2550K Benchmark Check

Celeron G6900E Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-2550K and Celeron G6900E

Core i5-2550K

The Core i5-2550K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Janeiro 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,228 points. Launch price was $189.

Celeron G6900E

The Celeron G6900E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 46 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 4,272 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-2550K packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Celeron G6900E offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Core i5-2550K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i5-2550K versus 3 GHz on the Celeron G6900E — a 23.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-2550K (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i5-2550K uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Celeron G6900E uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-2550K scores 4,228 against the Celeron G6900E's 4,272 — a 1% lead for the Celeron G6900E. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 707 vs 1,563, a 75.4% lead for the Celeron G6900E that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 2,010 vs 2,631 (26.8% advantage for the Celeron G6900E). L3 cache: 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-2550K vs 4 MB (total) on the Celeron G6900E.

Feature	Core i5-2550K	Celeron G6900E
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz+27%	3 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+13%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	6144 kB (total)+50%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process	32 nm	10 nm-69%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	4,228	4,272+1%
Cinebench R23 Multi	4,058	—
Geekbench 6 Single	707	1,563+121%
Geekbench 6 Multi	2,010	2,631+31%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-2550K uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron G6900E uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1600 on the Core i5-2550K versus DDR5-4800 on the Celeron G6900E — the Celeron G6900E supports 50% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Celeron G6900E supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-2550K) vs 20 (Celeron G6900E) — the Celeron G6900E offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z77,Z75,Q77,H77,Q75,B75,Z68,P67,H67,Q67,B65,H61 (Core i5-2550K) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Celeron G6900E).

Feature	Core i5-2550K	Celeron G6900E
Socket	LGA1155	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 5.0+150%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1600	DDR5-4800+67%
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	128 GB+300%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: Yes (Core i5-2550K) vs VT-x (Celeron G6900E). The Celeron G6900E includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 710), while the Core i5-2550K requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron G6900E targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron G6900E rivals Pentium Gold G7400.

Feature	Core i5-2550K	Celeron G6900E
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics 710
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	Yes	VT-x
Target Use	—	Budget

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-2550K launched at $235 MSRP, while the Celeron G6900E debuted at $53. At current prices ($46 vs $53), the Core i5-2550K is $7 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-2550K delivers 91.9 pts/$ vs 80.6 pts/$ for the Celeron G6900E — making the Core i5-2550K the 13.1% better value option.