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Intel Celeron G3930

Intel Celeron G3930 in 2025: Budget Processor for Basic Tasks

Relevant Review for Budget-Conscious Users

1. Key Specifications: Outdated Yet Practical Platform

Kaby Lake Architecture

The Intel Celeron G3930 processor, released in 2017, is based on the Kaby Lake microarchitecture (7th generation Intel). Despite its age, it remains an option for ultra-budget builds in 2025. The manufacturing process is 14nm, significantly lagging behind modern 7-10nm chips, but it offers acceptable energy efficiency (TDP of 51W).

Cores and Performance

- 2 Cores, 2 Threads — the minimum configuration for working with office applications and a browser.

- Base Frequency of 2.9 GHz — no Turbo Boost, which limits peak performance.

- L3 Cache of 2MB — a small amount for data caching, which affects task processing speed.

- Geekbench 6: 607 (Single-Core), 1040 (Multi-Core) — results are close to modern budget laptop ARM processors (e.g., MediaTek Kompanio 500).

Key Features

- Integrated Intel HD Graphics 610 — supports 4K via HDMI 1.4, but only at 30Hz.

- Support for hardware decoding of video formats H.264 and HEVC — useful for media centers.

2. Compatible Motherboards: Searching the Secondary Market

LGA 1151 Socket

The processor requires motherboards with the LGA 1151 socket (version v2, compatible with Kaby Lake). New boards are no longer manufactured, but they can be found at residual sellers or on platforms like eBay (price: $30-60 for used models).

Recommended Chipsets

- H110, B250, H270 — basic options supporting DDR4.

- Selection Features:

- Check for BIOS updates — some boards require firmware updates to work with Kaby Lake.

- PCIe 3.0 Limitation — modern graphics cards or NVMe drives will not operate at full speed.

Examples of Boards

- ASUS B250M-K — compact micro-ATX with HDMI.

- Gigabyte H110M-S2H — minimalist board with M.2 (SATA) support.

3. Supported Memory: Only DDR4

- Memory Type: DDR4-2133/2400 MHz (official support).

- Modes: Dual-channel configuration to increase bandwidth.

- Maximum Capacity: 64 GB (theoretically), but in practice, 8-16 GB is sufficient for basic tasks.

Important!

- DDR5 and LPDDR4x are not supported — this is a key limitation for upgrades.

- For budget builds, 8 GB modules (2x4 GB, $25-30 for a set) are suitable.

4. Power Supply: Minimum Requirements

Power Calculation

- Processor TDP: 51W.

- Considering other components (motherboard, SSD, memory), the system consumes about ~100-150W.

- Using a discrete graphics card (e.g., GTX 1650) — up to 250W.

Recommendations

- Without a Graphics Card: 300W PSU (e.g., EVGA 300W, $35).

- With a Graphics Card: 450-500W (Corsair CX450, $55).

- Choose power supplies with an 80+ Bronze certificate for stability.

5. Pros and Cons: Who is G3930 Relevant For?

Advantages

- Price: New processors (if available) — $40-50.

- Energy Efficiency: Suitable for PCs running 24/7 (e.g., home servers).

- Cooling Simplicity: Sufficient with a stock cooler or even a passive heatsink.

Disadvantages

- Weak Multitasking: Lags when using a browser with 10+ tabs and office applications simultaneously.

- Outdated Platform: No support for PCIe 4.0, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Thunderbolt.

6. Use Cases: Where is the Power Sufficient?

- Office Tasks: Word, Excel, email, Zoom — the processor manages, but with delays when rendering complex documents.

- Multimedia: 4K video playback (via VLC or Plex), but streaming Netflix in 4K is impossible due to lack of HDCP 2.2 support.

- Light Gaming:

- Minecraft (40-60 FPS on low settings).

- Counter-Strike: GO (720p, 50-60 FPS).

Limitations:

- Video editing or 3D modeling — not recommended due to long rendering times.

7. Comparison with Competitors: What to Buy Instead of G3930?

AMD Athlon 3000G (price: $60)

- 2 Cores/4 Threads, Vega 3 GPU.

- Better at multi-threaded tasks (+20% in Cinebench R23).

Intel Pentium Gold G6400 (price: $75)

- 2 Cores/4 Threads, UHD Graphics 610.

- Supports DDR4-2666, higher IPC.

Conclusion: G3930 is only beneficial with extreme cost-saving. Even a small increase in budget offers a noticeable performance boost.

8. Practical Assembly Tips

Basic Configuration ($200-250)

- Processor: G3930 ($50).

- Motherboard: ASUS H110M-K ($40, used).

- Memory: 8 GB DDR4-2400 ($30).

- Storage: 256 GB SATA SSD ($25).

- PSU: EVGA 400W ($35).

- Case: Budget Mini-Tower ($20).

Optimization

- Add $15-20 for a Deepcool GAMMAXX 200T cooler to reduce noise.

- Use Linux (e.g., Ubuntu) instead of Windows 11 to save resources.

9. Final Conclusion: Who is the Celeron G3930 Suitable For?

This processor is a choice for:

1. Office PCs — working with documents and databases.

2. Home Media Centers — watching movies and streaming.

3. Entry-Level Servers — NAS based on OpenMediaVault.

Why in 2025?

- Price: Cheaper than most competitors.

- Reliability: Proven platform with a low failure rate.

However, if your budget allows you to spend an additional $30-50, it's better to choose more modern CPUs — they will provide performance headroom for the future.

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.

G3930

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

2.90 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

607

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1040

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

736

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1353

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1778

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

2233

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-3840QM

688 +13.3%

Xeon D-1518

646 +6.4%

Celeron G3930

607

Xeon E3-1220L v2

569 -6.3%

Xeon X5670

534 -12%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Athlon Silver 3050U

1334 +28.3%

A10-6800K

1175 +13%

Celeron G3930

1040

Celeron G1850

945 -9.1%

Xeon E5-2630 v2

837 -19.5%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E3-1225 v3

775 +5.3%

Core i7-3930K

750 +1.9%

Celeron G3930

736

Xeon E5-2699 v3

717 -2.6%

Core i5-4278U

693 -5.8%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i3-7100H

1490 +10.1%

Core i3-3240

1416 +4.7%

Celeron G3930

1353

Celeron 7305E

1267 -6.4%

Pentium G2130

1177 -13%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Pentium Gold G5400T

1827 +2.8%

Core i5-4440S

1802 +1.3%

Celeron G3930

1778

Core i5-3570T

1754 -1.3%

Core i3-10100TE

1715 -3.5%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i5-5350U

2591 +16%

Phenom II X4 850

2361 +5.7%

Celeron G3930

2233

Pentium G3258

2075 -7.1%

A10-4600M

1922 -13.9%