Pentium N3540 vs Celeron 3855U
Pentium N3540
Celeron 3855U
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 Pentium N3540 is positioned at rank 1149 and the Celeron 3855U is on rank 193, so the Celeron 3855U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium N3540
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 3855U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium N3540 | Celeron 3855U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($161) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium N3540 | Celeron 3855U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($161) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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 Pentium N3540 and Celeron 3855U
Pentium N3540
The Pentium N3540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 22 May 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.16 GHz, with boost up to 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 7.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 1,207 points. Launch price was $251.
Celeron 3855U
The Celeron 3855U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 August 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) 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 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1866/2133, LPDDR3-1600/1866, DDR3L-1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 1,215 points. Launch price was $107.
Processing Power
The Pentium N3540 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Celeron 3855U offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Pentium N3540 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.66 GHz on the Pentium N3540 versus 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 3855U — a 49.8% clock advantage for the Pentium N3540 (base: 2.16 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Pentium N3540 uses the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Celeron 3855U uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium N3540 scores 1,207 against the Celeron 3855U's 1,215 — a 0.7% lead for the Celeron 3855U. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium N3540 vs 2 MB on the Celeron 3855U.
| Feature | Pentium N3540 | Celeron 3855U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.66 GHz+66% | 1.6 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.16 GHz+35% | 1.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB L2 Cache | 2 MB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+300% | 512 kB |
| Process | 22 nm | 14 nm-36% |
| Architecture | Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) | Skylake (2015−2016) |
| PassMark | 1,207 | 1,215 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 361 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 632 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium N3540 uses the FCBGA1170 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron 3855U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium N3540 | Celeron 3855U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1170 | BGA1356 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4 2133 MHz |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 10 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium N3540) / true (Celeron 3855U). The Celeron 3855U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 510), while the Pentium N3540 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 3855U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 3855U rivals Pentium 3825U.
| Feature | Pentium N3540 | Celeron 3855U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Intel HD Graphics 510 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | true |
| Target Use | — | Budget |
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