Home / Intel Celeron / Intel Celeron 1017U: Performance and Specs

Intel Celeron 1017U

Intel Celeron 1017U: A modest worker for basic tasks. Is it worth considering in 2025?

Introduction

Intel Celeron processors have always occupied a niche in the budget sector, and the Celeron 1017U is no exception. Released in 2013 based on the Ivy Bridge architecture, it can still be found in used and some new budget laptops. But is it still relevant in 2025? Let’s explore who might benefit from this chip and who should look for more modern alternatives.

1. Architecture and Manufacturing Process: What's Inside?

Ivy Bridge: A step forward, but not a breakthrough

The Celeron 1017U is built on a 22nm manufacturing process — a significant improvement compared to the 32nm Sandy Bridge for 2013. However, in 2025, such standards are considered archaic (current chips are produced using 5nm and 3nm technologies).

Specifications:

- Cores and Threads: 2 cores, 2 threads (no Hyper-Threading).

- Clock Speed: Fixed at 1.6 GHz. No turbo mode.

- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge) with a base frequency of 350 MHz. Supports DirectX 11, but with limited performance.

Architecture Features:

- Improved energy efficiency compared to Sandy Bridge.

- Supports DDR3L-1600 (up to 32 GB, but in reality, laptops were rarely equipped with more than 4-8 GB).

- Integrated USB 3.0 controller — a plus for its time.

What's Lacking?

- No support for AVX2, modern instructions for AI workloads.

- The iGPU struggles even with light games from the 2020s like Among Us at medium settings.

2. Power Consumption and TDP: Balancing Power and Autonomy

TDP 17W: This is typical for ultrabooks from 2013-2015. The chip does not require active cooling in light scenarios, reducing noise. However, by 2025, even budget processors (such as the Intel N200) with a TDP of 6W offer comparable or better performance.

Thermal Output:

- Maximum temperature is 105°C, but in reality, temperatures rarely exceed 60-70°C due to the low clock speed.

- Passive cooling is possible, but a miniature fan is more commonly used.

3. Performance: Realistic Expectations

Geekbench 6:

- Single-Core: 275;

- Multi-Core: 476.

For comparison:

- Intel N200 (2023): 1100 (Single), 2300 (Multi);

- Apple M1 (2020): 2300 (Single), 8300 (Multi).

Real-World Tasks:

- Office Work: Google Docs, Excel with spreadsheets up to 1000 rows, PDF viewing — no problems. Opening 10+ tabs in Chrome simultaneously will cause lag.

- Multimedia: Streaming 1080p video (YouTube, Netflix) — fine, but 4K is not hardware-supported.

- Gaming: Only older titles like Half-Life 2 (30-40 FPS on low settings). Even Minecraft (without shaders) will run with stutters.

Turbo Mode: Absent. Performance is static, which eliminates sharp spikes in power consumption.

4. Use Cases: Who would benefit from the Celeron 1017U?

- Students: For lectures, text editing, and presentations.

- Seniors: Internet browsing, communication on Skype.

- Backup Laptop: For trips where there is a risk of losing or breaking the device.

Who should avoid it:

- Gamers, designers, programmers.

- Users working with graphics or video editing.

5. Battery Life: How long will it last?

Theoretical Performance: With a TDP of 17W and a 40W·h battery, the usage time is up to 6-8 hours (web surfing, office work).

Practical Usage:

- Older batteries in used laptops often degrade, reducing time to 3-4 hours.

- Power-Saving Technologies: Intel SpeedStep (dynamic frequency management), C-states (power reduction during idle).

Advice: In 2025, laptops with this processor should only be purchased with new batteries.

6. Comparison with Competitors

AMD E2-6110 (2014):

- Similar benchmarks in Geekbench 6 (Single: 240, Multi: 430), but with weaker Radeon R2 graphics.

Intel Pentium 3825U (2015):

- Hyper-Threading, clocked at 1.9 GHz. Geekbench 6: Single 320, Multi 650. A better choice if the price is comparable.

Apple M1 (2020):

- Not a competitor due to price differences, but illustrates how outdated the Celeron 1017U has become.

Conclusion: By 2025, even budget processors (Intel N-series, AMD Athlon Gold) are 50-100% faster with a lower TDP.

7. Pros and Cons

Pros:

- Low price: laptops starting from $200 (new, clearance stock).

- Sufficient for basic tasks.

- Simple cooling design (fewer breakdowns).

Cons:

- No support for Windows 11 (only unofficial patches).

- Struggles with multitasking.

- Outdated ports (often lacks USB-C).

8. Recommendations for Laptop Selection

Types of Devices:

- Ultrabooks from 2013-2015: For example, Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 10.

- Chromebooks: However, for Chrome OS, the Celeron 1017U is weaker even in 2025.

What to Look For:

- SSD is a must: HDDs will make the system unbearably slow.

- RAM: Minimum of 4GB, preferably 8GB.

- Screen: IPS panel is preferable to TN.

Examples of new devices in the same price range ($200-300) in 2025:

- HP Laptop 14-dk1000: With Intel N200 processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD.

- Acer Aspire 1 A115-32: Intel N100, Full HD display.

9. Final Conclusion: Who is the Celeron 1017U Suitable For?

This processor is a choice for those who:

- Are looking for the cheapest laptop for text and internet use.

- Do not plan to use the device for more than 1-2 years.

- Are willing to accept limitations in exchange for a price under $250.

Key Benefits:

- Low cost.

- Easy repairs (spare parts are available).

Alternative: If the budget allows $300-400, it’s better to get a laptop with Intel N-series or AMD Ryzen 3 7320U — they will last longer and not disappoint in terms of performance.

Final Advice: Buying a Celeron 1017U in 2025 should only be a last resort. The market offers a multitude of more modern solutions even in the low-end price segment.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

July 2013

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

1017U

Code Name

Ivi Bridge

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

1.60 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCBGA1023

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

22 nm

TDP

17 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

105 C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

2.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8 2x4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR3/L/-RS 1333/1600

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

32 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

5 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

25.6 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

GPU Name

Intel® HD Graphics for 3rd Generation Intel® Processors

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

350 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.00 GHz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP/DP/HDMI/SDVO/CRT

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Instruction Set Extensions

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

2 MB

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Intel Clear Video Technology

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel InTru 3D Technology

Intel Flex Memory Access

Yes

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

275

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

476

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

301

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

562

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

806

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

888

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Xeon E7-8870

369 +34.2%

Core i3-2310M

330 +20%

Celeron 1017U

275

Pentium 967

220 -20%

E1-1200

102 -62.9%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Celeron 3865U

693 +45.6%

Pentium B980

601 +26.3%

Core i3-2377M

500 +5%

Celeron 1017U

476

Xeon E7-4809 v2

58 -87.8%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i3-3227U

371 +23.3%

A4-5150M

342 +13.6%

Celeron 1017U

301

Core i3-2365M

255 -15.3%

Atom E3845

183 -39.2%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Pentium N3710

771 +37.2%

Pentium 350

670 +19.2%

Celeron 1017U

562

Celeron G470

436 -22.4%

Atom E3827

290 -48.4%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Celeron 1000M

975 +21%

Celeron 3205U

914 +13.4%

Celeron 1017U

806

Core i3-2375M

691 -14.3%

Pentium 957

574 -28.8%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Pentium G840

1238 +39.4%

Celeron G550T

1102 +24.1%

Celeron 1017U

888

A4-3320M

668 -24.8%

Atom E3827

463 -47.9%