Pentium N3540 vs Celeron 3965Y

CPU

GPU

Pentium N3540

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.66 GHz2014

Celeron 3965Y

2 Cores2 Thrd6 WWMax: 1.3 GHz2017

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium N3540

4 / 4

1,207

+0.5%

Celeron 1047UE

Celeron 877

Pentium Dual-Core E2180

1,201

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 N3540 is positioned at rank 1149 and the Celeron 3965Y is on rank 198, so the Celeron 3965Y 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 N3540

#1137

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3912%

#1138

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3855%

#1139

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3539%

#1140

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3523%

#1141

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3490%

#1143

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3371%

#1144

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3232%

#1145

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3227%

#1146

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3140%

#1149

Pentium N3540

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

100%

#1150

Core i7-3555LE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $280

99%

#1151

Core i3-2377M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

99%

#1152

Core 2 Duo E8435

MSRP: $150|Avg: $74

98%

#1153

Celeron M 723

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

98%

#1154

Core i7-3517UE

MSRP: $330|Avg: $35

96%

#1155

Core M-5Y51

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

96%

#1156

Pentium N3530

MSRP: $161|Avg: $20

96%

#1157

Core i3-330E

MSRP: $177|Avg: $89

95%

#1159

Core i7-2640M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

94%

#1160

Core M-5Y71

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

94%

#1162

Core i7-2620M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

93%

#1164

Celeron N3010

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron 3965Y

#186

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

366%

#187

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

361%

#188

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

331%

#189

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

330%

#190

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

327%

#192

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

316%

#193

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

303%

#194

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

302%

#195

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

294%

#198

Celeron 3965Y

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

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 3965Y (2017) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR3, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Pentium N3540	Celeron 3965Y
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($161)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) / 22 nm)	✨ Modern (Kaby Lake (2016−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Pentium N3540 (2014) relies on 22 nm technology and DDR3L-1333, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Pentium N3540	Celeron 3965Y
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($161)	✅ 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.

Pentium N3540 Benchmark Check

Celeron 3965Y Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium N3540 and Celeron 3965Y

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 3965Y

The Celeron 3965Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 1.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1515. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,201 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium N3540 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Celeron 3965Y offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Pentium N3540 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.66 GHz on the Pentium N3540 versus 1.3 GHz on the Celeron 3965Y — a 68.7% clock advantage for the Pentium N3540 (base: 2.16 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Pentium N3540 uses the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Celeron 3965Y uses Kaby Lake (2016−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium N3540 scores 1,207 against the Celeron 3965Y's 1,201 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium N3540. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium N3540 vs 2 MB on the Celeron 3965Y.

Feature	Pentium N3540	Celeron 3965Y
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.66 GHz+105%	1.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.16 GHz+44%	1.5 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)	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
PassMark	1,207	1,201
Geekbench 6 Single	—	372
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	708

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium N3540 uses the FCBGA1170 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron 3965Y uses FCBGA1515 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium N3540	Celeron 3965Y
Socket	FCBGA1170	FCBGA1515
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	LPDDR3-1866
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	10

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium N3540) / VT-x, VT-d (Celeron 3965Y). The Celeron 3965Y includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 615), while the Pentium N3540 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 3965Y targets Low Power. Direct competitor: Celeron 3965Y rivals Pentium Gold 4415Y.