Intel Pentium 3556U vs Intel Core i5-2540M

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Pentium 3556U or Intel Pentium 3556U – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Intel Pentium 3556U features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2013 and belongs to the 4 generation of the Intel Pentium series.
To use the Intel Pentium 3556U, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1168 socket.
The Intel Core i5-2540M features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2011 and belongs to the 2 generation of the Intel Core i5 series.
To use the Intel Core i5-2540M, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1023 socket.
Intel Pentium 3000 Group Intel Core i 2000M
4 Generation 2
Intel Pentium 3556U Name Intel Core i5-2540M
Mobile Segment Mobile
Intel Pentium Family Intel Core i5
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Pentium 3556U has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Pentium 3556U is 1.7 GHz
The Intel Core i5-2540M has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i5-2540M is 2.6 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.3 GHz.
None None 3.3 GHz
normal Core architecture normal
1.7 GHz Frequency 2.6 GHz
2 CPU Cores 2
No Overclocking No
No Hyperthreading Yes
2x Cores 2x
2 Threads 4
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Pentium 3556U has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Pentium 3556U uses the Intel HD Graphics (Haswell GT1), which has 80 texture shaders
and 10 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Intel Core i5-2540M has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i5-2540M uses the Intel HD Graphics 3000, which has 96 texture shaders
and 12 execution units.
1.0 GHz GPU (Turbo) 1.3 GHz
22 nm Technology 32 nm
11.1 Direct X 10.1
2.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 2.0 GB
10 Execution units 12
Q4/2012 Release date Q1/2011
Intel HD Graphics (Haswell GT1) GPU name Intel HD Graphics 3000
80 Shaders 96
0.2 GHz GPU frequency 0.65 GHz
7.5 Generation 6
-- Max. displays --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
No h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
No VP9 No
No VP8 No
Decode VC-1 Decode
Decode JPEG No
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
Decode / Encode AVC Decode / Encode
No AV1 No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 16.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 16.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 21.3 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
DDR3L-1600, DDR3L-1333, LPDDR3-1600, LPDDR3-1333 Memory type DDR3-1333
25.6 GB/s Bandwidth 21.3 GB/s
Yes AES-NI Yes
No ECC No
pci PCIe pci
16.0 GB Max. Memory 16.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 15 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 35 W watts.
15 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 35 W
100 °C Tjunction max 100 °C
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Pentium 3556U is manufactured using a 22 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 2.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i5-2540M is manufactured using a 32 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 3.0 MB cache.
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT
22 nm Technology 32 nm
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX
-- Part Number --
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
Q3/2013 Release date Q1/2011
-- Release price 269 $
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
2.0 MB L3-Cache 3.0 MB
BGA 1168 Socket BGA 1023
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Haswell U Architecture Sandy Bridge H