Pentium 3805U vs Pentium N3540

CPU

GPU

Pentium 3805U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.9 GHz2015

Pentium N3540

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.66 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 3805U

2 / 2

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 Pentium 3805U is positioned at rank 344 and the Pentium N3540 is on rank 1149, so the Pentium 3805U 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 Pentium 3805U

#101

Core i5-1350P

MSRP: $320|Avg: $250

98%

#102

Core i3-1220P

MSRP: $250|Avg: $150

97%

#332

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

491%

#333

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

483%

#334

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

444%

#335

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

442%

#336

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

438%

#338

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

423%

#339

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

405%

#340

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

405%

#341

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

394%

#344

Pentium 3805U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

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 Pentium 3805U in both compute-intensive tasks (0.9% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium 3805U	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 (Broadwell-U (2015) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Pentium 3805U	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.

Pentium 3805U Benchmark Check

Pentium N3540 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 3805U and Pentium N3540

Pentium 3805U

The Pentium 3805U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 1.9 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,196 points. Launch price was $161.

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 Pentium 3805U packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Pentium N3540 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium N3540 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.9 GHz on the Pentium 3805U versus 2.66 GHz on the Pentium N3540 — a 33.3% clock advantage for the Pentium N3540 (base: 1.9 GHz vs 2.16 GHz). The Pentium 3805U uses the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium N3540 uses Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 3805U scores 1,196 against the Pentium N3540's 1,207 — a 0.9% lead for the Pentium N3540. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 3805U vs 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium N3540.

Feature	Pentium 3805U	Pentium N3540
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	1.9 GHz	2.66 GHz+40%
Base Clock	1.9 GHz	2.16 GHz+14%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	2 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB+700%
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Broadwell-U (2015)	Bay Trail-M (2013−2014)
PassMark	1,196	1,207

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 3805U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium N3540 uses FCBGA1170 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 3805U	Pentium N3540
Socket	FCBGA1168	FCBGA1170
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	12	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Pentium 3805U) / not specified (Pentium N3540). The Pentium 3805U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Broadwell)), while the Pentium N3540 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium 3805U targets Mobile.