OverviewprocessorIntel Core i3-540
Appearance and equipment:
The packaging is in blue colors. On the front side there is a company logo, and below is a description of the processor that is in the box. We also see an inscription that the processor uses Intel HD Graphics technology. On the side of the box there is a sticker with many barcodes and a brief description of the characteristics and model of the processor.
The box also contains a standard "boxed" cooling system E41997-002, which does not have a copper heat spreader, as it suits perfectly for normal processor operation, and is quiet and at the same time efficient. So if you are going to overclock the processor, you will need to install a "more powerful" cooling system. Also, in addition to the Intel Core i3-540 processor and "boxed" cooling, the box contains a warranty card, a user manual, and, of course, a sticker with the Intel Core i3 logo.
Model Description:
The Intel Core i3-540 processor is intended only for LGA 1156 sockets, so the substrate in the processor has dimensions of 38x38 mm. Above on the processor's heat spreader is a brief description of the model:
# processor frequency 3.06 GHz;
# cache size 4 MB;
# power system PCG 09B.
The main difference between the Intel Core i3 processor series and other Nehalem-based processors is the lack of support for Intel Turbo Boost technology. The L3 cache memory, when compared with models based on the Lynnfield core, has been cut down to 4 MB. Also, the processor has a built-in memory controller, with which you can use up to 16 Gb DDR3 memory in dual-channel mode with a frequency of up to 1333 MHz. The graphics core built into the processor runs at 733 MHz. The very new graphics core Intel HD Graphics, made on the 45nm process technology, and has a number of advantages:
* the number of conveyors increased by 2;
* optimized work with shaders;
* increased to 1.7 GB the maximum amount of RAM used for the video buffer;
* added support for Open GL 2.1;
* added work with several data transfer interfaces at the same time.
Another feature of the Intel Core i3 processor specification deserves no less attention - this model range is manufactured without the support for accelerating the execution of AES instructions, without which the encryption performance is noticeably reduced. But on the other hand, these instructions are still available only to Intel Core i5 processors, so the absence of this function is probably not a slowdown of the processor when performing such operations, but just a ghost of the processor to resemble mass models.
Intel Core i3-540 is a good opportunity to upgrade to a new platform for those users who do not require high performance like a quad-core processor.
Intel has once again demonstrated a clear hit with a product that is inexpensive and highly effective. This dual-core Intel Core i3-540 processor, while reducing the cost when compared with the Intel Core i5 lineup, it has a fairly high base performance, perfectly coping with home multimedia use and high-speed office use, as well as having high overclocking potential. Additional advantages of this Intel product are its innovativeness: the new 32nm Clarkdale core and the use of the updated Intel HD Graphics technology. Among the shortcomings, we can mention the complete set of the cooling system, which is too weak for a processor with such overclocking capabilities. Also, the lack of support for Intel Turbo Boost technology and a decrease in the security of a system with such a processor subsequently disables support for the Intel Trusted Execution function and acceleration of the AES algorithm.
