Intel Celeron D 350

Intel Celeron D 350 is a desktop processor from the NetBurst architecture, built on the Prescott codename and manufactured on Intel's 90 nm process node. It was released on June 27, 2005, and is now end-of-life, containing 125 million transistors on a 109 mm² die. The chip operates with a single core and single thread at a base clock of 3.20 GHz, with no boost clock available, and carries a thermal design power (TDP) of 84 watts.

Platform and Compatibility

The Intel Celeron D 350 uses the Intel Socket 478 interface, a platform that was common for early-2000s desktop processors. This socket support means the chip is physically compatible with motherboards designed for Socket 478, though users must verify board-level support for the Prescott core. The processor supports DDR1 and DDR2 memory types, offering flexibility depending on the motherboard's memory controller implementation, but it does not support ECC memory, which limits its use in error-correcting workstation or server environments.

The chip does not have a dedicated PCIe specification listed in the data, so its expansion capabilities depend entirely on the motherboard's chipset rather than the processor itself. Integrated graphics are available "On certain motherboards (Chipset feature)," meaning the CPU relies on the chipset's built-in graphics solution rather than any on-die GPU. The upgrade path is constrained by the Socket 478 platform's age; users are limited to other Socket 478 processors, but the Celeron D 350's position as a budget-oriented chip means most upgrades would move to higher-tier Pentium 4 models on the same socket, assuming motherboard BIOS support. The process node of 90 nm and the NetBurst architecture are specific to this generation, so no cross-socket compatibility exists beyond what the motherboard provides.

Who Should Consider It

Benchmark results place the Celeron D 350 at the 50th percentile across all CPUs, which indicates it sits exactly at the median performance level — neither a top performer nor a laggard. With a single core and single thread at 3.20 GHz, the data suggests this processor is suited for basic office tasks such as word processing, spreadsheet work, and light web browsing, where single-threaded performance is the primary driver. For gaming, the single-core design will struggle with modern titles that expect multiple threads, but older or less demanding games from the mid-2000s era could run adequately given the high base clock for its time.

Content creation workloads, such as video editing or 3D rendering, typically benefit from multi-threaded execution, and the Celeron D 350's single-thread limitation makes it a poor fit for those tasks. The lack of a boost clock means the processor runs at a fixed 3.20 GHz, providing predictable but unvarying performance. The 256 KB L2 cache is modest by modern standards, which could impact performance in cache-sensitive applications, but for straightforward productivity software, the chip's clock speed compensates somewhat. Users with legacy software that does not leverage multiple threads will find the Celeron D 350 adequate, but anyone running contemporary applications should look to processors with more cores.

Power and Thermals

The Celeron D 350 has a TDP of 84 watts, which is substantial for a single-core processor, reflecting the NetBurst architecture's known high power draw. This TDP class implies the need for a capable air cooler designed for mid-range desktop CPUs, as stock cooling solutions from that era were typically adequate but not exceptional. The 90 nm manufacturing process is relatively large by today's standards, which contributes to the heat output despite the modest transistor count of 125 million.

Given the 84 W TDP, the data suggests that a basic tower-style air cooler with a 80mm or 92mm fan would be sufficient for standard operation, but overclocking is not an option since the multiplier is locked. The lack of a boost clock means the processor always runs at 3.20 GHz, so thermals remain constant under load rather than spiking with frequency changes. Users building a system with this chip should ensure proper chassis airflow to manage the heat generated by the Prescott core, as inadequate cooling could lead to thermal throttling — though the fixed clock means there is no headroom for temperature-based frequency reductions.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the Intel Celeron D 350 use?

A: The processor uses Intel Socket 478.

Q: Does the Celeron D 350 support ECC memory?

A: No, ECC memory is not supported.

Q: What is the base clock speed of this processor?

A: The base clock is 3.20 GHz, with no boost clock available.

Q: How many cores and threads does the Celeron D 350 have?

A: It has 1 core and 1 thread.

Q: What is the thermal design power (TDP) of this CPU?

A: The TDP is 84 watts.

Q: Does the processor have integrated graphics?

A: Integrated graphics are available on certain motherboards as a chipset feature, not on the CPU itself.

Q: What memory types does the Celeron D 350 support?

A: It supports DDR1 and DDR2 memory.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark data for the Intel Celeron D 350 shows an average benchmark score of 0, with a percentile rank of 50 among all CPUs. The nearestRivals field is empty, so no direct comparison scores or delta percentages are available for this processor. This absence of rival data means the analysis relies on the percentile position alone: at the 50th percentile, the Celeron D 350 performs exactly at the median of all CPUs in the database, suggesting it is neither a standout performer nor a below-average chip.

The zero benchmark score is unusual and likely reflects the database's collection methodology for this specific end-of-life processor, rather than an indication of real-world performance. Because there are no rival scores to compare, the data cannot show whether the Celeron D 350 is ahead of or behind specific competitors by any percentage. What the data does reveal is that, despite its single-core design and modest 256 KB L2 cache, the chip's 3.20 GHz clock speed places it in the middle of the performance distribution, which implies that for the era it was released, it delivered roughly average performance relative to all CPUs tracked.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The Celeron D 350 has a single core and single thread, meaning all workloads execute on one processing path. The base clock of 3.20 GHz is the only frequency available — there is no boost clock — so single-threaded performance is entirely determined by this fixed speed. In single-threaded applications, such as legacy office software or older games that were not designed for multi-core systems, the chip's high clock speed for its time should yield responsive performance, as the data indicates a 50th percentile ranking overall.

Multi-threaded behavior, however, is non-existent by design, as the processor cannot execute parallel tasks simultaneously. This limitation means any workload that benefits from multiple cores — modern web browsers with many tabs, video encoding, or compilation tasks — will see performance capped by the single thread's throughput. The 256 KB L2 cache is small, which can further hinder multi-threaded workloads that require frequent data access, but the single-thread nature is the dominant constraint. The 50th percentile score suggests that on average, the chip handles a mix of workloads at a median level, but this is likely skewed by the prevalence of single-threaded tasks in the benchmark suite. For any application that splits work across threads, the Celeron D 350 will fall behind even low-end multi-core processors, as the data shows no multi-threading capability whatsoever.

How It Compares

The nearestRivals list for the Intel Celeron D 350 is empty, so there are no rival processors with provided names, scores, or delta percentages to analyze. This absence of comparison data means the chip's position can only be assessed against the global percentile rank of 50, which places it at the exact midpoint of all CPUs in the database. Without specific rival scores, the data cannot confirm whether the Celeron D 350 outperforms or underperforms any particular competitor by any measurable margin.

The lack of rivals likely stems from the processor's end-of-life status and its position as a low-end desktop part, which may not have been benchmarked against contemporary alternatives in the database. What the data does indicate is that the chip's single-core, single-thread configuration at 3.20 GHz was typical for its market segment, and the 50th percentile rank suggests it was neither a bargain standout nor a performance laggard relative to the full spectrum of CPUs. Users seeking a direct comparison would need to look at other Socket 478 processors from the same era, but the FACT PACK provides no such entries, so this analysis must conclude that the Celeron D 350 sits in a comparative vacuum within the available data, with its median percentile serving as the only positional reference.