Perfect combination of price and performance -this all applies fairly to the Intel Pentium N3540. This chip is an energy-efficient solution and is aimed at use in notebooks and netbooks of entry level. It is about its capabilities that will be discussed later.
This processor solution refers to the platformBay Trail and is based on the architecture of "Silvermont". First of all, these chips can boast a high degree of energy efficiency. Low power consumption allows these CPUs to greatly save battery life of the mobile device. This, in turn, to owners of devices based on this semiconductor crystal makes it possible to work for a long time on such a laptop or netbook without recharging. The second important feature of such a CPU is the low price. Therefore, this processor is aimed at low-cost laptops and netbooks with a good degree of autonomy. Well, the performance of this series of CPUs is very low. It is enough only for watching videos, surfing the Internet resources, office applications and unpretentious games. But demanding graphics packages and 3D games on such hardware basis will not go exactly.
Like all sent out modern solutionsplatform Bay Trail, "Pentium N3540" is designed for installation in the processor socket FCBGA1170. This is the main socket for entry-level mobile PCs from Intel. It should be noted right away that, as a rule, there is no possibility of upgrading (replacing) the CPU in this case. The chip is simply soldered into the motherboard, and it is no longer possible to remove it without special equipment.
Far on not the most advanced technical processIntel Pentium N3540 is manufactured. Characteristics indicate the use of the norms of 22-nm technology. That is, in this case, the so-called three-dimensional transistors are used. But this technological process is also out of date. For comparison: the most productive solutions of the same segment from "AMD" - direct competitor "Intel" - are manufactured using a 28-nm process technology. As a result, they have more dimensions, thermal power is also greater and energy efficiency is an order of magnitude worse.
The cached cache in the Intel Pentium N3540. Characteristics the absence of the third level of the cache.This nuance, on the one hand, reduces the size of the semiconductor chip for this chip, improves the energy efficiency of the processor and reduces its cost. But at the same time, performance is severely "affected", the level of which is falling at times due to this. The size of the second level cache is 2 MB, and the first - 224 KB. These values are sufficient for solving most problems. An exception in this regard are graphic packages and three-dimensional toys, which necessarily require a three-level cache.
The memory controller of this chiptwo-channel. That is, in this case it is better to use an even number of modules (2 or 4). This allows, albeit slightly, but still improve performance and speed. The highest throughput is 21 Gb / s. The maximum amount of addressable memory is 8 GB. The controller itself can only work with DDR3L memory and with a frequency of 1333 MHz. Any other modules are not recommended for use in such laptops and netbooks - it is possible to break the device without the possibility of recovery in the future.
One of the main advantages of Intel Pentium N3540is the value of the heat packet, which is 7.5 W. Even for a mobile 4-core processor this is phenomenal. It is due to this heat package that the high autonomy of mobile PCs on its basis is ensured. On the other hand, 7.5 W allow you to use an economical cooling system in these notebooks and netbooks. And this, in turn, significantly reduces the cost of the final device and increases its reliability (the possibility of overheating the CPU is practically absent).
The minimum frequency for this semiconductorthe chip is 2.16 GHz. But its greatest value is 2.66 GHz. The frequency value changes dynamically depending on the degree of complexity of the task on the Intel Pentium N3540. Reviews They also distinguish the excellent energy efficiency of mobile computers on the basis of this processor solution due to such CPU frequency adjustment.
Special technology «Hyper-Trading»,allowing at the software level to double the number of computational flows, there is no Intel Pentium N3540. Therefore, in this case, the number of physical cores is equal to the number of threads, that is 4. At the same time, as noted earlier, if necessary, unactivated modules are disabled.
The chip is integrated graphics acceleratorIntel HD Graphics. Pentium N3540 for this reason can display the image directly on 2 displays. The frequency range of this graphic solution is 300-890 MHz. For some demanding tasks, the capabilities of this video accelerator are clearly not enough. Well, the simple ones will go without any problems.
The Intel Pentium N3540 processor comes withblocked multiplier and is not intended for overclocking. But still such an opportunity exists. Only here the gain from the increase in frequency will not be much appreciable. But on the other hand, a weak cooling system in entry-level mobile PCs can lead to the fact that in the process of overclocking the laptop or netbook will be completely out of order. It is impossible to repair it, you will have to buy a new computer after that. And the overclocking order for the CPU with the blocked multiplier in this case is the following:
We install specialized application software for checking system parameters and stability of its operation.
Reboot the PC and go to the BIOS.
We reduce the frequencies of all components of the mobile computer, except the system bus. Its frequency is increased by 5 MHz. We save the changes and restart the mobile PC.
We check its stability and parameters. If there are problems with the stability of the work, then we return to the BIOS and reduce the frequency at 2-3 MHz.
A significant gain in performance is the overclocking exactly will not. Completely disable the PC can. So, you can do overclocking on such a computer only in extreme cases.
Very overestimated are the processorIntel solutions. The Pentium N3540 is not an exception in this regard. The manufacturer sells this chip at a price of $ 160. But a ready solution on its base can be bought for 380-400 dollars. This price is valid for 15.6-inch models. If you take with a smaller size (11.6-13.3 inches), then this value will further decrease - to 320-350 dollars.
Intel Pentium N3540 can not be any serious drawbacks. Reviews provide an acceptable price, which compensates for any shortcoming. But the advantages of this chip are:
High degree of energy efficiency and autonomy.
Low price and availability.
The ability to solve most everyday tasks.
Intel Pentium N3540 It turned out to be a balanced and accessible solution,which allows you to create excellent entry-level mobile PCs based on it. This is an excellent solution for those who value autonomy and energy efficiency, but the level of performance is not so critical. At the same time on such a laptop or netbook you can run the most popular applications: browser, office, video player and music player.
