Home / Intel Celeron / Intel Celeron 3965Y: Performance and Specs

Intel Celeron 3965Y

Intel Celeron 3965Y: Minimum Power, Maximum Efficiency? Review of the Processor for Ultra-Budget Laptops

(As of April 2025)

Architecture and Process Technology: What Kaby Lake Hides

Cores, Threads, and Modest Frequencies

The Intel Celeron 3965Y, released in 2017 as part of the Kaby Lake platform, is still found in entry-level budget laptops. It is a 2-core processor with 2 threads (no Hyper-Threading), operating at a base frequency of 1.5 GHz—without turbo mode. The manufacturing process is 14 nm, which appears outdated in 2025 compared to 7-nm AMD Ryzen 3 or 5-nm Apple M1.

Integrated Graphics: HD Graphics 615

The integrated GPU is the Intel HD Graphics 615, with 24 execution units and a frequency of up to 850 MHz. This solution supports 4K video via DisplayPort or HDMI, but it's not suitable for gaming. At best, you can run Minecraft on minimum settings or play browser games.

Architecture Features:

- Supports DDR3L/LPDDR3 memory up to 16 GB (but in reality, laptops are rarely equipped with more than 4–8 GB);

- No support for PCIe 4.0/5.0—only PCIe 3.0;

- Absence of Turbo Boost technology: the frequency is fixed.

Power Consumption and TDP: 6 W as a Key Advantage

The processor's TDP (Thermal Design Power) is 6 W, making it suitable for devices without active cooling. For example, in ultra-slim laptops or convertible tablets. This is an ideal option for compact gadgets where silence and weight are more important than performance.

Practical Example: The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 11-inch (2024) with Celeron 3965Y operates without a fan, making it completely silent, but this limits performance.

Performance: Realistic Expectations

Office and Multimedia

- Geekbench 6: 322 (Single-Core), 558 (Multi-Core). For comparison, the Apple M1 (2020) scores ~2300/7500, while the AMD Ryzen 3 7320U (2023) scores 1500/4500.

- Real Tasks:

- Google Docs, Microsoft Office: Comfortable document work;

- Watching YouTube at 1080p: Possible, but 4K can sometimes cause stutters;

- Opening 10+ tabs simultaneously in a browser: Leads to noticeable lags.

Gaming

Only undemanding projects:

- Stardew Valley — 30–40 FPS;

- Terraria — 25–35 FPS;

- Roblox — playable on low settings.

Use Cases: Who is the Celeron 3965Y Suitable for in 2025?

1. Students: For note-taking, online courses, and Zoom conferences.

2. Older Users: Simple tasks without interface overload.

3. Backup Devices: A cheap laptop for traveling or as a “backup” option.

Important! Do not consider this processor for:

- Video editing (even at 1080p);

- Running modern AI applications (e.g., Copilot);

- Working with “heavy” OS like Windows 11 Pro—better to choose ChromeOS.

Battery Life: Up to 10 Hours?

With a battery capacity of 40–45 Wh, laptops with the Celeron 3965Y can operate 7–9 hours while web surfing. Contributing factors include:

- Intel Speed Shift: Fast switching between C-states for energy savings;

- Passive Cooling: The absence of a fan reduces power consumption.

Tip: For maximum battery life, choose models with IPS displays that have a brightness of at least 250 nits and a resolution of HD (1366x768).

Comparison with Competitors: Who Offers Better Value for Money?

AMD Athlon Silver 3050e (2020)

- 2 cores / 2 threads, 6 W TDP;

- Geekbench 6: ~340/600;

- Pros: Support for faster LPDDR4 memory.

Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y (2021)

- 2 cores / 4 threads, 7 W TDP;

- Geekbench 6: ~400/850;

- Pros: Hyper-Threading and frequency ranging from 1.5 to 3.4 GHz.

Apple Silicon (M1, 2020)

Even the base MacBook Air M1 (starting at $700) is significantly more powerful, but the comparison is unfair due to the price difference.

Conclusion: The Celeron 3965Y lags behind even budget processors from 2023–2024, but it wins on device cost.

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Ultra-low power consumption;

- Silent operation;

- Prices for laptops starting at $200.

Weaknesses:

- Low multitasking performance;

- Outdated architecture;

- Limited support for modern technologies (Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt 4).

Laptop Buying Recommendations

Types of Devices:

- Ultrabooks: For example, ASUS VivoBook Go 14 (priced at $250);

- ChromeOS Devices: HP Chromebook 11 (priced at $220);

- Convertible Tablets: Lenovo 300e 2nd Gen.

What to Pay Attention To:

1. RAM Size: At least 8 GB (4 GB in 2025 will be a struggle).

2. Drive Type: SSD is essential (even 128 GB is better than HDD).

3. Screen: Brightness of at least 220 nits for working in daylight.

Caution! Avoid models with eMM storage—slow and unreliable.

Final Verdict: Is It Worth Buying?

The Intel Celeron 3965Y is a processor for those seeking a maximally cheap device for basic tasks. In 2025, it can be recommended only in three cases:

1. The budget is strictly limited ($200–300);

2. A compact laptop is needed for reading, email, and YouTube;

3. Priority is long battery life over speed.

Alternative: If your budget allows an additional $100–150, consider laptops with Intel N-series (e.g., N100) or AMD Ryzen 3 7320U—they offer noticeable performance boosts without serious drawbacks in battery life.

P.S. As of April 2025, laptops with the Celeron 3965Y are no longer in production, but they can be found in stock at retailers or in the refurbished segment. Before purchasing, check the device's release date: batteries in models from 2019–2021 may be worn out.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

April 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.

3965Y

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

1.50 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.

CPU Socket

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

FCBGA1515

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

6 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.

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.

LPDDR3-1866 | DDR3L-1600

Max Memory Size

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

16 GB

Memory Channels

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

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).

29.8 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.

GPU Specifications

GPU Name

Intel® HD Graphics 615

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.

850 MHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

16 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

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

322

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

558

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

386

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

741

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

901

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

1194

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

A4-6320

398 +23.6%

Core i3-2350M

367 +14%

Celeron 3965Y

322

A6-3410MX

268 -16.8%

Xeon E5603

201 -37.6%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i3-3110M

775 +38.9%

Celeron 3765U

662 +18.6%

Celeron 3965Y

558

A6-1450

450 -19.4%

Celeron N3350

255 -54.3%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i5-3317U

439 +13.7%

Pentium 3805U

415 +7.5%

Celeron 3965Y

386

Core i3-3217UE

353 -8.5%

A6-3620

315 -18.4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Athlon X4 840

890 +20.1%

Core i3-2328M

831 +12.1%

Celeron 3965Y

741

Pentium B950

643 -13.2%

A10-6700T

532 -28.2%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Celeron G550T

1026 +13.9%

Celeron G530T

962 +6.8%

Celeron 3965Y

901

A6-4455M

790 -12.3%

Atom x7-Z8750

679 -24.6%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i5-2467M

1446 +21.1%

A8-4555M

1311 +9.8%

Celeron 3965Y

1194

A4-3420

1054 -11.7%

Pentium 997

809 -32.2%