AMD Ryzen 9 3900X vs Intel Celeron 2981U

Last updated:

CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X or AMD Ryzen 9 3900X – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X features 12 processor cores and has the capability to manage 24 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2019 and belongs to the 3 generation of the AMD Ryzen 9 series.
To use the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, you'll need a motherboard with a AM4 (PGA 1331) socket.
The Intel Celeron 2981U features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2013 and belongs to the 4 generation of the Intel Celeron series.
To use the Intel Celeron 2981U, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1168 socket.
AMD Ryzen 3000 Group Intel Celeron 2000
3 Generation 4
Desktop / Server Segment Mobile
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X Name Intel Celeron 2981U
AMD Ryzen 9 Family Intel Celeron
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is 3.8 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.6 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The Intel Celeron 2981U has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Celeron 2981U is 1.4 GHz
24 Threads 2
12x Cores 2x
12 CPU Cores 2
normal Core architecture normal
Yes Hyperthreading No
Yes Overclocking No
4.6 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) None
3.8 GHz Frequency 1.4 GHz
 
 

Internal Graphics

The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X does not have integrated graphics.
The Intel Celeron 2981U has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Celeron 2981U uses the Intel HD Graphics (Haswell GT1), which has 80 texture shaders
and 10 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
-- Shaders 80
-- Release date Q4/2012
-- Technology 22 nm
-- Direct X 11.1
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 2.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
-- Execution units 10
-- GPU frequency 0.2 GHz
-- Generation 7.5
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.0 GHz
GPU name Intel HD Graphics (Haswell GT1)
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
-- VP8 No
-- VC-1 Decode
-- JPEG Decode
-- AV1 No
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
-- AVC Decode / Encode
-- h264 Decode / Encode
-- VP9 No
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 16.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
DDR4-3200 Memory type DDR3L-1600, LPDDR3-1600
Yes ECC No
128.0 GB Max. Memory 16.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
51.2 GB/s Bandwidth 25.6 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 105 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 15 W watts.
142 W TDP (PL2) None
105 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 15 W
95 °C Tjunction max 100 °C
 
 

Technical details

The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is manufactured using a 7 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 64.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Celeron 2981U is manufactured using a 22 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 2.0 MB cache.
Q3/2019 Release date Q3/2013
AMD-V, SVM Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, FMA3, AVX2 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2
7 nm Technology 22 nm
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
485 $ Release price --
Matisse (Zen 2) Architecture Haswell U
64.0 MB L3-Cache 2.0 MB
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
AM4 (PGA 1331) Socket BGA 1168
6.0 MB L2-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
12C 24T @ 3.8 GHz
32755
32755
Intel Celeron 2981U
2C 2T @ 1.4 GHz
1024
1024

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
12C 24T @ 3.8 GHz
12454
12454
Intel Celeron 2981U
2C 2T @ 1.4 GHz
694
694

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
12C 24T @ 3.8 GHz
3168
3168
Intel Celeron 2981U
2C 2T @ 1.4 GHz
124
124

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
12C 24T @ 3.8 GHz
1300
1300
Intel Celeron 2981U
2C 2T @ 1.4 GHz
354
354

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
12C 24T @ 3.8 GHz
214
214
Intel Celeron 2981U
2C 2T @ 1.4 GHz
63
63

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X and Intel Celeron 2981U in leaderboards