Core i7-610E
VS
Celeron 2957U

Core i7-610E vs Celeron 2957U

Intel

Core i7-610E

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2010
VS
Intel

Celeron 2957U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.4 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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 Core i7-610E is positioned at rank 1125 and the Celeron 2957U is on rank 53, so the Celeron 2957U 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 i7-610E

#1113
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
3543%
#1114
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
3492%
#1115
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
3205%
#1116
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
3191%
#1117
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
3162%
#1119
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
3053%
#1120
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
2928%
#1121
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
2923%
#1122
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
2844%
#1125
Core i7-610E
MSRP: $250|Avg: $40
100%
#1126
Core i5-5350U
MSRP: $315|Avg: N/A
99%
#1127
Pentium Dual Core T4300
MSRP: $150|Avg: $99
99%
#1128
Core i7-3520M
MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A
99%
#1129
Core i3-4100E
MSRP: $225|Avg: $30
99%
#1130
Core i3-2310E
MSRP: $225|Avg: $20
99%
#1131
Core i5-2510E
MSRP: $230|Avg: $30
99%
#1132
Core m5-6Y54
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
99%
#1133
Core i3-2330E
MSRP: $225|Avg: $10
98%
#1135
Core i5-4288U
MSRP: $342|Avg: N/A
94%
#1136
Core m3-6Y30
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
94%
#1137
Core i3-2340UE
MSRP: $200|Avg: $200
93%
#1138
Core i7-2820QM
MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A
93%
#1139
Core i5-520M
MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A
93%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2957U

#13
Ryzen 3 210
MSRP: $99|Avg: $99
96%
#14
Ryzen 5 PRO 230
MSRP: $150|Avg: $150
95%
#41
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
212%
#42
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
209%
#43
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
192%
#44
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
191%
#45
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
189%
#47
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
183%
#48
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
175%
#49
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
175%
#50
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
170%
#53
Celeron 2957U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#65
Core i5-3320M
MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A
96%
#66
Core i7-4510U
MSRP: $393|Avg: N/A
95%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i7-610E leads in gaming performance. However, the Celeron 2957U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.3% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightCore i7-610ECeleron 2957U
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($40)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCore i7-610ECeleron 2957U
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($40)
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-610E and Celeron 2957U

Intel

Core i7-610E

The Core i7-610E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.53 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1288. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 2,071 points. Launch price was $332.

Intel

Celeron 2957U

The Celeron 2957U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 1.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,077 points. Launch price was $107.

Processing Power

The Core i7-610E packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Celeron 2957U's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Core i7-610E versus 1.4 GHz on the Celeron 2957U — a 78.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-610E (base: 2.53 GHz vs 1.4 GHz). The Core i7-610E uses the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Celeron 2957U uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-610E scores 2,071 against the Celeron 2957U's 2,077 — a 0.3% lead for the Celeron 2957U. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i7-610E vs 2 MB on the Celeron 2957U.

FeatureCore i7-610ECeleron 2957U
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
2 / 2
Boost Clock
3.2 GHz+129%
1.4 GHz
Base Clock
2.53 GHz+81%
1.4 GHz
L3 Cache
4 MB (total)+100%
2 MB
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
512 kB+100%
Process
32 nm
22 nm-31%
Architecture
Arrandale (2010−2011)
Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark
2,071
2,077
Geekbench 6 Single
284
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-610E uses the BGA1288 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron 2957U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i7-610ECeleron 2957U
Socket
BGA1288
FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed
DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity
16 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
10
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-610E) / VT-x (Celeron 2957U). The Celeron 2957U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Core i7-610E requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2957U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 2957U rivals Pentium 2117U.

FeatureCore i7-610ECeleron 2957U
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics (Haswell)
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x
Target Use
Budget