Introduction
Contents
Both AMD and Intel recently released new families of low cost, low TDP desktop CPUs. AMD launched the AM1 platform with Sempron and Athlon “Kabini” processors, while Intel released the “Bay Trail-D” Celeron and Pentium CPUs, recognizable by the use of the letter “J” on the model naming. Among the lowest-end models of each family are, respectively, the AMD Sempron 2650, and the Intel Celeron J1800. Let’s compare the performance of those CPUs and discover which one is the best buy in the low-end market segment.
Both CPUs are dual-core models, while most processors of each family are quad-core ones. Because of this, they are the most inexpensive desktop processors available on the market nowadays.
The AMD “Kabini” and Intel “Bay Trail-D” processors are SoC (System On a Chip) CPUs, which means they include in the chip the processing cores, the memory controller, the video controller, and also the chipset. This helps both platforms to keep their low cost and low TDP.
The Sempron 2650 is the simplest (and cheapest) desktop processor from AMD. It is a socketed CPU and uses the FS1b socket (also informally called AM1). It looks like other processors from AMD, but it is smaller and uses a different (and smaller) cooler. We will test it using the ASUS AM1M-A motherboard, which we analyzed recently.
Figures 1 and 2 unveil the Sempron 2650 CPU and its stock cooler.
Figure 1: the Sempron 2650 processor
Figure 2: the Sempron 2650 and its stock cooler
The Intel Celeron J1800 is one of the simplest desktop processors on the market. Differently from its contender from AMD, it comes soldered to the motherboard. The model we are testing comes on the ASRock D1800M motherboard, which we also analyzed recently.
Figure 3: the Celeron J1800 processor
Let’s compare the main specs of the reviewed CPUs in the next page.
