Intel Celeron 2981U vs Intel Core i7-990X

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Celeron 2981U or Intel Celeron 2981U – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Intel Celeron 2981U features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2013 and belongs to the 4 generation of the Intel Celeron series.
To use the Intel Celeron 2981U, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1168 socket.
The Intel Core i7-990X features 6 processor cores and has the capability to manage 12 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2011 and belongs to the 1 generation of the Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition series.
To use the Intel Core i7-990X, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1366 socket.
Mobile Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Celeron 2981U Name Intel Core i7-990X
Intel Celeron Family Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition
4 Generation 1
Intel Celeron 2000 Group Intel Core i7 900
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Celeron 2981U has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Celeron 2981U is 1.4 GHz
The Intel Core i7-990X has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-990X is 3.46 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.73 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
normal Core architecture normal
1.4 GHz Frequency 3.46 GHz
None None 3.73 GHz
2 Threads 12
No Overclocking Yes
No Hyperthreading Yes
2 CPU Cores 6
2x Cores 6x
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Celeron 2981U has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Celeron 2981U uses the Intel HD Graphics (Haswell GT1), which has 80 texture shaders
and 10 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Intel Core i7-990X does not have integrated graphics.
0.2 GHz GPU frequency --
Q4/2012 Release date --
11.1 Direct X --
Intel HD Graphics (Haswell GT1) GPU name
22 nm Technology --
-- Max. displays --
80 Shaders --
2.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
10 Execution units --
7.5 Generation --
1.0 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
Decode / Encode AVC --
Decode VC-1 --
No VP9 --
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
Decode / Encode h264 --
No VP8 --
No h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
Decode JPEG --
No AV1 --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 16.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 24.0 GB distributed across 3 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
2 Memory channels 3
16.0 GB Max. Memory 24.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI No
No ECC No
25.6 GB/s Bandwidth 25.6 GB/s
DDR3L-1600, LPDDR3-1600 Memory type DDR3-1066
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 15 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 130 W watts.
100 °C Tjunction max --
15 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 130 W
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Celeron 2981U is manufactured using a 22 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 2.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i7-990X is manufactured using a 32 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 12.0 MB cache.
Q3/2013 Release date Q1/2011
-- Part Number --
0 bytes L2-Cache 1.5 MB
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT
SSE4.1, SSE4.2 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
Haswell U Architecture Gulftown
22 nm Technology 32 nm
BGA 1168 Socket LGA 1366
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
-- Release price 1059 $
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
2.0 MB L3-Cache 12.0 MB