Intel Celeron G540 and Celeron G440 Processors Review
Just a few weeks ago, Intel unleashed a slew of new Sandy Bridge parts and one interesting part for HTPC users is the new Celeron. There are a few new Celeron flavors and the most intriguing are the dual core parts with HD Graphics. Word on the street is that these are capable of all the things we have come to expect from an integrated Intel graphics solution when it comes to video playback. This brings the cost of entry for a Sandy Bridge platform even lower with the Celeron G530 currently selling for only $57 at Newegg. X-bit Labs dives into the performance of the dual core G540 and the G440 which is a single core part that is probably not so advisable for most use cases.
Anyway, the evolution of the Celeron product series that goes back to 1999 continues successfully. And now those who prefer entry-level solutions will get a dual-core processor with the latest microarchitecture and manufactured using the most advanced production technology. Moreover, it will also feature a built-in graphics core with DirectX 10 support and hardware HD-video decoding. And most importantly, all this comes at the same price of $37-$52 per unit.