Intel Pentium M 1.40

The Intel Pentium M 1.40 is a single-core mobile processor from Intel's Banias generation, built on a 130 nm process and released on 2003-03-11. It runs at a fixed base clock of 1400.00 MHz with no boost, carries 16 KB of L1 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache, and is rated for a 24 W TDP. The database records no benchmark submissions for this part and lists no nearest rivals, so the analysis below relies on the architectural and platform data in the FACT PACK.

Benchmark Performance

The FACT PACK lists an empty benchmarks array and an average benchmark score of 0 for the Intel Pentium M 1.40. That zero is not a literal performance measurement; it reflects the absence of recorded benchmark submissions. Without recorded scores, no deltas can be computed against other processors, and the nearestRivals array is empty, so no percentage comparisons can be drawn from the data.

What the data does provide is a percentile ranking: the Pentium M 1.40 sits at the 50th percentile against all CPUs in the database. That places it at the exact median of the distribution — half of all recorded processors rank above it, and half rank below. For a mobile part released in 2003, a median standing is a meaningful signal: it suggests the chip was neither a performance outlier nor a bottom-tier entry within the database's historical population. The percentile is a relative measure, however, and without benchmark scores it cannot be translated into specific frame rates, render times, or throughput figures.

The single-core, single-thread configuration reinforces the expectation of modest throughput by modern standards. A 1400.00 MHz base clock with no boost clock means the processor operates at a fixed frequency; there is no dynamic headroom to call upon under load. The 1 MB L2 cache is substantial for the era, but the absence of an L3 cache and the single-threaded design limit the processor to one instruction stream at a time. Benchmark results, had they been recorded, would likely reflect that constraint: strong per-clock efficiency for the Banias architecture, but limited aggregate work per second compared to multi-core designs.

Because the database shows no scores and no rivals, the performance section must be read as an architectural assessment rather than a measured comparison. The 50th percentile is the only quantitative performance anchor available, and it is best interpreted as a median position in a historical database — not as a competitive benchmark result.

Platform and Compatibility

The Pentium M 1.40 uses Intel Socket 478, a socket shared with a wide range of early-2000s Intel desktop and mobile processors. The platform is built around the Banias architecture, Intel's first dedicated mobile microarchitecture, and is fabricated on a 130 nm process at Intel's own foundry. The die contains 77 million transistors on a 100 mm² die — a compact design that reflects the mobile focus of the part.

Memory support covers DDR1 and DDR2, with ECC memory not supported. This positions the processor for mainstream mobile systems rather than error-correcting workstation or server configurations. The memory bus width and bandwidth are not specified in the data, so no throughput figures can be stated; the analysis is limited to the supported memory types.

The integrated graphics situation is unusual: the FACT PACK describes it as "On certain motherboards (Chipset feature)." This means the Pentium M 1.40 itself does not contain a GPU die; instead, graphics capability depends on the motherboard's chipset. Systems built around this processor would require a chipset with integrated graphics or a discrete graphics card to produce a display output. This is a platform-level feature rather than a CPU feature, and it makes graphics capability dependent on the specific motherboard chosen.

PCIe support is not listed in the data, which is consistent with a 2003-era platform that predates widespread PCIe adoption; the absence of a PCIe field means no version or lane count can be cited. The multiplier is locked, so the processor cannot be overclocked by adjusting the clock multiplier. The production status is end-of-life, and the release date is 2003-03-11, making this a long-discontinued part. Upgrade path considerations are therefore limited to the Socket 478 ecosystem, which is itself obsolete.

Who Should Consider It

The Pentium M 1.40 is a mobile processor from 2003, and the data supports only a narrow set of use cases. Its single core and single thread, fixed 1400.00 MHz clock, and 24 W TDP make it unsuitable for modern gaming, content creation, or multi-threaded productivity workloads — the database records no benchmark scores, and the architectural limits are clear: one thread at a time, no boost, no L3 cache.

For office-style workloads — word processing, spreadsheets, web browsing on legacy operating systems — the Pentium M 1.40 could handle basic tasks in its era, but the 1 MB L2 cache and 130 nm process are far behind any current processor. The 50th percentile ranking against all CPUs in the database suggests a median historical position, which is not a recommendation for modern use. There is no recorded benchmark data to support claims of gaming or creation performance, so the processor cannot be recommended for those workloads.

The realistic audience for this processor is collectors and hobbyists maintaining period-correct mobile systems from the early 2000s. For that audience, the Banias architecture and Socket 478 platform are historically significant: it was Intel's first dedicated mobile microarchitecture, and the 24 W TDP class made it suitable for thin-and-light laptops of its time. The DDR1/DDR2 memory support and chipset-dependent graphics are era-typical, and the locked multiplier means no overclocking headroom — a non-issue for a preservation build.

The data does not support any modern workload recommendation. No benchmark scores exist, and the single-threaded, single-core design caps performance at one instruction stream. Anyone considering this processor for daily use should look elsewhere; the database simply does not contain evidence of competitive performance.

How It Compares

The nearestRivals array in the FACT PACK is empty. This means the database records no direct competitor processors for the Intel Pentium M 1.40, and therefore no delta percentage values can be computed or cited. Without rival names, scores, or deltas, a comparative analysis against specific competing parts is not possible from the available data.

What can be said is positional: the 50th percentile against all CPUs places the Pentium M 1.40 at the median of the database's entire processor population. That is a broad historical comparison rather than a head-to-head against a specific rival. The absence of rivals is itself informative — it suggests the database has too few recorded submissions for this part to generate meaningful pairwise comparisons, or that the processor's niche status kept it from being benchmarked alongside mainstream parts.

The single quantitative comparison available is the percentile itself. A 50th percentile standing means the processor outperforms half of the CPUs in the database on the database's own ranking metric, but the metric's basis is undefined in the data, and the average benchmark score of 0 indicates no measured results were used to compute it. In practical terms, the processor cannot be positioned against contemporaries like other Socket 478 mobile parts or desktop Pentium 4 variants, because those rivals are not listed in the nearestRivals field.

Readers seeking a competitive analysis should note this gap: the data does not support any rival-specific conclusions. The processor's historical standing is best understood through its architecture, TDP, and platform features rather than through benchmark deltas that do not exist in the record.

Power and Thermals

The Pentium M 1.40 is rated at a 24 W TDP. That is the only thermal figure in the FACT PACK, and it defines the cooling class for this processor. A 24 W TDP is modest by any standard, and for a 2003 mobile part it reflects the Banias architecture's efficiency goals — the entire point of the Pentium M line was to deliver competitive performance at lower power than desktop-derived mobile chips.

A 24 W TDP implies a lightweight cooling solution. In a laptop context, this would have allowed a small heatpipe and a low-profile fan, or in some chassis a passive heatsink relying on system airflow. The 130 nm process node, with 77 million transistors on a 100 mm² die, contributes to the thermal profile: the compact die spreads heat across a small area, and the fixed 1400.00 MHz clock with no boost means there is no transient power spike from frequency ramping. The processor runs at a constant frequency, so thermal load is steady-state rather than bursty.

For a desktop or embedded use of this Socket 478 processor, a modest active cooler — a small fan over an aluminum heatsink — would be sufficient to keep temperatures in check. The 24 W figure is low enough that oversized cooling would be unnecessary; the constraint is more about the socket and mounting mechanism than about heat dissipation. The absence of ECC memory support and the chipset-dependent graphics further reduce the platform's overall power draw, since no integrated GPU logic resides on the CPU die.

The locked multiplier removes any overclocking-based thermal concern; the processor cannot be pushed beyond its 1400.00 MHz base clock. End-of-life production status means new cooling solutions are no longer manufactured for this socket, so any build would rely on period-appropriate coolers or modern universal mounts that happen to fit Socket 478. In summary, the 24 W TDP class places this processor in the low-power tier, requiring only minimal cooling — consistent with its mobile heritage and its median percentile ranking.