Pentium 3558U vs Celeron 2981U

CPU

GPU

Pentium 3558U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.7 GHz2014

Celeron 2981U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 3558U

2 / 2

1,041

+0.5%

1,036

0.0%

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. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Pentium 3558U is positioned at rank 1123 and the Celeron 2981U is on rank 426, so the Celeron 2981U 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 Pentium 3558U

#1111

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3522%

#1112

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3471%

#1113

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3186%

#1114

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3172%

#1115

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3143%

#1117

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3035%

#1118

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2910%

#1119

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2905%

#1120

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2827%

#1123

Pentium 3558U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#1124

Core m5-6Y57

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

100%

#1125

Core i7-610E

MSRP: $250|Avg: $40

99%

#1126

Core i5-5350U

MSRP: $315|Avg: N/A

99%

#1127

Core i3-4100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

99%

#1128

Pentium Dual Core T4300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $99

99%

#1129

Core i7-3520M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

99%

#1130

Core i3-2310E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $20

98%

#1131

Core i5-2510E

MSRP: $230|Avg: $30

98%

#1132

Core m5-6Y54

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

98%

#1134

Core i3-2330E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $10

97%

#1135

Core i5-4288U

MSRP: $342|Avg: N/A

93%

#1136

Core m3-6Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

93%

#1137

Core i3-2340UE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

93%

#1138

Core i7-2820QM

MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2981U

#414

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

566%

#415

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

558%

#416

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

512%

#417

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

510%

#418

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

505%

#420

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

488%

#421

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

468%

#422

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

467%

#423

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

455%

#426

Celeron 2981U

MSRP: $137|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium 3558U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Celeron 2981U in both compute-intensive tasks (0.5% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium 3558U	Celeron 2981U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($137)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Pentium 3558U	Celeron 2981U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($137)

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.

Pentium 3558U Benchmark Check

Celeron 2981U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 3558U and Celeron 2981U

Pentium 3558U

The Pentium 3558U 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 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 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: 1,041 points. Launch price was $161.

Celeron 2981U

The Celeron 2981U 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. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,036 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium 3558U and Celeron 2981U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.7 GHz on the Pentium 3558U versus 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 2981U — a 6.1% clock advantage for the Pentium 3558U (base: 1.7 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). Both are built on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture using a 22 nm process. In PassMark, the Pentium 3558U scores 1,041 against the Celeron 2981U's 1,036 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium 3558U. Both processors carry 2 MB of L3 cache.

Feature	Pentium 3558U	Celeron 2981U
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.7 GHz+6%	1.6 GHz
Base Clock	1.7 GHz+6%	1.6 GHz
L3 Cache	2 MB	2 MB
L2 Cache	512 kB	512 kB
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,041	1,036

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the FCBGA1168 socket with PCIe 3.0.

Feature	Pentium 3558U	Celeron 2981U
Socket	FCBGA1168	FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium 3558U) / VT-x (Celeron 2981U). The Celeron 2981U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Pentium 3558U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2981U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 2981U rivals Pentium 2117U.