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Intel Celeron 857

Intel Celeron 857

Intel Celeron 857: A Budget Processor for Basic Tasks. Full Review

Introduction

In an era where even budget laptops are equipped with quad-core processors and neural network accelerators, the Intel Celeron 857 seems like an anachronism. However, this chip is still found in ultra-budget devices. Let's explore who it might be useful for in 2025 and who should look for alternatives.

Architecture and Process Technology: Sandy Bridge in the Modern World

The Intel Celeron 857 processor, released in 2012, is based on the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture and manufactured using a 32nm process technology. This dual-core CPU lacks Hyper-Threading support (2 cores / 2 threads) and has a base frequency of 1.2 GHz. The integrated graphics are provided by Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge) with a frequency of 350–1000 MHz.

Key Features:

- Outdated 32nm process compared to modern norms of 7nm (AMD) and 5nm (Apple).

- No support for AVX, AES-NI, and other modern instructions.

- The HD Graphics (12 execution units) can only handle basic tasks such as displaying images and decoding 1080p video.

Why Does This Matter?

The 32nm process means high power consumption per unit of performance. For comparison, the modern Intel Core Ultra 5 (7nm), at a similar TDP, delivers 5 to 7 times more computational power.

Power Consumption and TDP: Modest Appetite

The TDP of the processor is 17W, typical for mobile solutions of the 2010s. However, the actual power consumption depends on the load:

- In idle mode: 2–3W (thanks to Enhanced Intel SpeedStep technology).

- Under maximum load: up to 20W.

Practical Conclusion:

Laptops with the Celeron 857 typically come with compact coolers and passive cooling. There is almost no noise, but throttling may occur under prolonged loads.

Performance: Realistic Expectations

Geekbench 6 test results:

- Single-Core: 133

- Multi-Core: 199

Real-World Scenarios:

1. Office Tasks (Google Docs, Excel with spreadsheets up to 1000 rows): Acceptable speed, but with delays when running a browser with 5+ tabs simultaneously.

2. Multimedia: Watching YouTube at 1080p is possible, but 4K will lag.

3. Gaming: Only older 2D games (Terraria, Stardew Valley) on low settings. CS:GO runs at 15–20 FPS at 720p.

Turbo Mode: Non-existent. The frequency is fixed at 1.2 GHz, which limits performance under short bursts of load.

Use Cases: Who is the Celeron 857 Suitable For?

1. Students for typing, working with PDFs, and Zoom meetings (without background filters).

2. Seniors who need simple internet browsing and messaging.

3. Cashiers working with 1C and basic POS systems.

Who Should Avoid It:

- Freelancers (slow rendering even in Canva).

- Gamers (except for fans of text quests).

- Photographers (editing RAW files in Lightroom is impossible).

Battery Life: Compromise Between Power and Work Time

Laptops with the Celeron 857 generally come with 35–40 Wh batteries, providing:

- 6–8 hours of document work (50% brightness, Wi-Fi on).

- 3–4 hours of YouTube viewing.

Power-Saving Technologies:

- SpeedStep — dynamic frequency adjustment.

- C-States — turning off unused cores.

Tip: To extend battery life, turn off Bluetooth and reduce brightness to 40%.

Comparison with Competitors: What to Choose Instead of the Celeron 857?

1. AMD Athlon Silver 3050e (2020, 2 cores/2 threads, 6W TDP):

- Geekbench 6 Single-Core: 298 (+124%).

- Laptop prices: starting at $350.

2. Apple M1 (in used MacBook Air 2020):

- Geekbench 6 Single-Core: 2340.

- Used price: starting at $500.

3. Intel N100 (2023, 4 cores, 6W TDP):

- Geekbench 6 Multi-Core: 1800.

- Laptops from $300.

Conclusion: The Celeron 837 falls short even against budget modern counterparts. Its only advantage is the price of devices (new laptops starting from $250).

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Low cost of devices.

- Passive cooling (complete silence).

- Compatibility with Windows 10/11 (albeit limited).

Weaknesses:

- Does not support modern standards like Wi-Fi 6 and USB-C.

- Maximum RAM capacity of 16GB (DDR3-1333 MHz).

- No hardware decoding for AV1.

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

If you decide to buy a device with the Celeron 857:

1. Type of Laptop: ultra-budget (Acer Aspire 1, HP 14) or Chromebook (though Chrome OS may speed up performance).

2. Essential Parameters:

- SSD of 256GB (HDD will slow down the system).

- 8GB RAM (4GB is insufficient even for Windows 11).

- Screen resolution of 1920×1080 (many budget models still use 1366×768).

3. What to Check Before Purchase:

- Run a browser with 10 tabs open.

- Connect an external monitor via HDMI (integrated graphics can sometimes cause artifacts).

Alternatives for $300–400:

- Lenovo IdeaPad 1 with AMD 7320U.

- ASUS Vivobook Go 14 with Intel N100.

Final Verdict: Is It Worth Buying in 2025?

The Celeron 857 is a choice for those who:

- Are looking for the cheapest new laptop (up to $250).

- Do not plan to run "heavy" applications.

- Are willing to tolerate slow performance in multitasking.

Key Benefits:

- Price lower than mid-range smartphones.

- Reliability (Sandy Bridge architecture has stood the test of time).

- Compatibility with legacy software (for example, older versions of Windows).

Summary: This processor is a "workhorse" for the simplest tasks. If your budget allows for spending an additional $100–150, opt for modern CPUs (Intel N-series, AMD Zen 2). However, for basic office work, the Celeron 857 can still serve its purpose.

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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.
857
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).
2
Total Threads
?
Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.
2
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.
No
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.
No
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.
32 nm
Max. Operating Temperature
?
Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.
100
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.
16
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.
2
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.
No

GPU Specifications

GPU Name
Intel® HD Graphics for 2nd Generation Intel® Processors
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
Graphics Base Frequency
?
Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.
350 MHz
Number of Displays Supported
2
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.
No
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
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.
No
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.
No
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
No
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.
No

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6
Single Core Score
133
Geekbench 6
Multi Core Score
199
Passmark CPU
Single Core Score
476
Passmark CPU
Multi Core Score
569

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core
Phenom II X4 840
357 +168.4%
A4-4300M
313 +135.3%
A8-3520M
257 +93.2%
Celeron N2820
180 +35.3%
Celeron 857
133
Geekbench 6 Multi Core
Celeron 3865U
693 +248.2%
Pentium B980
601 +202%
Core i3-2377M
500 +151.3%
A6-4455M
336 +68.8%
Celeron 857
199
Passmark CPU Single Core
A6-3430MX
822 +72.7%
Celeron 887
703 +47.7%
Pentium U5600
588 +23.5%
Celeron 857
476
Atom Z670
95 -80%
Passmark CPU Multi Core
Celeron G550T
1102 +93.7%
Celeron 1017U
888 +56.1%
A4-3320M
668 +17.4%
Celeron 857
569
Celeron B710
106 -81.4%