Core i7-680UM vs Pentium N3540

Core i7-680UM

2 Cores4 Thrd18 WWMax: 2.53 GHz2010

Pentium N3540

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.66 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-680UM

2 / 4

1,196

0.0%

1,207

+0.9%

Celeron 1047UE

Celeron 877

Pentium Dual-Core E2180

About PassMark

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i7-680UM is positioned at rank 1036 and the Pentium N3540 is on rank 1149, so the Core i7-680UM offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-680UM

#1024

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2453%

#1025

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2417%

#1026

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2219%

#1027

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2209%

#1028

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2189%

#1030

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2114%

#1031

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2027%

#1032

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2023%

#1033

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1969%

#1036

Core i7-680UM

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#1037

Core i7-8665UE

MSRP: $409|Avg: $409

99%

#1038

Celeron T3300

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

98%

#1039

Celeron Dual-Core T3300

MSRP: $86|Avg: $30

98%

#1042

Core i7-3612QE

MSRP: $426|Avg: $50

97%

#1043

A10-7300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $50

97%

#1044

Pentium Dual Core T4200

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

96%

#1045

A6 Micro-6500T

MSRP: $100|Avg: $15

96%

#1046

Pentium N3520

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

96%

#1047

E2-3800

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

95%

#1048

Athlon X2 QL-66

MSRP: $150|Avg: $5

94%

#1049

Athlon II Neo K145

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

94%

#1050

Celeron P4600

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

94%

#1051

Core 2 Duo U7500

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium N3540

#1137

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3912%

#1138

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3855%

#1139

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3539%

#1140

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3523%

#1141

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3490%

#1143

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3371%

#1144

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3232%

#1145

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3227%

#1146

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3140%

#1149

Pentium N3540

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

100%

#1150

Core i7-3555LE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $280

99%

#1151

Core i3-2377M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

99%

#1152

Core 2 Duo E8435

MSRP: $150|Avg: $74

98%

#1153

Celeron M 723

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

98%

#1154

Core i7-3517UE

MSRP: $330|Avg: $35

96%

#1155

Core M-5Y51

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

96%

#1156

Pentium N3530

MSRP: $161|Avg: $20

96%

#1157

Core i3-330E

MSRP: $177|Avg: $89

95%

#1159

Core i7-2640M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

94%

#1160

Core M-5Y71

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

94%

#1162

Core i7-2620M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

93%

#1164

Celeron N3010

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium N3540 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i7-680UM in both compute-intensive tasks (0.9% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i7-680UM	Pentium N3540
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($161)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i7-680UM	Pentium N3540
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($161)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i7-680UM Benchmark Check

Pentium N3540 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-680UM and Pentium N3540

Core i7-680UM

The Core i7-680UM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 26 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.46 GHz, with boost up to 2.53 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1288. Thermal design power (TDP): 18 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800. Passmark benchmark score: 1,196 points. Launch price was $317.

Pentium N3540

The Pentium N3540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 22 May 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.16 GHz, with boost up to 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 7.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 1,207 points. Launch price was $251.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-680UM packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium N3540 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium N3540 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.53 GHz on the Core i7-680UM versus 2.66 GHz on the Pentium N3540 — a 5% clock advantage for the Pentium N3540 (base: 1.46 GHz vs 2.16 GHz). The Core i7-680UM uses the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium N3540 uses Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-680UM scores 1,196 against the Pentium N3540's 1,207 — a 0.9% lead for the Pentium N3540. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i7-680UM vs 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium N3540.

Feature	Core i7-680UM	Pentium N3540
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.53 GHz	2.66 GHz+5%
Base Clock	1.46 GHz	2.16 GHz+48%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)+100%	2 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	2 MB+700%
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Arrandale (2010−2011)	Bay Trail-M (2013−2014)
PassMark	1,196	1,207

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-680UM uses the BGA1288 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium N3540 uses FCBGA1170 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.