Typical Uses

• Intel's Celeron processors are best used for simple computing tasks like surfing the Internet, sending emails, and word processing. More demanding applications, such as file storage, multimedia programs and video games, are usually best done on processors with a little more power. This means that Celeron processors are a great entry-level processor for new computers, or for those who don't need or want the power for some reason.
  
  Also, for a brief period of time, Celeron processors based on Pentium II and Pentium III technology were favored by overclockers--people who run a computer component at a higher clock speed than it was designed--for their superior overclocking performance. Modern overclockers usually favor other processors over Celeron.
  
  

Compatibility

• Celeron processors are usually fully compatible with motherboards designed for their respective processor type--Pentium II, Pentium III, Pentium 4, Pentium M, or Core 2 Duo.
  
  

Why They're Slower

• A vital component of modern processors is the amount of memory cache they contain, which helps them process very large files more quickly. The amount of available memory cache affects performance little when doing simple tasks, Internet surfing, sending emails, word processing and the like, but venturing into the realm of large file processing will usually slow a computer running on a Celeron processor quickly.
  
  Older models lacked different features that made higher-cost processors better.
  
  

Why They're Cheaper

• Celeron processors are cheaper to produce because they have lower amounts of cache, which is expensive to attach to a processor die.
  
  

Modern Celerons

• More recent models of Celeron processors may be restoring some of the Pentium II and III overclocking glory--though not any more than other current processors. The newer models are efficient and speedy, just not quite as speedy as standard Core 2 Duos or i7s. Still, overclocked or not, Celerons place may no longer be in budget PCs. They might start winding up in file storage and multimedia machines. Gamers still probably want something with a bit more power.