Core i7-3540M vs Pentium Silver N6000

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Core i7-3540M vs Pentium Silver N6000 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i7-3540M vs Pentium Silver N6000: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i7-3540M

2013

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.0% higher average FPS across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,984 vs 2,989).
❌8433.3% higher power demand at 512W vs 6W.

Pentium Silver N6000

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 6W instead of 512W, a 506W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-3540M across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Silver N6000 better than Core i7-3540M?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i7-3540M is ahead with a 5.0% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Silver N6000 pulls ahead with 0.2% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Silver N6000 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium Silver N6000 still makes the most sense overall. Pentium Silver N6000 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.2% better PassMark.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium Silver N6000 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2013) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i7-3540M vs Pentium Silver N6000 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i7-3540M

The Core i7-3540M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,984 points. Launch price was $349.

Pentium Silver N6000

The Pentium Silver N6000 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Jasper Lake (2021) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.5 MB (total). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1338. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,989 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-3540M packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium Silver N6000 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium Silver N6000 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Core i7-3540M versus 3.3 GHz on the Pentium Silver N6000 — a 11.4% clock advantage for the Core i7-3540M (base: 3 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Core i7-3540M uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium Silver N6000 uses Jasper Lake (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3540M scores 2,984 against the Pentium Silver N6000's 2,989 — a 0.2% lead for the Pentium Silver N6000. Both processors carry 4 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-3540M	Pentium Silver N6000
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz+12%	3.3 GHz
Base Clock	3 GHz+173%	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)+16967%	1.5 MB (total)
Process	22 nm	10 nm-55%
Architecture	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Jasper Lake (2021)
PassMark	2,984	2,989
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	1,911
Geekbench 6 Single	—	473
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,090

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-3540M uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Silver N6000 uses BGA1338 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 1600 on the Core i7-3540M versus DDR4-2933 on the Pentium Silver N6000 — the Pentium Silver N6000 supports 83.3% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-3540M supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-3540M) vs 8 (Pentium Silver N6000) — the Core i7-3540M offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: HM75,HM76,HM77,QM77,QS77 (Core i7-3540M) and SoC (Pentium Silver N6000).

Feature	Core i7-3540M	Pentium Silver N6000
Socket	PGA988	BGA1338
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	1600	DDR4-2933+83%
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB+100%	16 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16+100%	8

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: true (Core i7-3540M) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Pentium Silver N6000). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Core i7-3540M) and UHD Graphics (32 EU) (Pentium Silver N6000) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium Silver N6000 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core i7-3540M rivals AMD A10-5750M; Pentium Silver N6000 rivals Celeron N5105.