Pentium E6300 vs Celeron 2981U

Pentium E6300

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2009

Celeron 2981U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium E6300

2 / 2

1,032

0.0%

1,036

+0.4%

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 E6300 is positioned at rank 958 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 E6300

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

25363%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

23966%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

17401%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

5242%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

4152%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

3633%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2081%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2053%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1870%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1869%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1849%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1799%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1774%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1766%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1750%

#958

Pentium E6300

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

100%

#959

Core i5-661

MSRP: $196|Avg: $40

99%

#960

Core i3-4150

MSRP: $281|Avg: $70

99%

#961

Core i5-750

MSRP: $210|Avg: $30

99%

#962

Core i3-2100T

MSRP: $127|Avg: $127

98%

#963

Pentium E2210

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

97%

#964

Core i3-560

MSRP: $138|Avg: $10

97%

#965

Core i3-550

MSRP: $138|Avg: $5

96%

#966

Core i7-980

MSRP: $583|Avg: $50

96%

#967

Pentium G3250

MSRP: $171|Avg: $25

96%

#968

Pentium E2200

MSRP: $84|Avg: $5

95%

#969

Core 2 Duo E7300

MSRP: $133|Avg: $133

95%

#970

Core i3-540

MSRP: $133|Avg: $5

95%

#972

Phenom II X3 700e

MSRP: $125|Avg: $40

94%

#973

Core i5-760

MSRP: $230|Avg: $61

94%

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 Trade-off: The Pentium E6300 leads in gaming performance. However, the Celeron 2981U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.4% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Pentium E6300	Celeron 2981U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ Higher cost ($137)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Wolfdale (2008−2010) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Pentium E6300 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 89% cheaper ($15 vs $137) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Pentium E6300	Celeron 2981U
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+810%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ 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 E6300 Benchmark Check

Celeron 2981U Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium E6300 and Celeron 2981U

Pentium E6300

The Pentium E6300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 May 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,032 points. Launch price was $40.

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 E6300 and Celeron 2981U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Pentium E6300 versus 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 2981U — a 54.5% clock advantage for the Pentium E6300 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Pentium E6300 uses the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Celeron 2981U uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium E6300 scores 1,032 against the Celeron 2981U's 1,036 — a 0.4% lead for the Celeron 2981U. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Pentium E6300 vs 2 MB on the Celeron 2981U.

Feature	Pentium E6300	Celeron 2981U
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.8 GHz+75%	1.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+75%	1.6 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB (total)+300%	512 kB
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Wolfdale (2008−2010)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,032	1,036

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium E6300 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Celeron 2981U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium E6300	Celeron 2981U
Socket	LGA775	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 (Pentium E6300) / VT-x (Celeron 2981U). The Celeron 2981U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Pentium E6300 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2981U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 2981U rivals Pentium 2117U.