Compare Intel Pentium or Intel Celeron | Determine the best

Intel is best known for its Core processor family. They constantly beat performance records, are equipped with an increasing number of cores and are additionally optimized for high loads. But they are very expensive.

For those who are not ready to spend from $ 250 for one processor only, Intel offers two less productive lines - Pentium and Celeron. And the difference between them is not so obvious. Therefore, especially for those who choose a new office or home computer (or laptop), we will compare the Pentium and Celeron, and determine which is better.

But before this we immediately make a reservation - we will compare the models from the last generation, and the top ones. It is they who demonstrate all the difference between families. In particular, in comparison take part:

1. Pentium Gold G5600;

2. Celeron G4920.

Despite the fact that both chips belong to the eighth generation, their numbering begins with the symbol “G”. This is important to consider when choosing a computer - if you suddenly want the most recent chip, but there is no “Pentium” with an eight in the code.

Intel Celeron Processors

Intel Celeron is the least productive line of company chips. Such configurations are suitable only for office computers - well, or home computers, on which it is planned to “sit” or watch movies only on the Internet.

The current Celeron series includes only dual-core processors without the support of Hyper-Threading technology, which allows you to send two computation threads to each core. They also do not support Turbo Boost mode, which allows you to increase the clock frequency in some cases. And finally, they have a greater TDP (heat release value) than “Pentiums”.

The brightest representative of the family at the moment (April 2019) - Intel Celeron G4920. It is sold at a price of $ 52, and the OEM version will be even cheaper. Chip specifications include:

1. Two cores;

2. Clock frequency 3.2 GHz;

3. Integrated graphics accelerator Intel UHD Graphics 610 with a maximum clock frequency of 1.05 GHz;

4. 2 MB third-level cache (L3);

5. Heat dissipation 54 W;

6. Supports 2.4 GHz DDR4 RAM.

All this makes the chip suitable for the office or simple home use. However, it is worth considering that his power consumption is quite high - and you will have to work on the cooling system.

But for laptops Intel Celeron processors are not suitable. Of course, manufacturers, trying to reduce the cost of the device, still place such chips in their laptops. But you should not buy them - high heat will lead to a rapid discharge and to intense heat.

The level of heating Celeron is comparable to that in the Intel Core i3 and Core i5! But at the same time, performance is several times less. So, saving on the processor, you can spend money on the cooling system.

Intel Pentium Processors

The Pentium family, although it belongs to the budget group, is not low-productive. The chips support Hyper-Threading technology, which allows two computation threads to be sent to each core.In addition, in the production of new generations of Pentium uses the same process technology as in the Core, thereby reducing power consumption and heat dissipation.

Thanks to this, Pentium processors are suitable for laptops. They will not lead to overheating of the computer and will not begin to "slow down" at the first opportunity. Yes, and the autonomy of the laptop will be at a sufficient level.

Also, "Pentiums" can be used in home and office computers. On systems with this processor, even play will turn out - but only in undemanding and old projects. If the game was released in 2010 - most likely, it will normally run on this chip. Expect high-end graphics is not worth it, but the gameplay will not turn into a slide show.

Now - to the specifications. The Intel Pentium Gold G5600 chip relevant at the time of this writing has:

1. Two cores with Hyper-Threading Technology (two threads per core);

2. Clock frequency 3.9 GHz without Turbo Boost;

3. Integrated graphics accelerator Intel UHD Graphics 630 with a clock frequency of 1.1 GHz;

4. 4 MB third-level cache (L3);

5. Heat dissipation 54 W;

6. Support for DDR4-2400 RAM.

Yes, the heat dissipation of this processor is the same as the previous one. However, for example, the model G5500 T this parameter is only 35 watts. And the other characteristics are quite similar. And in laptops, the cheapest and most energy efficient option is installed - that is, the G5500 T, not the G5600.

In general, Intel Pentium processors differ from Core i3 of the same family only by the lack of Turbo Boost technology and a smaller third-level cache. In home or office use it is not critical at all.

Turbo Boost is needed when performing complex, resource-intensive tasks. For example, when carrying out large-scale processing in 1C, working with Wolfram Alpha Mathematica, or converting PDF into ready-to-print on professional PDF / X equipment. If you want to open Word and write a report - Turbo Boost is definitely not needed here.

The third level cache helps when working in multitasking mode. It stores the most frequently executed commands that are taken from this memory, and not counted on the processor. Again, for home or office use, a 2–4 ​​MB third-level cache is enough “with the head.”

Pentium vs. Celeron Comparison

So, with the advantages and disadvantages figured out. Now is the time to compare!

Bold highlights the parameters that require special attention:

Thus, the main difference The Celeron Pentium is that the Pentium is faster and more productive. But is it worth overpaying 20-30 dollars? Another question. Saved money can be spent on additional 2-4 GB of RAM or even a small 120 GB SSD-drive on which to install the operating system for fast loading.

When buying, it is desirable to choose the latest generation models. In this case, the upgrade is not difficult - the benefit of the socket that the "Pentium", that i7 is the same. So a computer with a fresh chip can be improved for another 3-4 years after purchase.