A compact and silent computer is dreamed by many users who need a mobile device, first of all, for work and ordinary entertainment: watching movies, listening to music, surfing the Internet. There are few inexpensive options on the market with such requirements, especially if laptops and tablets are excluded from the list. In this article, the reader will get acquainted with the mobile version of a personal computer based on the Celeron J1800 processor. Description, characteristics and reviews of the owners will allow a potential buyer to get to know the device better.
Market positioning
The manufacturer offers users a kind of symbiosis of the motherboard with the processor. A distinctive feature of this platform from competitors is its low cost (about 5000 rubles per set). In addition, the buyer gets a rather economical system that can work using passive cooling, because for the Celeron J1800 processor, performance characteristics are not priority.
The manufacturer also presents a mobile platform, which many manufacturers of miniature laptops have looked after, because low cost, portability and noiselessness are basic criteria in the production of mobile gadgets.
Hidden processor potential
Many users associate the Bay Trail-D code name for the chip in question with the Atom platform: low power consumption, minimal market price and integration into the motherboard. However, such conclusions are erroneous, because the Celeron J1800 processor has a number of other characteristics that significantly distinguish the crystal from the Atom architecture. In terms of performance, the platform will be closer to the Intel Core i3 processor.
The operating frequency of the core is in the range of 2410-2580 MHz. The cache in the first level is 112 Kb (Atom has a figure of 32 Kb), and the L2 cache is 1 Mb (the same for Core i3). The processor implements two physical cores that can work asynchronously. The platform was built using a 22-nanometer technical process and has a thermal package of 10 watts.
Features of the mobile platform
The Intel Celeron processor boasts a competitor with a graphics core on the chip. The motherboard supplied in the kit accordingly has all the necessary video outputs for connecting displays with analog and digital signals. The graphics core operates at a frequency of 688-792 MHz and allows the owner to play non-resource-intensive toys. By the way, the memory for the integrated video card is allocated from RAM and is not limited to anything.
The processor supports 64-bit architecture, which allows the user to install the appropriate operating systems and software. The crystal also understands virtualization: VT-x technology enables the owner to work in a virtual environment (this functionality is more interesting to programmers and administrators).
Main competitor
As expected, the Celeron J1800 processor has a direct competitor in the market AMD A6-5345, which for unknown reasons is positioned in the niche of the initial gaming class, although its characteristics and performance do not exceed the crystal considered in this article. Apparently, the rival gaming segment brings more profit than the budget class.
As professionals note in their reviews, both processors have no predisposition to games at the level that the corresponding class requires. The whole problem lies in the integrated graphics core running on the old GDDR3 technology with a 64-bit memory bus bandwidth. Fans of DOTA, World of Tanks, WarCraft 3 games may find this platform suitable (in the minimum settings you can launch and play with a low frame rate). But fans of action-packed dynamic games, Intel Celeron performance is clearly not enough. You can, of course, consider the option with an external video adapter, but there is no point in this, because in this case the processor power will already be insufficient.
Platform features
In aggregate, the processor and motherboard have a number of limitations that keep this product in a budget class. The pursuit of low energy consumption and affordable cost led to the fact that the manufacturer simply did not provide its product with popular functions.
- The amount of RAM is limited to 8 gigabytes. Moreover, on a motherboard with Celeron J1800 there are 2 DDR3 channels and, logically (for example, for a 64-bit platform), the threshold could be increased to 16 gigabytes.
- The motherboard provides only two SATA II interfaces for connecting hard drives.
- There is no RAID support, although the same two hard drives could be made in a mirror for reliable data storage in office computers.
The advantages of the compact platform are: 8-channel integrated sound, a PCI expansion slot for connecting an additional device (TV tuner, network card, video adapter), 2 USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 input, a parallel port for connecting a printer, LAN network interface .
Notebook Features
All the technologies used by this platform have become available in mobile devices. Inexpensive laptops that have the Celeron J1800 processor installed, the specifications have the following:
- multiple outputs for connecting displays or TVs (HDMI);
- USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports (limited to three connectors);
- network interface in the form of an RJ-45 pin;
- outputs for connecting speakers and a microphone.
In fact, this is a full-fledged laptop built on an inexpensive platform. Hence the low cost of the devices themselves (about 12-15 thousand rubles). Quite an interesting offer for many users in the mobile device market, given the low power consumption. Even with a small battery, the laptop can work offline for about 5-8 hours without problems.
Platform performance improvement
It is possible to upgrade the system in which the Celeron J1800 chip is installed. Reviews from media professionals assure many device owners that the processor can be changed to improve performance. True, for this you have to use a soldering station, since the crystal is non-removable. As an alternative to increasing the platform's power, you can install the Pentium J2900 processor. It is rather strange that the manufacturer did not do this at the factory, because the cost of a more productive chip is slightly different from Intel Celeron.
As a result, the power of the system can be brought to the initial gaming level, because the 4 physical cores of Pentium have great potential for the entire system to work. Quite strange is the situation with heat release: a more powerful crystal has a similar package with a heat release of 10 watts. It seems that the Celeron processor is a rejection in the production of the Pentium crystal line.
When you want to see
Many potential buyers are interested in seeing the Celeron J1800 processor in action. A test with resource-intensive games (Crysis 3, FarCry, DeusEx 3) will definitely fail. But in working with an office suite, graphic editors and coding, a video platform can surprise even a demanding user. Only 4 hours will be required for the system to transcode one hour of video content in 720i (HD) resolution. The same Intel Core i3 processor with the same amount of RAM (8 GB) takes three and a half hours.
In general, for a Celeron J1800-based chip, RAM size is critical. Even with office applications, the platform will greatly slow down work if less than 2 gigabytes of RAM are installed on board. A potential buyer, choosing a system for work, must pay attention to this fact. It is better not to save on RAM: 4-8 GB is the key to the performance of the platform in question.
Finally
On the Celeron J1800 processor and the platform based on it, it is rather difficult to make unambiguous conclusions. On the one hand, an inexpensive system attracts the entire corporate segment, because the low cost of a personal computer for an enterprise makes it possible to save quite a lot. The presence of expansion cards on the platform allows you to integrate the system for the needs of the office (file server, router, and the like).
But difficulties with improving the platform can stop many potential buyers. The problem is no longer in the processor, but in the limitations of the installed RAM. As practice shows, for many applications, especially when it comes to using virtualization, 8 gigabytes of memory is not enough for an integrated platform. After all, 2 GB takes a video adapter, the operating system also needs 2 gigabytes. As a result, the user has 4 GB. In any case, the buyer must decide what is more critical for him - cost or performance.