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Intel Celeron G3950

Intel Celeron G3950: Budget Processor of 2025 — Is It Worth It?

April 2025

Introduction

Intel Celeron processors have always been positioned as affordable solutions for undemanding tasks. The Celeron G3950, released in 2017, is still available for sale due to its low price and minimalist specifications. But is it relevant in 2025? Let's delve into the details.

Key Specifications

Kaby Lake Architecture: Past vs. Present

The Celeron G3950 is built on the Kaby Lake microarchitecture (14 nm), which was the last generation of Intel before transitioning to a 10 nm process. This dual-core processor lacks Hyper-Threading support (2 threads), with a base frequency of 3.0 GHz.

- L3 Cache: 2 MB — the minimum size for handling simple tasks.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 610. Suitable for 4K output via HDMI 1.4, but not for gaming.

- TDP: 51 W — energy efficiency typical of office laptops.

Performance:

- Geekbench 6: 623 (Single-Core), 1120 (Multi-Core).

For comparison, a modern budget processor like the AMD Ryzen 3 7300 (Zen 4) scores over 1800 in single-thread tests.

Key Features:

- Support for hardware video decoding H.265/VP9 — useful for 4K streaming.

- Low cost (new units range from $40-60).

Compatible Motherboards

LGA 1151 Socket: Limited Choices in 2025

The G3950 uses the LGA 1151 v2 socket, compatible with 200-series chipsets:

- H210/B250/H270: Basic function boards (ASUS Prime B250M-K, Gigabyte H270-HD3).

Features:

- No support for PCIe 4.0/5.0.

- Maximum of 2 DDR4 slots.

- Many boards have been discontinued — look for leftovers (price: $50-80) or used options.

Important: Kaby Lake requires BIOS version P6.0 or later. Check compatibility before purchasing!

Supported Memory Types

DDR4-2400: Optimal Choice

The processor works officially with DDR4-2400 and unofficially with DDR3L-1600. Recommendations:

- Use 8-16 GB DDR4 (2 modules for dual-channel mode).

- Example: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB DDR4-2400 ($25 per module).

- Important: DDR5 and high-frequency DDR4 (3000+ MHz) are not supported.

Power Supply Recommendations

Minimum Wattage — Maximum Reliability

With a TDP of 51 W and no discrete GPU, a 300-400 W PSU will suffice:

- Budget Option: EVGA 400 W1 (80+ White, $35).

- With Upgrade Potential: Corsair CX450 (80+ Bronze, $55).

Tip: Don’t skimp on the PSU. Cheap models (e.g., from noname brands) can damage components.

Pros and Cons of the Celeron G3950

Pros:

- Price: One of the cheapest processors on the market.

- Energy Efficiency: Suitable for compact PCs without powerful cooling.

- HDMI 4K: Can build a media center for Netflix/YouTube.

Cons:

- Weak Multithreading: 2 cores lead to issues with modern OS and applications.

- Outdated Platform: No NVMe support, no USB 3.2 Gen 2.

- No Upgrade Path: The next step would require replacing both the motherboard and processor.

Use Cases

What is the G3950 Suitable For in 2025?

1. Office PC: Working with documents, browsing, Zoom.

Example: A system based on the G3950, 8 GB DDR4, 256 GB SSD — ideal for accounting.

2. Home Theater: Streaming 4K video via Plex/Kodi.

3. Entry-Level Server: NAS for file storage (based on OpenMediaVault).

Not Suitable For:

- Gaming (even CS2 at low settings will lag).

- Video editing, 3D modeling.

Comparison with Competitors

Budget Segment: Who’s Better?

1. AMD Athlon 3000G (Zen, 14 nm):

- 2 cores/4 threads, Vega 3 GPU.

- Geekbench 6 Multi-Core: ~1300.

- Price: $55.

Conclusion: Better at multitasking, but harder to find new units.

2. Intel Pentium Gold G6400 (Comet Lake, 14 nm):

- 2 cores/4 threads, UHD Graphics 610.

- Geekbench 6 Multi-Core: ~1500.

- Price: $75.

Conclusion: More optimal if DDR4-2666 support is needed.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. Motherboard: Look for models with HDMI and USB 3.1 (ASRock B250M-HDV).

2. Storage: SSD is a must (Crucial BX500 240 GB — $30).

3. Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient, but for quieter operation, consider the Deepcool GAMMAXX 200T ($15).

4. Case: Mini-ITX for a media center (Cooler Master Elite 110 — $50).

Sample Build:

- Processor: G3950 ($50).

- Motherboard: ASUS H110M-K ($60).

- RAM: 8 GB DDR4 ($25).

- SSD: 240 GB ($30).

- PSU: EVGA 400W ($35).

- Total: ~$200.

Final Verdict: Who Should Consider the Celeron G3950?

This processor is a choice for those who need maximum savings:

- Office Workers: PCs for Word/Excel.

- Retro Gaming Enthusiasts: Running older games (e.g., Half-Life 2).

- Media Center Owners: Streaming content in 4K.

Why Not to Buy:

If you plan to use the PC for more than 2-3 years or need any kind of multitasking capabilities, it's better to add $50-70 and opt for a Pentium Gold or Ryzen 3.

Conclusion

The Intel Celeron G3950 in 2025 is a niche solution. It falls behind even budget APU offerings from AMD but remains a lifeline for ultra-cheap builds. Buy it only if your budget is tightly constrained and your tasks are exceedingly simple.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

January 2017

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

G3950

Code Name

Kaby Lake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

3.00 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

L3 Cache

2 MB

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCLGA1151

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

14 nm

TDP

51 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100°C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

3.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

Up to 1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8+2x4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR4 2133 | DDR3L 1333/1600 @ 1.35V

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

64 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

8 GT/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

Yes

GPU Specifications

GPU Name

Intel® HD Graphics 610

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

350 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.05 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

64 GB

4K Support

Yes | at 60Hz

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096x2304@24Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096x2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

4096x2304@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

2 MB

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel Clear Video Technology

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel InTru 3D Technology

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.4

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

623

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1120

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

722

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1169

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1851

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

2322

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Xeon E5-2675 v3

698 +12%

Xeon E3-1225 v2

653 +4.8%

Celeron G3950

623

A10-9700E

578 -7.2%

Xeon E5-1410 v2

546 -12.4%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Pentium G4560

1451 +29.6%

Core i7-2920XM

1270 +13.4%

Celeron G3950

1120

3015e

1020 -8.9%

Core i5-2415M

922 -17.7%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E5-2697 v3

755 +4.6%

Core i5-2500S

738 +2.2%

Celeron G3950

722

Ryzen 3 3300U

697 -3.5%

Xeon Gold 6262V

678 -6.1%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Athlon Silver 7120U

1350 +15.5%

PRO A12-8870

1254 +7.3%

Celeron G3950

1169

Core i5-3610ME

1093 -6.5%

EPYC 7532

1022 -12.6%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Ryzen Embedded R2314

1921 +3.8%

EPYC 7601

1890 +2.1%

Celeron G3950

1851

Xeon E5-2697 v2

1811 -2.2%

Core i5-7400T

1787 -3.5%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core m3-7Y32

2709 +16.7%

Celeron N4120

2529 +8.9%

Celeron G3950

2322

Core i3-5010U

2195 -5.5%

Core i3-2102

2029 -12.6%