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Intel Celeron 3965U

Intel Celeron 3965U

Intel Celeron 3965U in 2025: Is it Worth Buying a Laptop with This Processor?

April 2025

Introduction

The Intel Celeron 3965U, released in 2017, is still found in budget laptops. Despite its age, it can be found in new devices priced at $300–400. But how relevant is it in 2025? Let's delve into the details.

Architecture and Process Technology

Kaby Lake on 14 nm: Modest Capabilities

The Celeron 3965U is based on the Kaby Lake architecture (2016-2017) with a 14 nm process technology. It is a dual-core CPU without support for multithreading (2 cores / 2 threads). The base frequency is 2.2 GHz, and there is no turbo mode. The L3 cache is only 2 MB, which limits data processing speed.

Integrated Graphics Intel HD 610

The Intel HD 610 iGPU (base frequency 300 MHz, maximum 900 MHz) is suitable only for basic tasks:

- Watching videos in Full HD.

- Working with office applications.

- Light gaming like Minecraft or Stardew Valley on low settings (up to 30 FPS).

The architecture is outdated, but its energy efficiency (TDP of 15 W) allows the CPU to be used in ultrabooks.

Power Consumption and TDP

15 W: A Balance Between Performance and Battery Life

A TDP of 15 W means that the processor generates little heat, making cooling easier. This is ideal for thin laptops (e.g., Acer Aspire 1 or Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3), where quiet operation and compactness are important.

However, the low TDP limits performance: under load (for example, running Zoom with 10 browser tabs open), stuttering may occur.

Performance in Real Tasks

Geekbench 6: 477 (Single-Core) / 852 (Multi-Core)

These scores are comparable to budget processors from 2018-2020. Usage examples include:

- Office Work: Word, Excel, PowerPoint — comfortable operation, but scenarios involving large spreadsheets or presentations may take time.

- Media: Streaming video (YouTube, Netflix) in Full HD — no problems here, but 4K is not supported.

- Gaming: Only older or very light games (e.g., CS:GO on minimum settings — 20-25 FPS).

Turbo Mode?

There is none. The frequency is fixed at 2.2 GHz, making the CPU predictable but inflexible under load.

Usage Scenarios

Who is the Celeron 3965U for?

1. Students: Note-taking, online courses, working with PDFs.

2. Office Workers: Documents, emails, video calls (but without background tasks).

3. Budget-Conscious Users: Laptops priced at $300–400 with SSD and 4–8 GB of RAM.

Who should avoid it?

- Gamers: The iGPU is too weak even for indie games in 2025.

- Designers/Programmers: Photoshop, Figma, Visual Studio will lag.

Battery Life

6–8 Hours of Work: Myth or Reality?

In laptops with a 40–45 Wh battery (e.g., HP 14-dk1000), the Celeron 3965U can provide up to 7 hours of web surfing. Contributing factors include:

- Intel SpeedStep: Dynamic frequency management.

- Operating System Power-Saving Modes: For instance, Windows 11/12’s “Battery Saver.”

However, battery life heavily depends on battery capacity. Devices with HDDs instead of SSDs may lose up to 1.5 hours due to the slow storage.

Comparison with Competitors

Intel vs. AMD vs. Apple

1. AMD Athlon Silver 3050U (2020): 2 cores / 2 threads, Vega 2 iGPU. Performance is on par with Celeron, but graphics are slightly better.

2. Apple M1 (2020): SoC with 8 cores. By 2025, even a used MacBook Air M1 ($450–500) outperforms the Celeron by 3-4 times.

3. Intel Pentium Gold 7505 (2021): 2 cores / 4 threads, Iris Xe iGPU. A better choice for $400–500.

Conclusion: The Celeron 3965U lags behind modern counterparts but comes at a lower price.

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Low price of laptops ($300–400).

- Energy efficiency.

- Sufficient for basic tasks.

Weaknesses:

- No room for future operating systems and applications.

- Weak graphics.

- Limited multitasking.

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

What to Look For?

1. Type of Device: Ultrabook or budget laptop (not gaming!).

2. RAM: Minimum of 8 GB (4 GB in 2025 is painful).

3. Storage: Only SSD (256 GB is sufficient).

4. Screen: IPS panel with a resolution of 1920x1080.

Examples of 2025 Models:

- ASUS VivoBook 15: 8 GB, 256 GB SSD, Full HD screen — $349.

- Dell Inspiron 14 3420: Similar specs, but with a touchscreen — $399.

Important! Check if there are laptops in the same price segment with Intel N100/N200 processors (2023-2024) — they're 30-40% more powerful.

Final Conclusion

Who is the Celeron 3965U Suitable For?

- Users who need a cheap laptop for simple tasks: internet, documents, videos.

- Those willing to tolerate slow performance when multitasking.

Key Benefits:

- Low price.

- Long battery life.

- Compactness and quiet operation.

Alternative: If the budget allows adding $100–150, it’s better to choose a laptop with an Intel Core i3 12th generation or AMD Ryzen 3 7300U processor — they will last longer and won't disappoint in terms of performance.

The Celeron 3965U in 2025 is a choice for those looking for a "workhorse" for minimal money. But remember: this kind of laptop is not an investment; it's a temporary solution.

Read more...

Basic

Label Name
Intel
Platform
Mobile
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.
3965U
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).
2
Total Threads
?
Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.
2
Basic Frequency
2.20 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.
No
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.
No
L3 Cache
2 MB
CPU Socket
?
The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.
FCBGA1356 | FPBGA1356
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
15 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.
2.0
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.
10
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.
1x4 | 2x2 | 1x2+2x1 and 4x1

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 | LPDDR3-1866 | DDR3L-1600
Max Memory Size
?
Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.
32 GB
Memory Channels
?
The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.
2
Bus Speed
4 GT/s
Max Memory Bandwidth
?
Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).
34.1 GB/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.
No

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.
300 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.
900 MHz
Graphics Video Max Memory
32 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.
12
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
3
Graphics Output
?
Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.
eDP/DP/HDMI/DVI

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® Smart Cache
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 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 Flex Memory Access
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
477
Geekbench 6
Multi Core Score
852
Geekbench 5
Single Core Score
536
Geekbench 5
Multi Core Score
899
Passmark CPU
Single Core Score
1352
Passmark CPU
Multi Core Score
1743

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core
Pentium G2130
548 +14.9%
FX-6330
508 +6.5%
Celeron 3965U
477
A10-6700
438 -8.2%
A8 PRO-7600B
407 -14.7%
Geekbench 6 Multi Core
Pentium G4400T
1058 +24.2%
Core i5-2540M
951 +11.6%
Celeron 3965U
852
Core i5-3339Y
707 -17%
Celeron 2950M
623 -26.9%
Geekbench 5 Single Core
Xeon E5-2658 v4
572 +6.7%
Celeron G4900T
556 +3.7%
Celeron 3965U
536
PRO A10-9700
522 -2.6%
A6-7400K
506 -5.6%
Geekbench 5 Multi Core
A6-3650
1073 +19.4%
3015Ce
1001 +11.3%
Celeron 3965U
899
Celeron 3865U
839 -6.7%
PRO A4-8350B
762 -15.2%
Passmark CPU Single Core
Core i3-2100
1424 +5.3%
Pentium 1403 V2
1391 +2.9%
Celeron 3965U
1352
Pentium G2020T
1298 -4%
A4-5300B
1249 -7.6%
Passmark CPU Multi Core
Core M-5Y71
2025 +16.2%
Core M-5Y10
1906 +9.4%
Celeron 3965U
1743
A6-6420K
1576 -9.6%
Pentium 2030M
1413 -18.9%