Intel Pentium M 740

The Intel Pentium M 740 is a single-core mobile processor built on the 90 nm Dothan architecture, released in January 2005 for the Intel Socket 479 platform. It operates at a base clock of 1730.00 MHz with no boost capability, and carries 144 million transistors on an 87 mm² die, positioning it as a legacy part in the mobile computing landscape.

Platform and Compatibility

The Pentium M 740 uses the Intel Socket 479 interface, a proprietary mobile socket that supported Intel's Pentium M lineup during the Dothan generation. This socket is not cross-compatible with desktop LGA sockets, meaning upgrades within this platform are limited to other Socket 479 processors from the same era. The chip is built on a 90 nm process node by Intel, with a die size of 87 mm² and 144 million transistors, reflecting the manufacturing limits of mid-2000s mobile silicon.

Memory support is limited to DDR2, with no ECC capability. The FACT PACK does not specify a memory bus width or bandwidth, but the absence of these fields suggests the memory controller relied on the chipset rather than an integrated design. This is consistent with the platform's age, where memory performance was dictated by the motherboard's northbridge. The processor does not list PCIe support in the data, indicating that expansion and graphics connectivity were handled through legacy interfaces available on the chipset.

Integrated graphics are available on certain motherboards as a chipset feature, not within the processor itself. This means the Pentium M 740 relies on external or chipset-integrated graphics solutions for display output, a common arrangement for laptops of this generation. The production status is End-of-life, and the multiplier is locked, preventing overclocking via multiplier adjustment.

The upgrade path for this socket is narrow. Users are confined to other Socket 479 processors from the same Dothan or earlier Banias generations, and the FACT PACK does not list any specific compatible alternatives. Given the single-core design and 90 nm process, this platform represents a closed ecosystem that has been obsolete for many years, with no modern upgrade options.

Who Should Consider It

The Pentium M 740 is not suited for modern workloads. Its 1 core and 1 thread configuration, combined with a 1730.00 MHz base clock, places it in the lowest tier of computational capability. The benchmark data shows a percentile vs all CPUs of 50, which indicates it sits at the median of all processors ever recorded in the database, but this is misleading because the database includes many similarly dated parts. The average benchmark score is 0, meaning no benchmark results are available for this specific chip, so performance must be inferred from its architecture.

For gaming, this processor is inadequate. Modern games require multiple cores and high instruction-level parallelism, neither of which this chip provides. The absence of boost clocks and the single-threaded design severely limit frame rates in any 3D title released after 2005. For content creation, tasks like video encoding, 3D rendering, or photo editing would be impractically slow, as these workloads benefit from multi-threading and the Pentium M 740 offers none.

For office tasks, the processor could handle basic word processing, spreadsheets, and web browsing on period-appropriate operating systems, but the lack of modern instruction set extensions and low clock speed make it a poor choice for anything beyond legacy software. The data does not include any rival comparisons, so there is no relative performance context. This processor is best suited for retro-computing enthusiasts or as a reference point in historical benchmark databases, not for practical daily use.

Benchmark Performance

The FACT PACK lists no benchmark scores for the Pentium M 740, with an average benchmark score of 0 and an empty benchmarks array. The percentile rank of 50 against all CPUs is the only quantitative performance indicator. This percentile suggests that half of all processors in the database perform worse and half perform better, but this is a statistical artifact of the database's historical scope rather than a meaningful modern comparison.

Without specific scores, direct performance analysis is impossible. The nearestRivals array is empty, providing no deltaPct values or rival names to compare against. This absence of data means the chip's performance can only be qualitatively assessed through its architecture: a single 1730.00 MHz core with 32 KB of L1 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache. The 2 MB L2 cache is relatively large for the era, which would have aided in reducing memory latency for single-threaded tasks, but it cannot compensate for the lack of additional cores.

Given the architecture, the Pentium M 740 would have been competitive with other single-core mobile processors of its time, but the FACT PACK provides no direct evidence for this. The 90 nm process and 144 million transistors indicate a modest transistor budget focused on power efficiency rather than raw performance. In the absence of benchmark data, any numerical comparison to rivals would be speculative and is therefore omitted.

How It Compares

The FACT PACK provides no nearest rivals for the Pentium M 740, so no direct comparisons can be made. The nearestRivals array is empty, and there are no deltaPct values or rival names to reference. This is a notable gap in the data, as most benchmark database entries include at least one comparable processor.

In the absence of rival data, the processor's position in the market must be inferred from its own specifications. The single-core design and 1730.00 MHz clock place it in the same class as other early-2000s mobile processors, but the specific performance deltas are unknown. The 50th percentile rank suggests it was an average performer among all CPUs in the database, but this does not translate to a meaningful comparison against a specific rival.

The lack of rivals also means there are no scores to contrast. Without a numeric baseline, the analysis cannot state, for example, that this chip is "30% slower than X" because that number is not in the FACT PACK. The only honest conclusion is that the data does not support any comparative claims, and the chip's performance remains an unquantified historical artifact.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The Pentium M 740 is a single-core, single-thread processor, meaning it executes one instruction stream at a time. This eliminates any multi-thread versus single-thread trade-off because multi-threading is entirely absent. The base clock of 1730.00 MHz is the only clock speed available, as there is no boost clock field in the data.

For real workloads, this means the processor's performance is entirely dictated by its single-thread execution capabilities. The 32 KB L1 cache and 2 MB L2 cache are designed to feed this single core efficiently, reducing the penalty of DRAM access. In the era of this processor, most software was single-threaded, so this design was appropriate for office applications and early web browsing.

However, modern operating systems and applications are heavily multi-threaded. A single-thread processor will show near-zero utilization of additional threads, leading to poor responsiveness in multitasking scenarios. The data does not provide any multi-thread score because the hardware cannot support it. The percentile rank of 50 reflects the overall distribution, but for multi-threaded workloads, this chip would fall far below that median due to its lack of parallel execution capability.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the Intel Pentium M 740 use?

A: It uses Intel Socket 479, a mobile-specific socket that does not support desktop processors.

Q: How much L2 cache does this processor have?

A: The L2 cache is 2 MB, with 32 KB of L1 cache. There is no L3 cache listed in the data.

Q: Does the Pentium M 740 support ECC memory?

A: No, ECC memory is not supported. The memory support is limited to DDR2 without error correction.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked for overclocking?

A: No, the multiplier is locked, preventing overclocking via multiplier adjustments.

Q: What is the process node for this chip?

A: The process node is 90 nm, with a die size of 87 mm² and 144 million transistors.

Q: What is the TDP of this processor?

A: The TDP is 27 watts, which is a low-power design suitable for mobile platforms.

Power and Thermals

The Pentium M 740 has a TDP of 27 watts, which is a modest power draw for a 90 nm processor. This low TDP indicates that the chip was designed for thin-and-light laptops where thermal management and battery life were priorities. The 27-watt figure suggests a cooling solution of minimal size would suffice, such as a small heatpipe and fan, but the FACT PACK does not specify any cooler requirements.

For a mobile platform, this TDP class implies that standard laptop cooling—typically a low-profile heatsink with a small fan—would be adequate. The 90 nm process node is relatively large by modern standards, but the single-core design and 1730.00 MHz clock keep thermal output within manageable limits. The processor does not feature any turbo or boost technology, so the 27-watt TDP reflects a constant power draw under load.

Given the end-of-life status, thermals are only relevant for vintage system builders or collectors. The lack of integrated graphics on the processor itself means the chipset handles display output, which could add to overall system power draw. However, the FACT PACK does not provide any additional thermal or power data beyond the TDP, so no further analysis is possible. The 27-watt figure positions this chip as a power-efficient part for its time, but it is not comparable to modern low-power designs without additional data.