Intel has been reigning supreme in the CPU market for almost half a century with thousands of marvelous processors.
It is confusing to choose a CPU from these vast alternatives.
However, this article will eliminate all the confusion and assist you in selecting a suitable processor.
Whats the Difference Between Atom, Celeron, and Pentium CPUs?
Celeron is a low-budget series that mainly focuses on laptops and mobiles.
Pentium is close to the Core i3 series and provides a smoother experience.
Note:Intel 7th gen Pentium processors have achieved about 95% performance of Intel Core i3 processors.
Intel builds Pentium or Celeron processors on two different technologies:Atom-basedandCore-based.
To find out whether the processor is Atom-based or Core-based, look at the model of your chip.
If your Pentium or Celeron processor hasNandJin front of the model number, its Atom-based.
On the other hand, if the model number hasGin the front of the name, its Core-based.
Consider the following discussion to understand the differences between the Atom vs. Celeron vs. Pentium CPUs.
Unfortunately, Intel could not cope with other mobile processor manufacturers and discontinued the Atom processor lineup in 2016.
The most valuable product that came with the Atom processor was anetbook.
However, Intel is still making Atom processors for Servers, Cellular Infrastructure Applications, and IoT devices.
Check out our separate post on how toenable all CPU cores in Windows 11.
It is the low-end processor you may find available in the Intel processor lineup.
Celeron processors are mainly dual-core CPUs without any enabled hyperthreading.
A Celeron processor consists of two cores and two threads.
The desktop-based Celeron processors are comparatively more powerful than the laptop-based Celeron processors.
Additionally, the desktop-based Celeron processors offer much higher TDP (Thermal Design Power) in watts.
Even the weakest Intel Celeron N4020 is much more powerful than the Intel Atom processors in terms of performance.
Instead, you might pick the Intel Celeron N4020 CPU for a better comparison result.
Otherwise, keep scrolling to find the best Pentium processor for you.
You should check our guide onwhether a Celeron CPU is good for gaming.
Intel Pentium Processor
For basic productivity tasks, the perfect choice is the intel Pentium processor series.
The Pentium processor series is far behind the next Intel Core i3 lineup.
While the Celeron processors are laggy and lack performance, the Pentium processors offer a smoother performance.
The latestPentium CPUs are also good for gaming.
Before the Intel Core series, the Pentium processors were Intels top-tier.
Intel divided the Pentium series into two lineups:Pentium SilverandPentium Gold.
It makes the Pentium lineup more complex.
Intel Pentium Silver CPU is the modified version of the Celeron processors.
Some of them even belong to the same Intel Gemini Lake generation.
The Pentium Silver and Gold series was created for a different product category.
The Silver series comes with pre-built devices.
So, you cannot find a Silver series processor on a shelf to buy separately.
They even share the same design architecture.
But the Gold series offers fewer cores, clock speed, and TDP compared to the Core i3 processors.
It makes the Gold series more power efficient and suitable for mobile and tablets.
Quick Note:The Pentium Gold series is not superior to the Intel Silver CPUs.
Sometimes, the Gold series is even worse than the Silver series, particularly in the mobile segment.
It is still the best-performing CPU than the others.
The benchmark clearly shows the processors performance to understand the capability compared to other processors.
Consider the following image that shows the Passmark score of various Intel processors.
I have also added a Core i3 CPU for better understanding.
The image above clearly shows the Passmark scores for Intel Atom, Celeron, and Pentium processors.
Besides, you should also check the processors specifications to understand the differences better.
However, the Pentium processors have an advantage with the clock speed.
Since these are all dual-core CPUs, you should knowhow good dual-core processors are in terms of gaming.
Which Intel CPU is Right for You?
The best Intel CPU is highly dependent on your use cases.
However, not every Pentium G series processor is powerful enough compared to Celeron CPUs.
For instance, Intel Pentium Gold 6405U is a laptop-based CPU.
It is inferior to the Pentium Silver CPUs and some mobile-grade Celeron processors.
Since were discussing low-end CPUs, you should definitely check out ourextended review on Ryzen 3s gaming performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Pentium or Atom?
The Atom processors are energy efficient, so they cannot generate much power.
However, the Atom processor can run on mobile devices for low power consumption.
On the contrary, Pentium processors are more potent than Atom processors.
Is Intel Atom better than Intel Celeron?
The Atom processor is comparatively slower than the Celeron processor.
As the Atom processors are power efficient, they cannot provide enough power compared to the Celeron processors.
Is Pentium better than Celeron?
In recent years, Pentium processors adopted a new technology called hyper-threading.
That helps the Pentium to split every single core into two, which can perform like a quad-core processor.
And the Celeron processors are missing this great feature.
Final Thoughts
The difference between the Intel Atom vs. Celeron vs. Pentium is subtle.
Picking the right one is dependent on your use cases and budget.
Pentium processors can multitask efficiently when the Celeron processors focus on basic computing.
On the other hand, the Atom CPUs are suitable for mobile and tablets for their low-power consumption.
