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Intel Celeron 867

Intel Celeron 867

Intel Celeron 867: A Humble Workhorse for Basic Tasks

Overview of an outdated yet relevant processor for budget scenarios

Architecture and Manufacturing Process: The Sandy Bridge Legacy

The Intel Celeron 867, released in 2012, belongs to the Sandy Bridge architecture (2nd generation Core). Despite its age, it remains a testament to the balance of cost and energy efficiency.

- Cores and Threads: 2 cores, 2 threads. The lack of Hyper-Threading limits multitasking.

- Clock Speed: Base clock at 1.3 GHz. Turbo mode is not supported, which is typical for budget Celeron.

- Graphics: Integrated Intel HD Graphics GPU (based on Sandy Bridge, 6 EU). Frequency ranges from 350 to 1000 MHz. Suitable for video decoding (1080p) and simple 2D games.

- Manufacturing Process: 32 nm. By 2025 standards, this is archaic, but at the time, it helped reduce power consumption.

The Sandy Bridge architecture brought improvements in IPC (instructions per cycle) by 10-15% compared to the previous generation, but the Celeron 867, due to its limited cache (2 MB) and low frequency, significantly lagged behind the Core i3/i5.

TDP and Power Consumption: Savings over Power

The processor's TDP is 17 watts. This was standard for mobile CPUs of its time.

- Heat Generation: Minimal, allowing for passive cooling in thin laptops.

- Energy Efficiency: Even under peak load, consumption does not exceed 20 watts, extending battery life.

However, the low TDP is achieved at the cost of performance: the CPU is not designed for prolonged loads, such as video rendering.

Performance: Modest Capabilities

Office Tasks:

- Working with documents (Word, Excel), browsing with 5-10 tabs is feasible but accompanied by lags when switching between applications.

- Running Windows 10/11 is possible but using lightweight distributions (e.g., Windows 10 LTSC) is recommended.

Multimedia:

- Playing Full HD video (YouTube, local files) - no issues.

- Photo editing in Lightroom is extremely slow; online editors are preferable.

Gaming:

- Old games (Half-Life 2, Minecraft on minimum settings) reach 20-30 FPS.

- Modern projects – will not run.

Turbo Mode: Absent. The processor operates at a fixed frequency, which is stable but does not provide gains in "heavy" scenarios.

Use Cases: Who is the Celeron 867 Suitable for in 2025?

- Students: For lectures, writing papers, Zoom conferences.

- Seniors: Basic surfing, email, photo viewing.

- Office Workers: Text editing, spreadsheets, PDF handling.

- Backup Laptop: For trips where the risk of loss/breakage is high.

Not Suitable for:

- Video editing, 3D modeling.

- Modern gaming, streaming.

- Working with "heavy" IDEs (e.g., Android Studio).

Battery Life: Up to 6 Hours?

In laptops with a 40-50 Wh battery, the operational time reaches 5-6 hours under:

- 50% screen brightness.

- Browsing or working with office applications.

- Enabled OS power-saving mode.

Power-Saving Technologies:

- Intel SpeedStep: Dynamic frequency adjustment depending on load.

- C-States: Powering down unused CPU components during idle.

However, battery wear in devices from 2012-2015 by 2025 reduces autonomy to 2-3 hours.

Comparison with Competitors: Who Was Stronger?

AMD E-450 (2011):

- 2 cores, 1.65 GHz, Radeon HD 6320 graphics.

- Pros: Better graphics, DirectX 11 support.

- Cons: Higher TDP (18 W), poorer driver optimization.

Intel Pentium 987 (Sandy Bridge):

- 2 cores, 1.5 GHz, 2 MB cache.

- 10-15% faster than Celeron 867, but more expensive.

Apple A7 (2013):

- ARM architecture, 64-bit. Even in 2025, older iPads with A7 remain relevant for basic tasks due to iOS optimizations.

Pros and Cons: Is It Worth Buying?

Pros:

- Low price (laptops with this CPU cost $250-$300 from 2012-2014).

- Repairability: Replacing the SSD or adding RAM (up to 8-16 GB DDR3) can prolong the device's life.

- Quiet operation: Some models lack fans.

Cons:

- Morally outdated: Does not support Windows 11 (without modifications).

- Limited multitasking: "Lag" when running a browser and antivirus simultaneously.

- No support for modern standards: USB 3.0, Wi-Fi 6.

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

Configuration:

- RAM: Minimum 4 GB, preferably 8 GB.

- Storage: An SSD is essential (even SATA) instead of an HDD.

- Screen: Matte finish for working in bright light.

Form Factor:

- Ultrabooks: Dell Latitude E6230, Lenovo ThinkPad X230 – lightweight, durable.

- Budget Laptops: HP ProBook 4530s – repairable.

Check Before Purchase:

- Battery test (BatteryInfoView software).

- Heat check (AIDA64 Stress Test).

- Inspect ports (often break due to age).

Final Conclusion: A Niche Solution

The Intel Celeron 867 in 2025 is suitable for those who need:

- An ultra-budget device for simple tasks.

- A temporary solution until purchasing a modern laptop.

- A device for children/seniors with minimal requirements.

Key Benefits:

- Almost zero cost (on the second-hand market — $50-$100 for a laptop).

- Sufficient performance for "digital minimalism".

However, for a comfortable experience in 2025, it’s better to consider models based on Intel Celeron N4500 (Gemini Lake) or AMD Athlon Silver 3050U — they support modern OS and standards while remaining in the budget segment ($300-$400).

In summary: The Celeron 867 is an example of a "survivor" processor that reminds us that technology ages but can still be useful in the hands of unassuming users.

Basic

Label Name
Intel
Platform
Mobile
Launch Date
January 2012
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.
867
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 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
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
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.
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 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 5
Single Core Score
237
Geekbench 5
Multi Core Score
392
Passmark CPU
Single Core Score
584
Passmark CPU
Multi Core Score
562

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 5 Single Core
Pentium N4200
335 +41.4%
E2-3200
298 +25.7%
E-240
243 +2.5%
Celeron 867
237
Atom Z2520
59 -75.1%
Geekbench 5 Multi Core
A6-5400B
688 +75.5%
A4-6320
588 +50%
Pentium U5600
471 +20.2%
Celeron 867
392
Atom Z2480
94 -76%
Passmark CPU Single Core
A6-3430MX
822 +40.8%
Celeron 887
703 +20.4%
Pentium U5600
588 +0.7%
Celeron 867
584
Atom Z670
95 -83.7%
Passmark CPU Multi Core
Celeron G550T
1102 +96.1%
Celeron 1017U
888 +58%
A4-3320M
668 +18.9%
Celeron 867
562
Celeron B710
106 -81.1%