Intel is discontinuing the Pentium and Celeron brands in favor of the Intel Processor. The new logo will replace existing brands in 2023 notebooks, ostensibly making things easier for buyers shopping for low-cost laptops.
Intel will now concentrate on its Core, Evo, and vPro branding for its flagship devices, while Intel Processor will be used in “critical” items. “Intel is committed to fostering innovation for the benefit of customers, and our entry-level CPU families have been critical in elevating the PC standard across all price points,” says Josh Newman, Intel’s vice president, and interim general manager of mobile client platforms. “The new Intel Processor branding will simplify our offerings, allowing users to concentrate on selecting the best processor for their needs.”
The Pentium brand is being phased out after nearly 30 years of service. The flagship Pentium CPUs were first offered in high-end desktop PCs in 1993 before transitioning to laptops. Since its launch in 2006, Intel has primarily used the Core branding for its flagship line of processors, while the Pentium branding has been repurposed for midrange processors.
Celeron was Intel’s low-cost PC brand name. Celeron chips, introduced about five years after the Pentium, have always provided far less performance at a significantly lower cost to laptop manufacturers and consumers. The initial Celeron chip, released in 1998, was based on a Pentium II CPU, while the most recent Celeron chips are found in Chromebooks and low-cost laptops.
Multiple CPU generations will now be placed under a single brand as a result of Intel’s decision to simplify to just Intel Processor. It’s unclear how Intel intends to cope with teaching consumers about what’s midrange and what’s low-cost. In any case, the Celeron and Pentium low-cost CPUs have undoubtedly earned a bad reputation in recent years, as PC makers increasingly focus on Chromebooks and low-cost devices where the chips can’t keep up.
According to Intel, the name change will not affect the company’s current product lines or plans, and it will “continue to deliver the same products and services within segments.”
Intel’s rebranding comes only weeks before the company unveils its flagship 13th Generation, desktop processors. Intel inadvertently published specifications for some of its 13th Generation CPUs earlier this week after stating that at least one will run at 6GHz out of the box.