Intel Pentium J2900: review, reviews

Pentium J2900 is the ideal processor solution for compact and energy efficient computer systems. And for both stationary and mobile. It is about its parameters and capabilities that will be discussed.

Positioning the chip

Intel Pentium J2900 is aimed at the segment of entry-level computer solutions. At the same time, it boasts a high degree of energy efficiency and low cost. Also, due to its relatively small size and low heat dissipation, this chip can be successfully used in ultracompact personal computers. In general, where there are no special requirements to the level of PC performance, and without fail an energy-efficient solution is needed that can fit in a compact package, in combination with low cost, this semiconductor solution can be used successfully.

Socket for this processor product

This silicon crystal is oriented to installation in a socket with the marking FCBGA1170. Only here, in contrast to the usual dismountable processor connectors, in this case the chip dissolves directly on the motherboard. This allows manufacturers of computer equipment to reduce the cost of its production and reduce the cost of finished products. But repair or modernization of such equipment can not be performed. In this case, it's easier to buy a new laptop or a system unit.

Technologies of the silicon crystal production process

The Pentium J2900 processor is manufactured according to the standards of one of the most advanced technological processes to date - 22 nm. It is his use in this case that allows the processor to boast a high degree of energy efficiency against the background of similar third-party products. In addition to this, it should be noted that the code name for the technology for the production of semiconductor elements is TriGate. Due to the three-dimensional configuration, the dimensions of the transistors are substantially reduced in this case, and this engineering solution reduces the overall dimensions of the silicon substrate.

Cache

The subsystem of fast volatile memory in the Pentium J2900 is rather modestly organized. The review of the technical specifications of this product indicates the presence of only 2 levels of the cache. On the one hand, the absence of the 3rd level of fast memory significantly reduces the speed of the computer system. But at the same time, the dimensions of the silicon crystal decrease and the heat release of the chip decreases. The total size of the first level cache in this case is 224 KB, and the second - 2 MB.

Types of RAM. Number of channels

The Pentium J2900 is equipped with an integrated dual-channel memory controller, which is aimed at working in combination with the DDR3 standard modules. Therefore, in the composition of such a PC it is better to use 2 RAM slots at once and, due to this, get, albeit small, but still a performance gain. Again, the usual, full-size slats of RAM can not be seen in the composition of such a PC. The compact size of motherboards imposes restrictions, and in this case one can only meet slots of the type LPDDR3. That is, shortened RAM slots are used, which are aimed at use in laptops. The maximum amount of RAM that this chip can address is 8 GB.

Thermal package

In addition to the four computational units on the semiconductor chip, there is also a built-in memory controller, a cache memory of 2 levels and an integrated graphics accelerator. If the similar equipment was on a high-performance processor, then its heat packet would be in the range from 75 to 100 W. In the same case, the manufacturer set the value of this parameter at the level of 10 W. Therefore, you can even limit yourself to even a passive cooling system. The maximum temperature for J2900 is 105 ⁰ C. In reality, this chip operates in the range from 35 to 65 ⁰ C, depending on the level of complexity of the current task.

Frequency potential

The reference clock speed in the Intel Pentium J2900 is 2.4 GHz. In this mode, this model of the CPU functions in the case of solving undemanding problems or when the semiconductor crystal overheats. In all other cases, the chip switches to Burst mode, and its frequency automatically increases to 2.6 GHz.

Architectural features of the processor solution

The number of compatible x86-x64 compute modules in this case is four. The technology "HyperTrading", which was implemented in the previous generation of energy-efficient chips from Intel, is absent in this case. Therefore, the number of software threads of information processing is equal to the number of computing cores of the chip - four.

Graphical accelerator integrated in the CPU

Pentium J2900 is equipped with an integrated graphics accelerator. Its name is HD Graphics. With a similar name, one can also find a video card in more efficient CPUs. Only here in this case we are talking about a truncated version of it. Accordingly, the level of performance is lower. Its clock frequencies are 688-896 MHz, and the number of supported displays is 2.

Comparison with analogues

Now in the camp of Intel, the direct competitors of the J2900 are the same-named CPUs of the N3XXX line, which, at practically equal cost, provide higher performance. Therefore, the cost of solutions, based on the hero of this review, has significantly decreased. On the AMD side, the competitors of this chip are the A6 processors of the Kabini family. With a comparable level of performance and cost, the latter has a much better graphical part. As a result, the purchase of PCs based on a competing solution from AMD, for example, A6-5200, is more preferable. But if the energy efficiency of the computer system comes to the fore, then Intel chips, especially J2900, are more preferable.

Price, opinion of experts and user reviews

At 94 dollars estimated manufacturer Pentium J2900. The owners' comments indicate that it is possible to purchase a completely assembled on the basis of such a chip for 250-300 y. E. The only drawback of such a computer system is low speed. Otherwise, it has a number of advantages: high energy efficiency, affordable cost, passive cooling system (this also implies a minimum noise level during operation), miniature dimensions. All this in total leads to the fact that such system blocks are not so rare.

Results

A balanced energy-efficient entry-level solution is the Pentium J2900. Now its purchase has become even more profitable in the light of the appearance of an updated line of central processors for this market segment in the person of Pentium G3XXX. Therefore, the cost of the J2900 has further decreased, and this CPU has become more affordable.