Intel Core i5-2500K vs Intel Celeron N5100

Processor comparisons   05-02-2023
   For example you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i5-2500K vs Intel Celeron N5100 tests and see which is better for games or normal use for streaming, video editing, rendering, machine learning, programming. Here you can find useful information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like SuperPi, RealBench, WPrime, 3DMark, MATLAB, Prime95, UserBenchmark, PassMark, Blender, PCMark 10, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, Gears 5, AIDA64, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Furmark, 7zip.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

Watch Dogs Legion
Red Dead Redemption 2
Overwatch
Rainbow Six Siege
Cyberpunk 2077
Borderlands 3
Valheim
Last Man Standing
DOOM: Eternal
Valorant
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Halo Infinite
Death Stranding
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Fortnite
Fallout 76
Grand Theft Auto V
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Apex Legends

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Celeron N5100 or Intel Core i5-2500K.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i5-2500K

51%

Celeron N5100

50%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-2500K is 1% better than Celeron N5100. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-2500K

51%

Celeron N5100

51%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Battlefield V, Control, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, League of Legends (LOL), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.5	89.9
Valorant	103.9	102.2
Cyberpunk 2077	58.2	57.2
Apex Legends	97.7	96.0
Call of Duty Warzone	78.0	76.6
Overwatch	84.2	82.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.7	70.5
DOOM Eternal	52.0	51.1
Warzone	81.1	79.7
Assassin's Creed	87.3	85.8
Valheim	86.3	84.8

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-2500K

35%

Celeron N5100

338%

To make a final resolution on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Celeron N5100 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-2500K since it has less power consumption: 95W vs. 6W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the benefit of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-2500K	Intel Celeron N5100
Cinbench 15 Single-core	127	94
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	461	248
Cinbench 20 Single-core	262	202
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	894	603
Cinbench 23 Single-core	697	437
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2450	1604

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-2500K	Intel Celeron N5100
Single-Core	1684	1316
Multi-Core	4077	3246

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-2500K	Intel Celeron N5100
Single-Core	998	610
Multi-Core	3399	1869

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-2500K	Intel Celeron N5100
Announcement date	March 11, 2011	January 11, 2021
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	LGA1155	FCBGA1338
Core name	Sandy Bridge	Jasper Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	2	11
Turbo Frequency	3.7 MHz	2.4 MHz
Frequency	3.3 MHz	1.1 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	4	4
Bus rate	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	32 nm	10 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	2800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	6 W
Memory type	DDR3 1066/1333	DDR4 LPDDR4x
Max. Memory	32 Gb	16 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	21 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	4 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-2500K is 66% better than Celeron N5100 in terms of CPU frequency. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-2500K is better: 27
The number of parameters for which Intel Celeron N5100 is better: 5
However, it should be understood that all the figures in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i5-2500K and Intel Celeron N5100 before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i5-2500K - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-2500K specs and review.

Intel Celeron N5100 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Celeron N5100 specs and review.