Intel Ditches Pentium and Celeron Chip Branding

Intel has decided to drop the Pentium and Celeron branding it has been using for the past four decades.

The announcement was made today by Josh Newman, Intel vice president and interim general manager of Mobile Client Platforms, who said:

"Whether for work or play, the importance of the PC has only become more apparent as the torrid pace of technological development continues to shape the world. Intel is committed to driving innovation to benefit users, and our entry-level processor families have been crucial for raising the PC standard across all price points. The new Intel Processor branding will simplify our offerings so users can focus on choosing the right processor for their needs."

So gone is Pentium and Celeron, to be replaced with a "streamlined brand architecture" that will see all 2023 laptops with budget processors called "Intel Processor" instead. Higher end processors will continue to use the Intel Core (i3, i5, i7, and i9) branding. Intel is planning the same branding change for desktop PCs and sees it as a way of "simplifying the purchasing experience for customers."

The Pentium name was first used in 1993, and was followed by the Pentium II, Pentium III, Pentium 4, and Pentium M. More recently the brand has been used by Intel to signify entry-level processors. The Celeron brand is a little younger, having only been introduced in 1998 when it was used to signify low-end processors, typically including less cache, lower clock speeds, and some of the more advanced features disabled.

:story: PC Magazine