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Intel Pentium G630T

Intel Pentium G630T: Review of the Budget Processor for 2025

Relevant for PC builders with a limited budget and specific requirements

1. Key Specifications: Architecture, Process Technology, Performance

Sandy Bridge Architecture (2011):

The Intel Pentium G630T processor belongs to the Sandy Bridge lineup, released in 2011. Despite its age, it is still found in older office PCs and budget systems. The manufacturing process is 32 nm, which by 2025 standards is considered outdated (modern chips are manufactured using 5-7 nm technology).

Cores and Threads:

- 2 cores / 2 threads;

- Base frequency — 2.3 GHz (no Turbo Boost);

- L3 Cache — 3 MB.

Performance:

- Geekbench 6: 404 (Single-Core) / 713 (Multi-Core). For comparison, the modern Celeron G6900 (2023) scores around 1500/2500 points.

- Suitable for basic tasks: document processing, video playback, light web browsing.

Key Features:

- Low power consumption (TDP 35 W);

- Integrated Intel HD Graphics (6 EU);

- Support for SSE4.1/4.2 instructions, but lack of AVX, limiting compatibility with modern software.

2. Compatible Motherboards

LGA 1155 Socket:

The processor requires motherboards with LGA 1155 sockets. In 2025, new boards are not being produced, but stocks of models from 2011-2013 remain on the market:

- Chipsets: H61, B65, H67, Q67, Z68;

- Examples of boards: ASUS P8H61-M LE (price in 2025 — ~$40–$60 for new, if you find one), Gigabyte GA-H61M-S2PV.

Selection Tips:

- Ensure that the motherboard's BIOS supports the Pentium G630T (version from 2011 or newer);

- Look for boards with HDMI/DVI for using the integrated graphics;

- Avoid models without USB 3.0 — this will complicate connecting modern devices.

3. Supported Memory Types

Only DDR3:

The processor works with DDR3-1066/1333 MHz memory. The maximum capacity is 32 GB (theoretically), but in practice, most boards support up to 16 GB.

Limitations:

- No support for DDR4/DDR5;

- Memory bandwidth (up to 21 GB/s) lags behind even budget DDR4-2400 (~38 GB/s).

Recommendations:

- Use two DDR3-1333 modules to activate dual-channel mode (for example, 2x4 GB);

- Avoid memory with high latency (CL9–CL11 is optimal).

4. Power Supply Units: Calculation and Recommendations

Minimum Requirements:

With a TDP of 35 W and no discrete graphics card, a 300 W power supply is sufficient. Examples:

- Be Quiet! System Power 10 350W (~$45) — quiet and reliable;

- Corsair CV450 (~$50) — with headroom for upgrades.

Scenarios with a GPU:

- For GPUs like the GT 1030 (30 W), a 400 W power supply will suffice;

- Avoid high-end graphics cards (e.g., RTX 3050) — the processor will become a "bottleneck."

5. Pros and Cons of Pentium G630T

Pros:

- Energy Efficiency: Ideal for systems with passive cooling or compact PCs;

- Price: New processors (if available) cost around ~$30–$40;

- Reliability: Time-tested architecture.

Cons:

- Outdated Performance: Cannot handle video editing, gaming, and multitasking;

- Limited Compatibility: Lacks support for NVMe, USB 3.1, Windows 11;

- Risk of Buying Used: Most components on the market are used.

6. Use Cases

Office Tasks:

- Working with Excel, Word, emails;

- Video conferences at a resolution up to 720p (due to weak graphics).

Multimedia:

- Watching 1080p videos via VLC or Kodi;

- Streaming music and podcasts.

Gaming:

- Only older titles: Half-Life 2, Minecraft (on low settings);

- Modern games require a discrete GPU, but the CPU will limit FPS.

Practical Example:

A user built a PC on G630T for their parents — the system runs on Linux Mint, opening a browser (5–7 tabs) and office applications without lag.

7. Comparison with Competitors

AMD Athlon II X2 270 (2011):

- Similar price (~$25–$35), but higher TDP (65 W);

- Better performance in multi-threaded tasks.

Intel Celeron G5905 (2020):

- New price — ~$50;

- 2 cores / 2 threads, but Comet Lake architecture (14 nm), Geekbench 6 — ~900/1600;

- Support for DDR4 and Windows 11.

Conclusion: In 2025, the Pentium G630T falls behind even budget newcomers but could be justified for ultra-budget builds.

8. Building Tips

Cost Optimization:

- Buy a used case and PSU (but risk reliability);

- Choose SSD over HDD (for example, Kingston A400 240 GB — ~$25).

Operating System:

- Windows 10 LTSC (minimum load);

- Linux Distro (Lubuntu, Xubuntu).

Cooling:

- Even the stock cooler will suffice — temperatures under load rarely exceed 60°C.

9. Final Conclusion: Who Is G630T Suitable For?

This processor is relevant for:

1. Retro PC enthusiasts: Building systems on older components;

2. Office "workhorses": For tasks without multi-threading requirements;

3. Home media centers: Watching movies and browsing the internet.

Why consider it in 2025?

- If the budget is strictly limited ($100–$150 for the entire build);

- If maximum energy efficiency is required (for example, for a PC running 24/7).

Alternative: Consider second-hand mini-PCs based on Intel Core i3 8th generation — they are more expensive (~$200) but offer modern features and OS support.

Note: All prices are for new devices as of April 2025. In practice, most components for the G630T are only available on the second-hand market.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

September 2011

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.

G630T

Code Name

Sandy Bridge

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.

Basic Frequency

2.30 GHz

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

CPU Socket

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

FCLGA1155

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.

32 nm

TDP

35 W

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

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.

64-bit

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

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.

DDR3 1066

Max Memory Size

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

32 GB

Memory Channels

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

Bus Speed

5 GT/s

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).

17 GB/s

GPU Specifications

GPU Name

Intel® HD Graphics for 2nd Generation Intel® Processors

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

650 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.10 GHz

Number of Displays Supported

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Instruction Set Extensions

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

3 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel InTru 3D Technology

Intel Flex Memory Access

Yes

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

404

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

713

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

416

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

777

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1058

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

1090

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Xeon W3530

474 +17.3%

A8-5600K

435 +7.7%

Pentium G630T

404

Pentium Silver N5000

370 -8.4%

Celeron 3215U

332 -17.8%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Athlon II X4 631

955 +33.9%

Core i7-3687U

856 +20.1%

Pentium G630T

713

A6-7400K

627 -12.1%

A6-3400M

516 -27.6%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E5-4640

458 +10.1%

PRO A6-9500E

441 +6%

Pentium G630T

416

Celeron G540

390 -6.3%

A10-4600M

356 -14.4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Celeron G1820T

915 +17.8%

Athlon 5370

842 +8.4%

Pentium G630T

777

Pentium 2127U

673 -13.4%

Celeron N2930

563 -27.5%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon L5609

1160 +9.6%

Xeon Bronze 3204

1096 +3.6%

Pentium G630T

1058

Opteron 6366 HE

1003 -5.2%

Core i5-2537M

943 -10.9%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Celeron 4205U

1360 +24.8%

Core i3-390M

1237 +13.5%

Pentium G630T

1090

Celeron 2955U

872 -20%

E2-3000M

668 -38.7%