Intel gets it right this time with the Celeron 300A

By Zatni Arbi

JAKARTA (JP): By the time Intel realized that there was actually a substantial market in what they called "Segment Zero", it was too late. Other chipmakers had silently capitalized on computer users' realization that you do not really need a lightning-fast CPU to run your regular word processor, Microsoft Outlook or Solitaire. AMD and Cyrix gained a strong hold in the low-end PC market. Intel revised its strategy, and addressed our need for low-cost PCs with its new class of microprocessor, the Celeron.

If you have been following my column, you will be familiar with the new processor. The first Celeron, running at the 266 MHz clock cycle, was quite a flop. It was a stripped down version of Pentium II (it did not have the Level-2 cache, the fast memory chip that supplies required data to the processor). "The 266 MHz Celeron was welcomed by a chorus of yawns," one magazine editor wrote.

So, even a company as aggressive and paranoid as Intel does make a blunder from time to time. Well, that should be no surprise, as aggressiveness and blunders are just like heavy rain and traffic jams. Fortunately, though, Intel learned the lesson quickly and fixed the problems. The result is the new Celeron that is worth considering.

Courtesy of Intel Indonesia, I was able to play around with a Celeron 300 MHz-based system to see how fast (or slow) the Celeron 300 MHz is. The system, which bears the brand "Maximus", was built by Intel's GID partners. It had 64 MB of SDRAM, an IBM 6.1 GB hard disk, a Hitachi DVD-ROM drive and a 14" monitor.

Incidentally, GID is an important abbreviation to keep in mind, especially when you are looking for an Intel-based system. GID stands for "Genuine Intel Dealer". As you may already know, there are remarked processors circulating around, and if you are unlucky you will get a 266 MHz processor labeled as a 300 MHz one. If you buy the chip from one of those GIDs, you will be safe, fortunately. You will see the sticker in their shop windows. It's actually Intel's method of fighting faked processors, as Intel will severely punish the dealers if they are caught selling one of these counterfeits.

Processor

To refresh our memories, the first two versions of the Celerons, the 266 MHz and 300 MHz, replaced the old Pentium processors with MMX Technology for desktop computers. The Celeron chip itself sits in a module card that is inserted into Slot 1 on the motherboard. Pentium II uses the same connection.

The accompanying picture shows the image of the actual processor module that I scanned using the new HP ScanJet 5100C. As you can see, the processor is the only chip on the card, there is no Level-2 (L2) cache memory chip such as the one we find in a Pentium II module.

By taking out the L2-cache, Intel was able to offer the Celeron for US$155 as opposed to the $375 it charged for a Pentium II 266 MHz chip at one point. However, because of the absence of the L2 cache, the performance of these original Celerons is far below Pentium II with the same clock speed. You would be even better off using a Pentium II 266 MHz than the Celeron 300 MHz without the L2 cache.

Now Intel has put some of the L2 cache back into the CPU. Codenamed Mendocino, the new version of Celeron 300 MHz and the new 333 MHz have a 128 K of L2 cache. For comparison, a regular Pentium II processor has 512 K of L2 cache. The addition of even only one fourth of the Pentium II's L2 cache evidently injects a lot of steroid in the otherwise anemic Celeron. In many applications, the 300 MHz Celeron may run almost as fast as the true Pentium II 300 MHz. The difference is the lower price of the Celerons.

This latest generation of Celeron processors comes with two different speeds, 300 MHz and 333 MHz. To differentiate between the 300 MHz version without the L2 cache and the one with the L2 cache -- or the Mendocino version -- Intel adds an "A" to the chip's name. Thus, the latter is then called "Celeron 300A". The good news is that the old Celerons will be history immediately, as will the 233 and 266 MHz Pentium II processors.

Now, with new processors being introduced all the time, what should you buy if you need to buy a PC right now? The fastest Pentium II on the market is the 450 MHz version, which reportedly has a 9 percent performance edge over the 400 MHz version. Given this fact, it is naturally safe to think the ideal processor is the 400 MHz.

However, if you want the best value for your money, it seems that the Mendocinos -- i.e., Celeron 300A and Celeron 333 MHz -- are the best choice. Their performance is not far below the full Pentium II with the same clock speeds. The price differences can be compelling. According to a report by PC World, for example, the Celeron 333 MHz performs very close to Pentium II 333 MHz, but the chip can be found in PCs costing under $1,000. The report also claims that the new Celeron processors are indeed "price/performance winners". PC Magazine also covets the new Celerons.

Now back to the Celeron 300 system that I tested. I should admit that, while it's still a decent machine, I have to agree with general opinion that you should avoid the Celeron 300 without the very important "A" at the end of its name.