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Intel Pentium G640

Intel Pentium G640: A Budget Veteran in 2025. Is it Worth Buying?

Key Specifications: Sandy Bridge in the Modern World

The Intel Pentium G640 processor, released in 2011, belongs to the Sandy Bridge architecture—revolutionary for its time but now considered outdated. With a manufacturing process of 32 nm and a TDP of 65 W, it is positioned as a solution for basic tasks.

Key Parameters:

- 2 cores / 2 threads without Hyper-Threading support;

- Base clock frequency of 2.8 GHz (no turbo mode);

- 3 MB of L3 cache;

- Integrated graphics with Intel HD Graphics (6 Execution Units).

Performance according to Geekbench 6:

- Single-Core: 467 points—on par with modern budget Celerons;

- Multi-Core: 736 points—lower than any 4-core processor of the 2020s.

Features for its Time:

- Support for AES-NI instructions for encryption;

- Intel VT-x virtualization technologies;

- Energy efficiency for office PCs.

Compatible Motherboards: The Hunt for Rarities

The Pentium G640 uses the LGA 1155 socket, which is no longer in production. In 2025, finding a new motherboard is impossible—only used options are available.

Compatible Chipsets:

- H61: Basic option without overclocking or USB 3.0;

- B65 / H67: Supports SATA III and more ports;

- Z68 / Z77: Advanced features (like SSD caching).

Selection Tips:

- Check the condition of capacitors on used boards;

- Look for models with USB 3.0 (e.g., ASUS P8H67-M PRO);

- Avoid boards without UEFI—they may have compatibility issues with modern OS.

An example cost for used boards in 2025: $20–$40 (no new analogs available).

Memory Support: Only DDR3

The processor is not compatible with DDR4/DDR5. The maximum capacity is 32 GB DDR3 (2 channels, 1066/1333 MHz).

Recommendations:

- Use 2 modules for dual-channel mode (e.g., 2x8 GB);

- Don’t overpay for frequencies over 1333 MHz—performance gains are minimal;

- Check compatibility with the motherboard (not all boards support 16 GB modules).

Power Supply: Minimum Watts, Maximum Reliability

With a TDP of 65 W, even a low-power PSU will suffice, but consider other components:

- For a system with integrated graphics:

- Minimum: 250 W (e.g., be quiet! SFX Power 2 250W, $45);

- Optimal: 350–400 W (Corsair CX450, $55)—headroom for HDDs and peripherals.

- With a discrete graphics card (e.g., GT 1030):

- 400–500 W (Cooler Master MWE Bronze 500W, $60).

Important! Do not use cheap noname power supplies—failure risk increases.

Pros and Cons: Who Is It Suitable For?

Pros:

- Price: A used processor costs $10–15 (2025);

- Energy Efficiency: Ideal for Always-On PCs (e.g., home server);

- Quiet Operation: A passive cooler is sufficient under load.

Cons:

- Weak Performance: Struggles with a browser open with 20 tabs or 4K video;

- Outdated Platform: No support for NVMe, USB 3.1, Wi-Fi 6;

- Compatibility Risks: Old drivers for Windows 11 may cause errors.

Use Cases: Where is the G640 Still Relevant?

1. Office Tasks:

- Working with documents, Excel, email.

- Example: Setting up a PC for a cashier in a small shop.

2. Entry-Level Multimedia:

- Watching 1080p videos via VLC (4K not supported);

- Limitation: YouTube in 4K will lag even with hardware decoding.

3. Retro Gaming:

- Games up until 2012 (e.g., Half-Life 2, GTA IV on low settings);

- Tip: Add a GTX 750 Ti graphics card (used, $30) for decent FPS.

4. Home Server:

- File storage, VPN, Tor node.

- Benefit: Low power consumption (up to 100 W in total).

Comparison with Competitors: Who Is Better in 2025?

1. AMD Athlon 3000G (2020):

- 2 cores / 4 threads, Vega 3 GPU, DDR4 support.

- Geekbench 6: Single-Core ~600, Multi-Core ~1200.

- New Price: $60 (still available in 2025).

- Conclusion: Better in every aspect except price.

2. Intel Celeron G6900 (2023):

- 2 cores / 2 threads, UHD 710, DDR4/DDR5 support.

- Geekbench 6: Single-Core ~1400, Multi-Core ~2100.

- New Price: $75.

- Conclusion: 3 times faster, but more expensive.

3. Raspberry Pi 5:

- ARM processor, 8 GB RAM, 5 W power consumption.

- Scenario: More cost-effective for server tasks than the old Pentium.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. Basic Configuration:

- Motherboard: ASUS P8H61-M LX3 (used, $25);

- RAM: 2x4 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ($15);

- Storage: Kingston A400 240 GB SSD ($30);

- PSU: 350 W (new, $45).

- Total: ~$125 (excluding case and peripherals).

2. Upgrade Potential:

- Swap to Core i5-2500 (4 cores / 4 threads, used $20);

- Add a low-tier graphics card (GTX 1050, used $50).

3. Mistakes to Avoid:

- Buying DDR3L instead of DDR3 (incompatible);

- Using HDD instead of SSD (system will be slow);

- Installing Windows 11 without checking TPM (a patch may be required).

Final Conclusion: Who Is the Pentium G640 For?

This processor should only be considered in three cases:

1. Ultra-budget Build (up to $150), where every penny counts.

2. Upgrading an Old PC (e.g., replacing a dead Core 2 Duo).

3. Experimental Projects (retro computer, learning assembly).

Do not buy the G640 if:

- You need smooth browsing in Chrome;

- You plan to work with photo/video editing;

- You want a "backup" for the next 5 years.

In 2025, the Pentium G640 is a "workhorse" for very narrow tasks. Its main advantage is price, but even new budget processors (like the Celeron N5105) offer better performance at a comparable system cost. However, it might be an interesting option for nostalgic enthusiasts or specific tasks.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

April 2012

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.

G640

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

2.80 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

65 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.

850 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

467

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

736

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

536

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

994

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1301

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

1348

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-3520M

539 +15.4%

Core i3-3210

500 +7.1%

Pentium G640

467

Opteron 4386

430 -7.9%

Celeron G555

398 -14.8%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i3-3210

971 +31.9%

Core i5-3210M

886 +20.4%

Pentium G640

736

Core i5-2537M

642 -12.8%

A4-5050

528 -28.3%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

EPYC 7281

573 +6.9%

Xeon D-1577

556 +3.7%

Pentium G640

536

Athlon X4 950

522 -2.6%

A10-7800

506 -5.6%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

PRO A10-9700E

1149 +15.6%

Celeron N4500

1071 +7.7%

Pentium G640

994

A6-3430MX

891 -10.4%

A6-7400K

834 -16.1%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Athlon II X3 460

1393 +7.1%

Pentium G850

1355 +4.2%

Pentium G640

1301

Core M-5Y31

1256 -3.5%

Celeron 6305

1200 -7.8%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

PRO A6-8570E

1621 +20.3%

Pentium G860

1466 +8.8%

Pentium G640

1348

Pentium G645T

1228 -8.9%

Celeron 1000M

1074 -20.3%