Intel Celeron N3050 / N3060 [Review] Low-Cost Entry-Level Processors

The Intel Celeron N3050 and N3060 belong to the 14-nanometer “Braswell” processor family and bottom of Intel’s laptop CPU lineup. The dual-core chips are clocked at 1.6GHz base speed. The boost speed on the N3050 goes up to 2.16GHz, while the N3060 can go up to 2.48GHz. Regardless of the clock speed differences, both chips perform similarly, with the N3060 being only a tad faster. Generally, the CPUs are suitable only for the basic home and office computing operations, very similar to the popular and older Celeron N “Bay Trail” 22-nanometer series. As same as the other Braswell parts, the Celeron N3050 and N3060 consume 6 Watts of power, as opposed to 7.5W of Bay Trail CPUs. Therefore, they are power-efficient processors and that’s their best feature besides low cost.
The chips are used in various budget notebook PCs, especially those with small displays and casings.
Intel Celeron N3050 / N3060 Benchmark
Real-World Use Test
We have tested the Celeron N3050 in an HP 15 laptop configuration with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB 5,400rpm hard drive. As noted previously, the N3060 runs only slightly faster. The difference isn’t noticeable during real-world computing activities.
As you can see in the video, the N3050 paired with 4GB of system memory can handle the daily tasks well. It provides sufficient power for running multiple web browser tabs with heavy web pages opened, Office applications, and even some photo and video editing. However, applying image adjustments and effects and video exports take some time, so the CPU definitely isn’t recommended for that type of activity on regular basis. With the current video drivers, select programs running on the N3050 had some high-definition video playback issues. For instance, playing 1080p and 4K YouTube videos VLC Media Player program and in Google Chrome web browser produces very high CPU loads and dropped video frames. On the other hand, in Microsoft Edge browser these videos run smooth with much lower CPU load.
Gaming
Also, the reviewed N3050 and its Intel HD integrated graphics struggled with running most of the popular games, even some relatively light titles. Again, future driver updates might bring improved gaming performance, but currently you can play without big lags only League of Legends and Minecraft among the blockbuster games. We have also tested Dota 2, Skyrim, and Counter Strike GO. The processor and its IGP weren’t able to achieve gameplay at above 20 fps in these games.
Temperatures were quite low, even during heavy 10-minute CPU load while converting a video file with 100% CPU utilization. The CPU temp was 46 degrees Celsius on idle and up to 57 degrees during the video conversion.
Check out systems with the Celeron N3050 and Celeron N3060.
Note: The benchmark scores of the listed processors are averages measured across various devices with these processors. The scores and real-world performance of the Intel Celeron N3050 and compared CPUs may vary depending on the notebooks' other components, settings, cooling, and other factors. However, the benchmark results are good indicators of the processors' performance.
Specifications of the Intel Celeron N3050
Here are the most important specs of the Intel Celeron N3050:
Processor Name | Intel Celeron N3050 / N3060 |
---|---|
CPU Family | Intel "Braswell" |
Number of Cores | Dual-core / 1 computing thread per core |
CPU Clock Speed | Base: 1.6GHz, Burst: up to 2.16GHz on N3050, up to 2.48GHz on N3060 |
Cache Size | 2MB |
Memory Support | DDR3 (1600 MHz max. speed) |
Integrated Graphics | Intel HD |
Power Consumption | 6W |
Production Technology | 14-nanometer |
Notable Technologies | Intel QuickSync Video (speeds up conversion of video files) |
Typical Use | Affordable laptops & 2-in-1 PCs |
User Benchmark Average CPU Score | 10.9 |
User Reviews and Q&A on the Intel Celeron N3050
Below you can read and submit user reviews, questions, and answers about the processor. Thank you for your contribution.
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Question
walter –
I have installed ubuntu 22 on proline n3060 and it is failing to find the wifi adapter. Any help
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Dan –
Hi, I would try to use lspci command to find what Wi-Fi adapter model you have and then use Google to find Ubuntu drivers for it and install them.
Question
francisco –
pregunta me gustaria saber si le puedo cambiar el Processor: Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU N3050 @ 1.60GHz (2 CPUs), ~1.6GHz a mi laptop y cual seria compatible????
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Question
Hadith –
Can Intel Celeron N3060 editing a video?
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Dan –
Video editing generally require a good processor and the N3060 is a very weak one. You’ll be maybe able to edit some videos with up to 1080p resolution, but performance would be very slow. For video editing on regular mid-range laptops, I can recommend some of the common mid-tier laptop processors such as the Intel i5 / i7 or AMD Ryzen 5 / 7. If you however do video editing regularly and use high-resolutions like 4K, I recommend some of the gaming class laptops with H-series i5 / i7 and Ryzen 5 / 7 H-series and dedicated video cards.
Question
BROTHER –
Can these processors run with passive cooling? is it bad to use one?
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Dan –
Hi, these CPUs can run with passive cooling and are commonly found in passive-cooled laptops. They don’t produce a lot of heat, but on the negative side, they offer very basic computing performance. Still, you can use them for light computing tasks like light web browsing or text processing but you won’t have a smooth user experience of the common mid-range laptops.
Question
Chidera –
Can I increase the processor speed of celeron N3060 1.6Ghz if I add another 4 GB ram to my laptop
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Question
Jeff Vai –
Can one play PubG on a CPU N3050 @ 1.6GHz w/8.00GB RAM?
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Dan –
Unfortunately, no. The processor and its integrated graphics are too weak for PUBG. You will be maybe able to start and run the game, but it would be too choppy for normal playing.
Zach –
Hello I’m using intel celeron n3060 for almost 5 years and i woke up this morning and this happends
1 out of 5 Celeron n3060
Muhammad –
I have intel celeronn3060@1.60 ghz. And 2 GB RAM. It’s extremely slow. Even i can’t browse the internet.
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4 out of 5 Does its job well
Cardin N –
I’ve had this processor for 4 years and it’s speed and performance is pretty much trash when it comes to more advanced tasks and even just light gaming. However, this processor was probably only meant for users that wanted to simply browse the Web and send emails, call on Skype or Discord and other simple tasks. It gives enough speed and power to do these tasks pretty easily. It may have the slowest speeds a processor could have, but it does its job well as being a processor meant for basic and simple tasks. I rate this 4/5.
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Question
Spiros –
I have a Lenovo laptopwith Celeron N3060, short ago, I started to have black screen when sharing screen tomultiple viewers using zoom… could this processor be the culprit of the black screens?
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Cardin N –
I also have an Intel Celeron N3060 and for me over the past 4 years I’ve had this laptop, it’s kinda bad. N3060 is probably just meant for browsing and sending emails and other basic tasks and maybe a few more advanced tasks. Of course, the processor has diminished in speed and performance over the years but it does its job pretty well. The processor has a base speed of 1.6GHz which isn’t too bad if you just want to be browsing the Web and doing other basic things. I had my processor in Lenovo Ideapad 110s along with the Intel HD Graphics 400. The graphics card is also really low-end but can still get playable FPS in simple games on the lowest settings. I think the N3060 is a good processor because it does its job well. It’s definitely doesn’t have good performance or speed but it’s supposed to be like that. So if you’re looking for a processor that’s super cheap and you just want to browse the Internet and send emails or maybe call on Skype or Discord and other basic or relatively simple tasks, the Intel Celeron N3060 is a good choice.
Question
prince –
I have an N3050 processor and 4gb ram , so I was wondering if I can upgrade my ram to 8gb if my pc only support 1 slot
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Dan –
The N3050 processor and its accompanying platform support up to 8GB RAM. If there are no software restrictions in BIOS of your laptop model and if the RAM slot is a real slot and not RAM soldered onto the motherboard, the upgrade is possible.
Question
Ken –
does the HP 250 G6 Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU N3350 @ 1.10GHz have a second RAM slot? Product Nr 2FG08PA#ABG , I understandthe 4GB is soldered onto the board
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Debbie –
Which lap top is better. Intel Celeron N3060 Processor or a Intel Quad Core Pentenium Silver N5000?
Dan –
The Pentium Silver N5000 is better for sure. It provides smoother day-to-day computing than the Celeron N3060, although it isn’t as fast as the common mainstream processors like the Intel Core i3/i5/i7 or AMD Ryzen 3/5/7 series.
Question
Ed –
Hi, can I install Ubuntu 18.04 on my HP 15 with Intel Celeron N3060 @ 1.60GHz, 2 cores, 4GB ram, 64-bit?
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Tripp –
I have the n3050 with 4gb of ram and i dual boot lubuntu and windows
philip –
Can i upgrade my intel celeron N3060 CPU?
Chris Remscott –
Can I play a 1080 bit video on my Hp 15 intel cerelon N3050
Dan –
Yes, it can play 1080p videos. But, back in 2015 when I tested the processor, it had a quite high CPU load when running 1080p videos. In particular, in VLC player and YouTube site in Chrome.
Dan –
Philip, you can’t upgrade the N3060, as same as almost all modern laptop processors.
Aldo –
Do you recommend upgrading Celelon N3050 from 4gig to 8gig ram?
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Lee Power –
The N3050 & N3060 both support up to 8GB ram – you need to check the motherboard on your machine to check the ram is replaceable.
Lee Power –
The N3050 & N3060 both support up to 8GB ram – you need to check the motherboard on your machine to check the ram is replaceable – it will run slightly faster once Windows 10 has booted up.
clara –
boas, porque esse modelo nao usa ventoinha…. nunca percebi…qualquer computador tem de ter fonte de refrigeração
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john –
I have ASUS X541S, CPU Intel Dual – Core N3060, 4GB RAM, 500 GB HDD. What can be upgraded with this unit to increase performance in opening MS office applications and other applications and multiple tab web browsing? Can this be inserted with an SSD?
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behrad –
dear john
you can insert ssd with high speed rate,
but for better and faster performance you need to add more ram,the highest amount of supported ram for n3060 is 8Gb DDR3-1600MHs
suggest use 2 numbers ram with 4 Gb except 1 ram with 8Gb if your motherboard support 2 slide of ram.
so this upgrated system can run most of applications very well.
Maricel G. Aytona –
Hi, can I teach online with an intel celeron @ 1.60 GHz N3060.my laptop is HP stream 11
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Dan Z –
Hi, what application you will be using for teaching? The N3060 is among the weakest laptop processors, but if the app you use is very light, it can be satisfactory (but not great). I would recommend a laptop with at least Intel Core i3 processor for that purpose.
sumnima –
intel celeron n3060 not a good choice though….so many problems with slow perform..battery game support and so other….worst processor …
Hadith –
Intel Celeron sucks, and I can’t finish my math homework while the zoom meeting is going on.
rebbbbbbb –
is there a chance that i can upgrade my laptop’s CPU or Ram? Intel Celeron N3060 is my CPU.
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Danijel Z –
Whats your laptop model? The CPU isn’t upgradeable, but RAM maybe is, depending on a laptop model.
Danil –
Can it run dota 2 and csgo? intel Celeron n3060
Intel hd graphics 400
4gb ram
How much will fps in dota 2 and csgo?
Dan Z –
In our test of the Celeron N3050 / N3060 series, Dota 2 and CSGO were barely playable at only around 15 and 20 fps respectively.
Danil –
Can it run dota 2 and csgo? Intel celeron n3060, intel hd graphics 400, ram 4 gb. How much will fps in dota 2 and csgo?
Joe Joe –
can I mine cryptos (Ethereum) in N3060
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Danijel Z –
The N3060 with its integrated graphics is among the worst processors for crypto mining. Maybe you’ll be able to run a mining program, but mining will be very very slow.
2 out of 5
John IL –
I bought a refurb Chromebook with the N3060 and 2Gb RAM. Yeah Chrome loads pages pretty slow with the CPU. But a positive is that if you just want to watch SD streaming and do nothing else it work OK. Even 720p works fine. But trying to surf the web with some complex web sites tries your patients in loading times. Even a basic minimalist OS like Chrome needs a faster and better CPU.
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fur –
I have this on a HP G5 and upgraded it with Corsair SSD and 8 gb of ram..in Windows 10 it sucks! In daily tasks it sucks, worst processor ever, sometimes I feel like smashing it, when it stutters on 1080p Youtube videos, it’s so slow is painful to watch
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al –
i have the n2840. it is a disgrace. it stays at 100% with no aplication open. pure garbage.
Sasi –
You dumb,you choose windows 10 for CELERON!!!!!
Your mom –
Yeah ! You dumb ! Windows 10 cannot be on celeron.
DuckieTheBandit –
I have a Acer ao1-431 cloudbook 14 with Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU N3050 @ 1.60Ghz an I have windows 10 pro runs great on my laptop not over use my CPU mine hardly goes over 35% an I run big games like elder scroll online, warframe, and a few others with no issues
Ayoob –
Hi . I want buy hp n3060 .4ram.is good to wath movie?
william –
which adobe can’t run well on this processor ,….
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BILLDON –
i play fifa 18 on this processor and there’s no any problem
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wilson –
how to you play fifa 14 0r 18 using hp laptop cpu N3060 @1.60ghz and 4 ram on windows 10?
3 out of 5
Edwrad –
No, you can not play high-quality games or use it for auto cad. It’s supposed to be a simple notebook for simple tasks, like web browsing, email, youtube videos, writing, just simple tasks. For the price, it’s not bad at all.
However, you need more memory than the standard 2 GB if you’re going to use Windows 10, and install a solid state drive to speed things up.
I personally would upgrade the memory to the max, install an SDD hard drive, and ditch windows for a lightweight Linux distribution. Windows like to gobble up RAM. A lightweight Linux Distro would cut all the fat from the OS, keeping things light on memory consumption and without unnecessary running tasks; like what windows is good for; you have plenty of RAM and processing power to get things done. You’ll have trouble with Windows 10 on this system because of the Antivirus program constantly running in the background, scanning every file. You don’t need to use an Antivirus in Linux, saving processing power and RAM.
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JOSEPH RAYMARK RODIL –
Is it possible to upgrade CPU? is the socket type of celeron compatible to core i series?
Danijel Z –
No, it’s not possible. Modern laptop processors are soldered onto the motherboards and upgrades are not supported. The same applies to Celeron to Core i upgrades.
2 out of 5
Alfie Parker –
Lasted for less than a year
I got this PC with the dual core version of this CPU. It started off alright but started to nose-dive pretty quickly. Low graphic games can scrape around 28 FPS, but after playing The Sims 4 it ran an average of 14 FPS. Not very good at all. I wouldn’t recommend this CPU.
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Moekyaw –
Question:
Is celeron N3050 suitable for autocad?
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pranav –
is it possible to upgrade ramto 4gb or insrt ssd in dell celeron n3050
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pranav –
is it possible to upgrade ramto 4gb or insrt ssd in dell celeron n3050
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Linda –
Can I use the HP N3060 for displaying images for outdoor security cameras? Will the images be clear or choppy?
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Danijel Z –
Do you actually mean displaying camera videos? If that’s the case and if you have multiple cameras, I don’t think laptops with the N3060 are good for that. This is one of the slowest processors and running multiple videos can be a too demanding task for this processor.
umar –
Can you upgrade cerelonN3050 4gig ram to 8gig ram
Perlita ancheta –
Is it celeron is best?
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Perlita ancheta –
I mean Intel celeron N3050 the Acer cloudbook 14
Danijel Z –
No, actually. It’s one of the slowest notebook processors. But, it is faster than some older Celeron models.
Umar –
which generation is it? some of my friends told me that its 6th generation laptop. is it true?
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Danijel Z –
Officially, 6th Generation is one of the versions of the Intel Core series. For year 2016. That’s a different class of processors. Intel Core are mid-range and high-end CPUs, while Celerons are entry-level. The N3050 was available since 2015, while the N3060 became available a little bit later. Around the same time the 6th Gen Core became available.
tushar pal –
Can I play GTA 4 and GTA 5 On this processor??
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Danijel Z –
GTA 5 is completely unplayable, the CPU and its integrated graphics are too weak. I haven’t tested GTA 4, but I can guess it can’t run properly either.
taym rashid –
can i swap the 3060 CPU with i5 6400 ? or they has a different slot
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Danijel Z –
The N3060 is soldered onto the motherboard, so you can’t replace it. Sorry. Most modern laptops don’t have replaceable CPUs.
Ali –
Can u play the game Roblox with Intel celeron N3050/3060 hp laptop with no slowness. Is it slow to play roblox
Danijel Z –
The CPU will be able to run the game, but it is slow for smooth gameplay. You’ll definitely see some choppiness.
carmela –
can i use adobe programs well with celeron?
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Bill –
Is n3050 faster or slower than atom z8300 since the latter is quad core?
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Danijel Z –
The Atom Z8300 is slightly faster, primarily due to number of cores. But, the Celeron N3050 is clocked higher, so difference in everyday tasks is barely noticeable (~1200 vs ~950 PassMark CPU test points isn’t a huge gap). On the other hand, the N3050 has dual-channel memory support, whereas the Z8300 is single-channel only. This can make a noticeable difference in gaming in favor of the N3050, if you get a laptop with it and 2 RAM modules. Still, only select light games are supported in both cases.
Pelo –
Do you know how i can update this driver?
I’m trying to play Runescape and the NXT client is telling me my graphics driver needs to be updated by im just confused
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andrei gutierrez –
can i play call of duty mw3 or any 3d games in intel celeron n3050 with intel hd graphics?
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Danijel Z –
Since the N3050 struggles with even light titles like CS GO, it’s clearly not a good CPU for gaming.
andrei gutierrez –
can i play call of duty mw3 or any 3d games in intel celeron n3050?
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K E –
I’m considering this for my 72 yr old mother who would just use it for basic stuff like FB, email, youtube, Netflix, and some other videos, photos…
does it handle Netflix/videos well?
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Danijel Z –
I found the N3050 is capable of playing videos well, even on high resolutions. However, some software (codecs) related issues may occur when playing YouTube videos in Chrome browser and VLC media player, making high-resolution videos quite choppy. So, I would recommend using Microsoft Edge or other browsers for online videos and avoiding VLC media player for now (until some software update which will eventually fix the issue).
Adamson –
I’m running Ubuntu Linux (with XFCE) on this processor with only 2GB RAM. It performs extremely well with Youtube, Chrome browser and VLC. Netflix in Chrome is perfect. I think most of the problems with this processor, especially with lower amounts of RAM, come from the high overhead of the Windows operating system. Linux takes up less than 1/3rd of the space on the SSD compared to Windows and loads in seconds. Ok, you’re not going to be playing games on a N3050 machine but for just about everything else, it’s fine.
riki –
can we play dota 2 with this stuff?
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Danijel Z –
Yes you can, but performance will be quite choppy with less than 15fps most of the time on lowest graphics settings. Take a look at the 3rd video in the gameplay playlist under the Description tab of this page.
Panfilo pestanas –
My hp n3050 laptop with 2gb ram, can
i upgrade to a higher ram? in order my laptop work faster?
Dan –
The N3050 processor supports up to 8GB, but the question is whether your laptop model has a physical RAM slot. Most notebook models with the N3050 and other Celeron processors don’t have a RAM slot, since they have their RAM soldered onto the motherboard and soldered RAM can’t be upgraded.
srinivas k –
Is it intel celeron N3050 processor will supports MATLAB or not?if it supports what requirements are needed?
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Danijel Z –
Their site says MATLAB runs on any modern Intel or AMD CPU and only 2GB RAM. So, any laptop with the Celeron N3050 and at least 2GB of RAM supports it.
Gon –
Hello, lets say I upgraded my ram to 8GIG and changed to SSD, will it still lag when playing blue ray movies using VLC?
Dan –
@Gon, Hi, I’m not sure if upgrading RAM and SSD would help in this case, but I noticed in tests that this processor didn’t work well with VLC, as opposed to Windows’ built-in Media Player.
On the other hand, I’m certain that upgrading RAM to 8GB and especially HDD to SSD upgrade would make a Windows laptop with the Celeron N3050 run much smoother.
Chris Patterson –
Question:
Wont the cpu perform better in real world scenarios when it is not running screen recording programs and rendering the video or running fps programs?
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Danijel Z –
Hi, the videos weren’t recorded with any recording program on the tested laptop, but via HDMI output to a dedicated capture card on another computer. So, the videos show real world use, without slowdowns due to software-based recording. The only non-standard thing running was Riva Tuner – simultaneously with games. But it was just showing fps values without recording and affecting shown performance in any meaningful way.
3 out of 5
Danijel Z –
The N3050 / N3060 series has overall weak performance, but also low price, low heat, low power consumption, and fanless design capability. Based on that and other impressions described in the full review on this web page, I’ll give the N3050 / N3060 series 3 stars.
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umar –
Can you upgrade cerelonN3050 4gig ram to 8gig ram