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Intel Celeron N3060

Intel Celeron N3060: A Budget Processor for Basic Tasks

April 2025

Architecture and Process Technology: Braswell and 14 nm

The Intel Celeron N3060 processor, released in 2016, belongs to the Braswell generation. This solution was designed for ultra-budget laptops and compact devices, where key criteria are low cost and energy efficiency.

- Cores and Threads: 2 cores, 2 threads. The lack of Hyper-Threading technology limits multitasking but simplifies the architecture, reducing power consumption.

- Clock Frequencies: Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with a temporary boost capability up to 2.48 GHz in Turbo Boost mode. However, due to the modest TDP (6 W), the processor quickly returns to base frequency under load.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 400 (12 Execution Units, frequency 320–700 MHz). The graphics can handle 1080p video decoding, but are unsuitable for gaming or rendering.

- Process Technology: 14 nm. At its release, this was a progressive standard, but by 2025 such chips are considered outdated.

Braswell focuses on minimizing die area, making it cheaper to manufacture. However, the lack of support for modern instructions (like AVX2) limits compatibility with some applications.

Power Consumption and TDP: Silent Operation without Fans

The processor's TDP is 6 W. This allows for passive cooling, which is ideal for thin laptops and Chromebook-type devices.

- Thermal Output: Even under maximum load, the chip does not overheat, eliminating throttling in compact cases.

- Energy Efficiency: Idle power consumption drops to 2–3 W thanks to Intel SpeedStep technology.

Example: The ASUS VivoBook E203MA with the Celeron N3060 operates without a fan, making it completely silent.

Performance: Modest Results for Basic Tasks

Geekbench 6 (2025):

- Single-Core: 115

- Multi-Core: 209

These scores are similar to tablets from 2017-2018.

Usage Scenarios

1. Office Tasks:

- Working with documents (Word, Excel), web browsing with 5-7 tabs.

- Slowdowns may occur when running Zoom and a browser simultaneously.

2. Multimedia:

- Playing 1080p video via YouTube or local files (H.264 hardware acceleration).

- 4K video is not supported.

3. Gaming:

- Only light games: Minecraft (on low settings), Stardew Valley, browser games.

Turbo Boost mode temporarily speeds up task execution (e.g., opening a heavy web page), but due to TDP, this effect lasts no more than 10-15 seconds.

Usage Scenarios: Who is the Celeron N3060 Suitable For?

- Students: For note-taking in lectures and working with PDFs.

- Seniors: Simple tasks like email and video calls.

- Secondary Device: A lightweight laptop for travel or cafes.

Not Suitable For:

- Video editing, programming in heavy IDEs, gaming.

- Running Windows 11 — the system is officially unsupported (requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot).

Advice: Consider Chrome OS — Chromebooks with this processor run significantly faster due to OS optimization.

Battery Life: Up to 10 Hours of Operation

Thanks to the 6 W TDP, laptops with the Celeron N3060 are equipped with batteries of 30–40 Wh, providing:

- 8–10 hours of web browsing.

- 6–7 hours of video playback.

Power-Saving Technologies:

- Intel SpeedStep: Dynamic frequency adjustment.

- C-States: Disabling unused cores during idle.

Example: The Lenovo IdeaPad 100S (2025 re-release) with Celeron N3060 and a 38 Wh battery lasts all day on a single charge.

Comparison with Competitors

- AMD A4-9120 (Stoney Ridge): 2 cores/2 threads, TDP 10 W. Better graphics (Radeon R3), but higher power consumption.

- Intel Pentium N4200 (Apollo Lake): 4 cores, TDP 6 W. Multithreading and support for 4K.

- Apple A10 Fusion (iPhone 7): Comparable performance, but optimized for mobile OS.

Conclusion: The Celeron N3060 lags behind even budget AMD and newer Intel Pentium models, but wins on price.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

- Low device cost ($200–$300).

- Silent operation.

- Good battery life.

Cons:

- Weak performance.

- No support for modern standards (USB-C, Wi-Fi 6).

- Limited upgradeability (memory is often soldered to the motherboard).

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

1. Type of Device:

- Chromebooks (Acer Chromebook 311) — the best choice due to OS optimization.

- Ultrabooks with Windows (HP Stream 11) — for office applications.

2. What to Look For:

- SSD instead of eMMC: Speeds up system boot.

- Minimum 4 GB RAM: This is insufficient for Windows 10/11 but enough for Chrome OS.

- Screen: An IPS panel is preferable to TN for better viewing angles.

Examples of 2025 Models:

- ASUS Laptop E410MA (14" HD, 4 GB, 64 GB eMMC) — $249.

- Dell Inspiron 11 3185 (11.6" HD, 4 GB, 128 GB SSD) — $279.

Final Conclusion

The Intel Celeron N3060 in 2025 is a choice for those needing an extremely cheap laptop for basic tasks. Its advantages in price, battery life, and quietness outweigh the performance drawbacks.

Who is it Suitable For:

- Users needing a second laptop for travel.

- Those who work only with a browser and office applications.

- Buyers with a budget of up to $300.

Alternatives: If your budget allows for $400–$500, consider laptops with Intel N100 (Alder Lake-N) or AMD Ryzen 3 7320U processors — they are 3-4 times faster and support modern technologies.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Laptop

Launch Date

January 2016

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.

N3060

Code Name

Braswell

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.

Performance-cores

Performance-core Base Frequency

1.6 GHz

L1 Cache

48K per core

L2 Cache

1MB per core

L3 Cache

2MB shared

Unlocked Multiplier

CPU Socket

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

BGA-1170

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.

90 °C

PCIe Version

PCI Express is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard used for connecting high-speed components, replacing older standards such as AGP, PCI, and PCI-X. It has gone through multiple revisions and improvements since its initial release. PCIe 1.0 was first introduced in 2002, and in order to meet the growing demand for higher bandwidth, subsequent versions have been released over time.

2.0

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.

x86-64

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.

DDR3L-1600

Max Memory Size

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

8GB

Memory Channels

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

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).

25.6 GB/s

ECC Memory Support

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

True

GPU Max Dynamic Frequency

600 MHz

Miscellaneous

PCIe Lanes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

115

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

209

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

211

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

386

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

626

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

658

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Pentium B980

357 +210.4%

A4-4300M

313 +172.2%

A8-3520M

257 +123.5%

Celeron N2820

180 +56.5%

Celeron N3060

115

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Celeron 3865U

693 +231.6%

Pentium B980

601 +187.6%

Core i3-2377M

500 +139.2%

A6-4455M

336 +60.8%

Celeron N3060

209

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Pentium N4200

335 +58.8%

E2-3200

298 +41.2%

E-240

243 +15.2%

Celeron N3060

211

Atom Z2520

59 -72%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

A6-5400B

688 +78.2%

A4-6320

588 +52.3%

Pentium U5600

471 +22%

Celeron N3060

386

Atom Z2480

94 -75.6%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Pentium B940

849 +35.6%

Opteron 6272

753 +20.3%

Celeron N3060

626

Celeron 1019Y

521 -16.8%

Atom N2800

319 -49%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Celeron G550T

1102 +67.5%

Celeron 1017U

888 +35%

A4-3320M

668 +1.5%

Celeron N3060

658

Celeron B710

106 -83.9%