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Intel Celeron B840

Intel Celeron B840: A Humble Workhorse for Basic Tasks. Analysis in 2025

Introduction: Its Place in the Modern World

Even in 2025, Intel Celeron B840 processors remain in service in budget laptops priced at $200-300. Despite their age (the Sandy Bridge architecture debuted in 2011!), these chips continue to be used in devices aimed at emerging markets and the corporate sector, where cost is the top priority. Let's explore who might need such a CPU today and for what purposes.

Architecture and Manufacturing Process: A Look Back

Basic Structure

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

- Clock Speeds: Fixed base clock frequency of 1.9 GHz. Turbo Boost is not supported — a feature of the Celeron line.

- Manufacturing Process: 32 nm. For comparison, modern budget Intel chips (like Alder Lake-N) use 10 nm.

Graphics Accelerator

- iGPU: Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge) with 6 Execution Units (EUs). Frequency — 650 MHz (up to 1.05 GHz in turbo mode).

- Capabilities: Supports DirectX 10.1, resolution up to 2560x1600. By 2025, this is an outdated option but sufficient for display output and running office applications.

Example: The Lenovo B50-70 (2024 revision) with Celeron B840 is a typical representation: TN screen 1366x768, 4 GB DDR3, 128 GB SATA SSD.

Power Consumption and TDP: A Compromise Between Power and Longevity

- TDP: 35 W. In comparison, the modern Intel N100 (2023) has a TDP of 6 W.

- Real Load: Under active use (Chrome + Word), consumption reaches 25-30 W; in idle mode — about 5-7 W.

- Cooling: Passive heat sinks or tiny fans. Overheating is rare, but prolonged load may lead to throttling.

Performance: Realities of 2025

Office Tasks

- Microsoft 365: Word, Excel — comfortable handling of documents up to 50 pages. Problems arise when opening 10+ tabs in the browser simultaneously.

- Video Calls: Zoom/Teams — 720p @ 30 FPS with a load of 80-90%. Background blur uses up resources.

Multimedia

- Video: Streaming 1080p (YouTube) — 60-70% CPU load. 4K is not supported natively.

- Photo Editors: GIMP — processing RAW files takes 2-3 minutes compared to 15-20 seconds on Snapdragon 7c Gen 3.

Gaming

- Capabilities: Minecraft (Low settings, 720p) — 25-30 FPS. Among Us — 40 FPS. Modern games (even indie projects like Hades) — unplayable.

- Advice: For gaming, it’s better to connect an external GPU via Thunderbolt (though such ports are rarely found on these laptops).

Usage Scenarios: Who is the B840 Suitable For in 2025?

1. Students: Typing, online courses, watching lectures.

2. Cashiers/Office Workers: Working with accounting software.

3. Senior Users: Social media, video calls with relatives.

4. Backup Devices: "Just in case" for travel.

Example: The HP 255 G10 (2025) with B840 is sold for $279 and is marketed as a "digital transformation device for small business."

Battery Life: How Long Will the Battery Last?

- Battery: Typical capacity of 35-40 Wh.

- Real-world figures:

- Web surfing: 3.5-4 hours.

- Video: 4.5 hours.

- Idle: up to 6 hours.

- Power-saving Technologies:

- Intel SpeedStep (dynamic frequency adjustment).

- C-states for disabling unused cores.

- Outdated power management compared to modern platforms.

Comparison with Competitors: Who Else is in the Same Class?

AMD

- Athlon Silver 7120U (2024): 2 cores/2 threads, 15 W TDP, Geekbench 6 Single/Multi — 980/1750. Laptop prices start at $350.

Intel

- N200 (2023): 4 cores, 6 W TDP, Geekbench 6 Single/Multi — 1050/2300. Devices start at $320.

Apple

- M1 (2020) in MacBook Air: Even used models ($400) are several times more powerful, but the B840 is not competitive within the Apple ecosystem.

Conclusion: The B840 falls short compared to even modern budget chips, but it wins in terms of device pricing.

Pros and Cons: Is It Worth Considering?

Strengths:

- Price: Laptops start at $200.

- Sufficient for Basic Tasks: Does not lag in Word/YouTube.

- Repairability: SSD/RAM replacement takes 5 minutes.

Weaknesses:

- Outdated Ports: USB-C is often missing, and Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) is rare.

- Screen: TN panels with poor viewing angles are standard for these devices.

- Updates: Windows 11 is not officially supported (no TPM 2.0), making Linux or Windows 10 LTSC more relevant.

Laptop Selection Recommendations

What to Look For:

1. RAM: Minimum of 8 GB (though 4 GB is common and requires upgrading).

2. Storage: An SSD is essential (even a 128 GB SATA is better than HDD).

3. Screen: An IPS panel — though rare, it’s worth the extra cost.

4. Ports: HDMI, USB 3.0 — minimum for connecting a monitor and mouse.

What to Avoid:

- Models with HDD instead of SSD.

- Versions with 2 GB RAM (upgradable).

- Devices without a warranty (risk of motherboard failure).

Final Conclusion: A Niche Solution

The Intel Celeron B840 in 2025 is a choice for those for whom price is more critical than performance. It is a reasonable option for:

- Buying a first laptop for a child.

- Working with legacy software that requires x86 architecture.

- Scenarios where the risk of theft/breakage exceeds the device's value.

Alternative: If the budget allows for $300-350, it’s better to choose a laptop with Intel N200 or AMD 7320U — this will provide a lifespan of 3-4 years instead of 1-2 years.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

July 2011

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.

B840

Code Name

Sandy 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.

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.

FCPGA988 | PGA988

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.

32 nm

Max. Operating Temperature

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

100C

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.

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

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

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 1066/1333

Max Memory Size

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

16 GB

Memory Channels

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

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).

21.3 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 2nd Generation Intel® Processors

Graphics Base Frequency

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

650 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.

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

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 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

322

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

555

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

354

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

663

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

918

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

1015

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Celeron G555

398 +23.6%

Celeron N4020

368 +14.3%

Celeron B840

322

Xeon E5-2440

270 -16.1%

Core i3-2365M

202 -37.3%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon E7-2890 v2

761 +37.1%

Core i3-2328M

662 +19.3%

Celeron B840

555

Core i3-2365M

441 -20.5%

Celeron N2807

248 -55.3%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

A4-5300

416 +17.5%

Xeon E5-2650L v2

389 +9.9%

Celeron B840

354

Core i5-2537M

315 -11%

A8-5545M

274 -22.6%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i3-3227U

840 +26.7%

PRO A6-9500E

768 +15.8%

Celeron B840

663

Core i3-2357M

557 -16%

Pentium 967

431 -35%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Pentium B980

1035 +12.7%

Celeron G1820TE

978 +6.5%

Celeron B840

918

Celeron G465

819 -10.8%

Celeron G460

699 -23.9%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

A6-3420M

1292 +27.3%

Pentium 3805U

1180 +16.3%

Celeron B840

1015

A4-3310MX

782 -23%

Celeron G470

568 -44%