Can Intel Celeron run games?

Going old-school with the Celeron

Jack Howarth

Share this article...

• Follow us

Maybe you have an Intel Celeron system lying around, and you might be wondering if it runs games. So, can Intel Celeron run games?

Now Read: Can Ryzen 5 run Warzone 2?

To find out, let’s take a look at the most recent Celeron processor and see if Intel Celeron can run games with playable settings. We’re taking the example of the Celeron N5105. Now, there are dozens of Celeron processors out there, but we choose this one because it’s a recent processor and gives us a good idea of what to expect.

Intel Celeron N5105 – Specifications

It is clear from the specifications that the Celeron is not designed for gaming. With 4 cores and a CPU clock of 2 GHz, the Celeron has no overclocking potential and the boost clock is not that impressive either. 

The Celeron processors were explicitly developed for netbooks and are typically used for browsing and basic computing tasks. On the other hand, gaming necessitates better resources, but you still have a few choices.

Can Celeron run new multiplayer games?

Let’s talk about a few well-known video games, including CS: GO, Valor, Fortnite, and Apex Legends. Celeron cannot run CSGO. Can it run Fortnite? Unlikely. Likewise, Apex Legends and Valorant. Most modern multiplayer games are CPU-intensive, so a Celeron will struggle to run them.

You can probably play the old classic multiplayer games like the Age of Empire series, Quake, Old Halo games, etc.

What about single-player games?

So, can it play story games? It depends; unfortunately, Celeron cannot run the majority of triple-A titles released in recent years. To even run them at 30 to 40 frames per second, you’d need at least an i5 4th generation processor. Of course, this highly depends on the game and what type of settings you are willing to put up with. 

What Games Can Celeron Run?

So, you’re probably wondering what Celeron can do. Well, you can probably play old titles on it. GTA Vice City, CS 1.6, and many others are examples. Celeron is an excellent choice for emulation, allowing you to easily enjoy old Nintendo, PlayStation 1, and PlayStation 2 classics. Games like Mario, the old Doom series, and fighting classics like Street Fighter and KOF will run smoothly on the Celeron.

Final Word

To summarize, Celeron processors are not designed for gaming, but rather for simple internet browsing and performing basic tasks. When it comes to gaming, Celerons do not have the specs to run games. 

However, you can pair them with a low-end GPU such as the GT 730 or GT 1030 to enjoy some old classics. Overall, we recommend upgrading to at least an i3 or i5 processor that is a bit recent. Even something like an i3 10100F will give you better gaming performance than a Celeron.