The Celeron processors are the low-budget entry-level CPUs from Intel. They are designed to do only simple tasks and are certainly not meant to be running games.
But if you happen to have a Celeron processor and want to fire up a game of Fortnite or explore Los Santos, can you?
I’ve run several modern AAA titles on my Celeron processor to see how it handles them and describe my findings in this article.
Let’s begin!
What Specs Do You Get in the Intel Celeron Processor?
With only 2 threads, the Intel Celeron CPUs come from the family of dual-core processors that operate in the range from 2.9 GHz to 3.3 GHz and have a 2 MB Intel Smart Cache. Compared to other CPUs presently available in the market, this is pretty low.
This kind of processor sits on LGA 1151-2 type socket making the RAM type DDR4 at 2400MHz. It consumes very low power as the TDP is only 54W, which makes it compatible with low-power supplies.
In performance, the Celerion is worse than Pentium and better than Atom. So, it is more than capable of doing basic tasks.
For light users who use computers only for Microsoft Office tasks with moderately little workloads, the Celeron processors will suffice.
But in case you want to use it for gaming, screen recording, video editing, or streaming, you simply can’t.
That said, I still launched popular AAA games on my Celeron processor to see how it handles them, and provided the result in the following section.
Since AMD Athlon and Ryzen 3 are also budget-friendly gaming CPUs, consider them while you’re shopping for a new processor.
Intel Celeron Benchmark Comparison
On the performance scale, the 10th gen Celeron processors sit between Core i3 3225 and Pentium G6400. And the 12th gen Celeron’s benchmark score is slightly higher than the Pentium G6400 but lower than the Core i5 4460.
In the chart below, I’ve provided the position of the popular Celeron processor in terms of the benchmark of other processors.
Here’s the Intel Celeron benchmark comparison:
Is Intel Celeron Good for Gaming?
The Celeron processors are entry-level CPUs from Intel. They are designed for simple day-to-day tasks, but not for gaming. You can do web browsing, watch videos and run programs like Microsoft Word, but you cannot run games on a Celeron chip, especially the older generations.
However, I still ran some popular AAA games on my 12th gen & 10th gen Intel Celeron processors.
Here’s what I’ve found:
12th Gen Intel Celeron G6900 with Nvidia GTX 1650/T1000
I’ve paired my Celeron G6900 with an Nvidia T1000 which is similar in performance to the GTX 1650 GDDR 6 card. So, the processor can reach its maximum potential gaming-wise and hopefully give you a good idea of what to expect.
Here’s how different games perform on an Intel Celeron G6900:
The Witcher 3
The Golden Cove cores of Celeron 6900 are decent because they can pump out a respectable 43 FPS on average in The Witcher 3. But because the processor doesn’t have any hyper-threading, the minimum frame rate can drop all the way down to zero.
The game runs at high settings with low post-processing and even exceeds 60 fps, but it stutters a lot and occasionally freezes completely for a few seconds.
GTA San Andreas The Definitive Edition
San Andreas Definitive Edition also provides decent enough average frames. While the game stutters can be due to a lack of physical cores, the minimum fps is not as bad as in Witcher 3.
In GTA San Andreas Definitive Edition, you’ll get an average of 58 fps, with the lowest being 15 fps. And certainly, there are micro stutters, but they come across as moderate frustration rather than game-breaking.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 won’t load any saved games because of only 2 cores and no hyper-threading. That said, you can start a new game, and you have to play through it in one go.
This game will give you 47 fps on average, with an 11 fps minimum at 1080p low settings.
CS: GO
CS Global Offensive performs with at least 100 frames per second, with the lowest preset at 1080p when paired with T1000 or its equivalent GTX 1650. But this frame rate is unstable, and I wouldn’t recommend playing it on a competitive level, as you’ll get frame dips out of nowhere.
Fortnite
Though in Fortnite with Celeron G6900, you’ll get over 100 fps, the gameplay is a stutter fest with the lowest 8 fps only.
GTA 5
Similar to Fortnite, the G6900 with GTX 1650 will give you an average of 63 FPS on high settings with maxed-out details in GTA 5. But the minimum frame rate can drop to 4 FPS, providing a laggy gaming experience.
Red Dead Redemption 2
RDR 2 gave the most surprising results. This game doesn’t really care that the processor has only got 2 cores. Though the CPU usage is high, and sometimes the frame rate dips below 30, it’s nowhere near as bad as the other games I’ve already described.
In Red Dead Redemption 2, you’ll get an average FPS of 34, and the 1% low is 20 FPS, which is certainly playable.
Below is the chart that shows the average and minimum FPS of different games on Celeron 6900:
Remember, if the difference between average FPS and 1% low is less, you’ll have moderately fewer stutters in your games.
For example, from the top chart, in RDR2, you’ll get fairly smooth gameplay, even though the average FPS is only 34. And Fortnite & CS GO will be full of lags due to the huge difference between average FPS and 1% low.
10th Gen Intel Celeron G5900 with Nvidia 1080Ti
I ran the games described below on my Celeron G5900 combined with an Nvidia 1080Ti. So, the processor can reach its maximum potential gaming-wise and hopefully give you a good idea of what to expect.
GTA 5
GTA 5 is an absolute stutter fest with the Celeron G5900, even when paired with 1080Ti. But after enabling V-sync at half of the monitor’s refresh rate, the performance was much smoother.
In GTA 5, you’ll get an average of 37 FPS on high settings, and the minimum frame rate can drop to 23 FPS.
Red Dead Redemption 2
RDR 2 is highly optimized and doesn’t really care that it’s running on a 2-core CPU. The game ran with over 30 fps on average with 1080p high settings and wasn’t as laggy as I had assumed.
Warzone
Warzone ran at about 30 fps with high settings on 1080p. But the gameplay was laggy and sometimes unplayable.
Crysis Remastered
The 5900 with 1080Ti will give you an average of 34 FPS on high settings in Crysis Remastered. But the minimum frame rate can drop to 3 FPS, providing a laggy gaming experience.
Apex Legends
Of all the games I’ve discussed above, Apex Legends gave the best result. Even on high settings, you’ll get over 60 fps on average, and the 1% low frame rate doesn’t go below 35 fps. However, you’ll get occasional dips on the frame, which is expected with this type of CPU.
On a side note, you can optimize a CPU to get better gaming performance despite having a weaker processor like Celeron or Pentium.
Below is the chart that shows the average and minimum FPS of different games on Celeron 6900:
Should You Buy an Intel Celeron Processor in 2023?
Manufacturers use Celeron processors to balance the cost of low-end laptops. This is not suitable as opening more than one page in chrome will slow your computer down.
On YouTube, you can watch videos at 1080p, but it will constantly buffer, forcing you to lower the resolution. And when playing modern games, you have to fight through constant lags and micro stutters.
As you can see from the benchmark test, even the best version of Intel Celeron really lacks the power you need for everyday computing.
Also, when you compare the prices between Celeron and Intel Pentium, the Pentium is a much better choice for gaming considering it’s only about 20 dollars more.
Ultimately, there isn’t much to mention about Celeron apart from it being the worst processor from Intel.
So, if you are looking to spend as little as possible on a new processor, you should go for Intel’s own Pentium lineup, which has hyper-threading like Pentium Gold G7400 or AMD’s Athlon series, specially Athlon 3000G.
You can also refer to our Atom vs Celeron vs Pentium CPU comparison guide to know more about it.
FAQs
Is Celeron better than i3?
No. Performance-wise, i3 processors are more powerful than Celeron, making them better at heavy tasks and gaming.
Can Intel Celeron run GTA 5?
When paired with a graphics card, Intel Celeron can run GTA 5. But the gameplay will be laggy and full of stutters. When combined with the GTX 1650 with Celeron 6900, the average FPS was 63 with the minimum frame rate being 4 in GTA 5.
Is the Intel Celeron good?
Intel Celeron is good for budget laptops that are only used for simple tasks like writing Microsoft Word documents, playing videos, and browsing web pages.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the Intel Celeron chips are simply not meant for gaming. As you can see from this article, even when paired with top-of-the-line graphics cards, Celeron still struggles to maintain a good FPS and fails to provide a smooth gaming experience.
So, I wouldn’t recommend running games on Celeron processors, especially when you have so much better options available for just about 20 dollars more.
Leave a comment below if you have further questions, and we’ll get back to you.
