Intel Celeron 2.80 socket: Socket 478

What the Celeron 2.80 is

The Intel Celeron 2.80 is a 2.8 GHz single-core value processor from November 2003. It runs one NetBurst Northwood core at 2.8 GHz with no Hyper-Threading, so 1 core gives 1 thread. Cache is 128 KB of L2 on a 130 nm process. Power is rated at 68.4 W in a Socket 478 package. The cpu_list 73 W value differs from the table 68.4 W, and the table value is used here.

The 2.80 tops the Northwood-128 value line with a 400 MT/s front side bus and a 28x multiplier. Intel placed it in November 2003 before Prescott Celeron D parts with 256 KB arrived in 2004. The chip supports MMX, SSE and SSE2. Pentium 4 2.80A parts at the same 2.8 GHz offer 512 KB with an 800 MT/s bus option as a mainstream alternative, so cache and bus separate the lines at identical frequency.

Top value clocks with a small cache suited budget towers that needed megahertz for single-task office use. The 68.4 W envelope needs only a modest Socket 478 cooler with normal airflow. That is why the 2.80 remained a common replacement for slower Celeron parts.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Celeron 2.80 fits Socket 478 value desktops with a 400 MT/s bus and Northwood Celeron support. It needs a 478-pin board. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.

Office DDR towers are the natural match. Boards listing Northwood Celeron parts accept the chip with a 68.4 W cooler.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory is DDR through the board chipset. The board sets speed and capacity.

A 400 MT/s bus ties the CPU to the chipset, while AGP handles graphics. No PCIe lanes originate on the die. Cooling uses the Socket 478 bracket with a 68.4 W heatsink.

Upgrade paths

On Socket 478 the 2.80 tops Northwood-128, so same generation upgrades stop here. Celeron D 335 parts offer 256 KB on newer boards. Pentium 4 parts add cache and bus speed as a larger lift. The 2.80 lifts with the lever, so swaps need no solder work.