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Intel Pentium N4200

Intel Pentium N4200: Compact Energy Efficiency for Basic Tasks

Analysis of the Apollo Lake processor in the reality of 2025

Architecture and Process Technology: Budget Foundation of Apollo Lake

The Intel Pentium N4200 processor, released in 2016 based on the Apollo Lake architecture, is still found in budget laptops and compact devices. Its key features include:

- 14 nm process technology: Outdated by 2025 standards but ensures low production costs.

- 4 cores and 4 threads: All cores are energy-efficient, Atom-like Goldmont cores. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with Turbo Boost up to 2.5 GHz (for a single core).

- Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 505 with 18 EU (Execution Units) and a frequency of up to 750 MHz. It supports 4K video via HDMI 2.0 but struggles with modern gaming.

Apollo Lake was designed for mini-PCs, nettops, and ultra-budget laptops. There is no support for AVX instructions or hardware acceleration for AI tasks, which limits its application range.

Power Consumption and TDP: 10 W for Passive Cooling

The 10 W TDP is the main advantage of the N4200. This allows for:

- The removal of fans, making the laptop silent.

- Use of compact batteries (25–40 Wh), keeping the weight of the device below 1.5 kg.

- Minimization of heat: even under peak load, temperature rarely exceeds 70°C.

However, a low TDP also means limited performance. The processor is designed for brief spikes in load (Turbo mode), but during prolonged use, the frequency drops back to the base level.

Performance: Modest Numbers for Office and Media Tasks

According to Geekbench 6 tests (297/868 points), the N4200 lags behind even budget processors of 2025, such as the Intel N100 (450/1200). However, it is sufficient for basic tasks:

- Office Work: Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, browsing with 5–10 tabs.

- Multimedia: Streaming video at 1080p/4K (with hardware decoding), music, video calls.

- Gaming: Only older or 2D games (such as Stardew Valley, Terraria) at low settings.

Turbo mode (up to 2.5 GHz) activates for 10–15 seconds, after which the frequency drops. In multi-threaded tasks (such as PDF rendering), all 4 cores operate at around 1.8 GHz.

Use Cases: Who is the N4200 Relevant for in 2025?

1. Students: Working with texts, presentations, online courses.

2. Digital Minimalists: Web surfing, YouTube, messaging apps.

3. Travel Devices: Compact laptops with 8–12 hours of battery life (e.g., Chuwi Minibook X).

Not suitable for:

- Video editing, 3D modeling.

- Modern gaming (even Fortnite on low settings runs with FPS <20).

- Running neural network applications (e.g., local LLMs).

Battery Life: 10 W Means Long, but Slow

With a TDP of 10 W and a 40 Wh battery, the runtime reaches 10–12 hours in reading/video watching mode. This is aided by:

- Intel SpeedStep: Dynamic frequency management.

- C-states: Putting cores into "sleep" mode during idle periods.

- Linux Optimization: On operating systems like Ubuntu MATE, battery life is 15–20% better than on Windows 11.

However, with active use (e.g., Zoom + 20 tabs in Chrome), the time reduces to 4–5 hours.

Comparison with Competitors: Who Else is in the Same Class?

- AMD A4-9120C (2019): 2 cores/2 threads, TDP 6 W. Lags in multi-threading (Geekbench 6 Multi: ~500) but is cheaper.

- Intel Celeron N5100 (2021): 4 cores/4 threads, 10 W, Geekbench 6 Multi: 1100. About 25% faster than the N4200 at a similar price.

- Apple M1 (2020): Not a direct competitor, but in 2025, used MacBook Air M1 models sell for $400–500, offering four times the performance.

Conclusion: The N4200 is only relevant if the laptop costs $250–300. With a budget above $400, it is wiser to choose models based on the Celeron N5100 or AMD Athlon Silver.

Pros and Cons: When to Buy, When to Avoid

Strengths:

- Low device prices ($250–350).

- Silence (passive cooling).

- Support for 4K video.

Weaknesses:

- Low performance in multitasking.

- No support for USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Wi-Fi 6.

- Limited upgrade potential: usually soldered RAM and eMMC storage.

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop: What to Look For?

Devices with the N4200 in 2025 include:

- Ultraportable Laptops: For example, ASUS Laptop 11.6" (price: $299).

- Transformers with Touchscreens: For example, HP Pavilion x360 (price: $349).

- Mini-PCs for Digital Signage: For example, Beelink U55 (price: $189).

Important Parameters:

1. Screen: IPS panel with a resolution of 1920x1080 (HD+ is outdated even for text).

2. Storage: Must be SSD (at least 128 GB), not eMMC.

3. Ports: USB-C with DisplayPort support simplifies monitor connectivity.

Avoid models with 4 GB RAM—this is insufficient for Windows 11.

Final Conclusion: Who is the N4200 Made For?

The Intel Pentium N4200 in 2025 is a choice for those who:

- Are looking for the cheapest new laptop (up to $300).

- Value silence and lightness (1–1.2 kg).

- Do not plan to run "heavy" applications.

Key Benefits: battery life, price, compactness. But remember: this is a processor for minimalism, not for growth. If the budget allows for an additional $100–150, opting for newer models (such as those on Intel N200) will pay off many times over.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Laptop

Launch Date

August 2016

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

N4200

Code Name

Apollo Lake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Performance-cores

Performance-core Base Frequency

1.1 GHz

L1 Cache

96K per core

L2 Cache

2MB per core

Unlocked Multiplier

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

BGA-1296

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

14 nm

TDP

10 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

105 °C

PCIe Version

PCI Express is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard used for connecting high-speed components, replacing older standards such as AGP, PCI, and PCI-X. It has gone through multiple revisions and improvements since its initial release. PCIe 1.0 was first introduced in 2002, and in order to meet the growing demand for higher bandwidth, subsequent versions have been released over time.

2.0

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

x86-64

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

LPDDR4-2400

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

8GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

38.4 GB/s

ECC Memory Support

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

True

GPU Max Dynamic Frequency

750 MHz

GPU Base Frequency

250 MHz

Execution Units

The Execution Unit is the foundational building block of Intel’s graphics architecture. Execution Units are compute processors optimized for simultaneous Multi-Threading for high throughput compute power.

Max Resolution

3840x2160 - 30 Hz

Graphics Performance

0.23 TFLOPS

Miscellaneous

PCIe Lanes

Benchmarks

Cinebench R23

Single Core Score

311

Cinebench R23

Multi Core Score

952

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

297

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

868

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

335

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1145

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

855

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

2167

Compared to Other CPU

Cinebench R23 Single Core

Snapdragon X Elite

1772 +469.8%

M1 Pro

1545 +396.8%

Core i9-10940X

1260 +305.1%

Core i7-8550U

997 +220.6%

Pentium N4200

311

Cinebench R23 Multi Core

Core i9-10920X

15767 +1556.2%

M1 Max

12629 +1226.6%

Core i7-5960X

9720 +921%

Core i5-8365U

3567 +274.7%

Pentium N4200

952

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-2920XM

384 +29.3%

Celeron J4125

346 +16.5%

Pentium N4200

297

A4-3310MX

247 -16.8%

Atom E3845

151 -49.2%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon E5507

1081 +24.5%

A8-5500B

962 +10.8%

Pentium N4200

868

Core i5-2557M

722 -16.8%

Celeron G1620

635 -26.8%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E5606

404 +20.6%

Xeon E5-2450L

366 +9.3%

Pentium N4200

335

E2-3200

298 -11%

E-240

243 -27.5%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Athlon X4 750K

1315 +14.8%

Core m3-8100Y

1229 +7.3%

Pentium N4200

1145

Core i3-6006U

1068 -6.7%

Celeron G3900TE

984 -14.1%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Opteron 4386

1012 +18.4%

A10-5745M

953 +11.5%

Pentium N4200

855

Athlon 5370

755 -11.7%

Pentium N3700

631 -26.2%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i5-5250U

2465 +13.8%

Celeron G4930T

2297 +6%

Pentium N4200

2167

A10-5750M

1997 -7.8%

Core i5-2515E

1882 -13.2%