While it would be easy to recommend the long-awaited third generation of Celeron processors (with SSE instructions), we cannot, because it would be foolish to recommend a product that cannot yet be bought. When these new CPUs are released the story may change, but for the time being, 2nd generation Celeron processors are the most effective budget solution.
Chances are, the Celeron 533 will see its greatest success under the hood of shiny new OEM systems rather then being picked up in the retail market. With such a fierce megahertz battle going on, the 533 demonstrates high clock speed on an affordable platform, and that is the most attractive aspect of the new CPU.
What we won't be sorry to see go is the 66MHz front side bus, which has been with us since the early days of the Pentium processor. So, with the death of the old generation of Celeron CPU's, room will be made for the new processors, which we anxiously look foreword to.
The bottom line is this: While we await what Intel will bring next for the mainstream, the fact remains that the Celeron 533 is the fastest in the large Celeron family. Competition from the Pentium III 450 leaves us a little hesitant to make a full-fledged recommendation, but if money is of primary concern, the Celeron 533 is a definite contender.
Price
66MHz FSB
Chris Angelini
Editor