Intel releases low-power Pentium ‘Silver’ and Celeron successors

Gemini Lake architecture 

Intel has released the successors to its low-power Pentium ‘Silver’ and Celeron lines which are based on the Gemini Lake architecture.

The chips are targeting low-cost markets like budget PCs, 2-in-1 tablets, and data entry boxes. The Gemini chips will be offered in five SKUs, the Pentium Silver N5000 (mobile) and J5005 (desktop), and the Celeron N4100 and N4000 (mobile) and J4105 and J4005 (desktop) chips.

In addition to low cost and a claimed longer battery life, the Gemini Lake chips have integrated 802.11 B, G and N networking, which means they can handle gigabit wi-fi. They will use Intel’s UHD integrated graphics hardware.

The chips are now shipping to OEMs and Intel said it expects the first machines to hit the market in early 2018.

Intel said that it has worked hard to ensure buyers have the flexibility to choose from a range of designs – laptops, 2 in 1s, All-in-One PCs, mini PCs and desktops – and price points, providing a “value-priced” – read cheap –  PC that handles the things people do most at home, at school or when people are “on the go”.

The Gemini Lake chips represent the bottom end of a CPU hierarchy from Intel that separates the Pentium Silver and Celeron chips from the Kaby Lake-based Pentium Gold chips Intel released earlier this year.