What exactly is a celeron?

[nonxcarbonx]

I heard that it's more of a platform than a processor. Can anyone elaborate?

 

[jedimasterben]

Platform? Where the heck'd you hear that?

Celeron is Intel's low-end processor family. Usually they'll have a lower frequency and much less cache than the Core 2 or Pentium 4 models, as they're lower binned chips.

 

[amnotanoobie]

Maybe you're talking about Centrino?

Wherein you'd need an intel chipset, intel wireless card and intel processor to have that nice sticker.

 

[hundredislandsboy]

You might be confused. Back in the 70's, an Italian designer made "Celeroni" which were very popular platform shoes with very thick soles.

 

[MRFS]

The name "Celeron" is a moving target:

Intel applies that brand name to various low-end CPUs
both single- and dual-core + there are 65nm versions
and 45nm versions:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=40000343&Description=Celeron&name=Processors%20-%20Desktops


For $55, this E3200 Wolfdale is quite a capable CPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116265&cm_re=Celeron-_-19-116-265-_-Product


MRFS

 

[warmon6]

Well here the link to the celeron. it a cpu.

http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/processors/celeron.htm?iid=processors_body+dt_celeron

 

[MarkG]

Typically the Celeron has been based on the mainstream Intel CPU with a much smaller cache and possibly with some performance features removed. Since the cache makes up much of the die area for the CPU, that means they can fit more CPUs on a wafer and sell them for less; I remember some people claiming that Intel have sold mainstream CPUs where the cache didn't work as Celerons, but I've no idea whether that's true.

Some of the early Celerons weren't much worse than the mainstream CPU because the lost performance from the small cache could be made up by overclocking higher than the mainstream.

 

[blackhawk1928]

Celeron is not a platform, its Intels low-end processor family as one of the other posters said, I think you are confusing it with centrino mobile technology. Intel has three main processor families in the consumer level (busniss is different completley). Celeron, Pentium, and Core. These three families break into more specific family branches. Go to www.intel.com and you will get all information about thier technology, products, and all that stuff. Its a great website.

 

[daship]

Todays Celerons are Core 2 Duos with lower FSB and smaller cache. After a overclock the only difference is cache.

 

[MU_Engineer]

I heard that it's more of a platform than a processor. Can anyone elaborate?

The Celeron is simply a mainstream chip with things turned off, reduced cache, and reduced clock speeds to make it a budget chip. I think the "platform" thing you're thinking of is "Centrino," which is Intel's mainstream mobile platform (Intel Pentium M/Core/Core 2 CPU + Intel IGP + Intel wireless card).

As a side note, some Celerons are decent and some suck. The current desktop Celeron 400 series is decent if you want a very efficient single core. The dual-core Celeron E1000 series isn't so great as they have so little L2 cache that performance is much poorer than equivalently-clocked Pentium Dual Core or Core 2 CPUs. I'd also avoid the Celeron M laptop CPUs as they lack SpeedStep and will constantly run at full voltage and full speed and eat your battery much more quickly than a SpeedStep-enabled Pentium Dual Core or Core 2 CPU.

 

[randomizer]

Celeron M: The bane of a laptop user. I can vouch for their craposity.

 

[someguy7]

Celeron is just a name they call C2D's with low cache

Not true. There are plenty of celerons that are not C2D's. That is also new by the way the celeron core2s. Mu_Eningeer summed it up best.

 

[Upendra09]

Celerons are for old people who can't use a computer past checking their e mail and word docs

 

[shrex]

Celeron M: The bane of a laptop user. I can vouch for their craposity.

Atom cpus are much worse

 

[randomizer]

Atom cpus are much worse

I beg differ, alot. Atom is far superior to Celeron M.

 

[amdfangirl]

Celeron M... they weren't Netburst right?

 

[randomizer]

They use an updated variant of the P6 microarchitecture. Yonah is Core-based. I don't think there were any Netburst mobile CPUs (with good reason ).

 

[amdfangirl]

For 5 minute battery life

 

[sepayne21]

Maybe you're talking about Centrino?

Wherein you'd need an intel chipset, intel wireless card and intel processor to have that nice sticker.

I think this guy is on the right track. I'd say the OP was asking about centrino. (yes) Centrino is a platform; Celeron is a low cache low fsb low clockspeed processor.