Intel Core i3-2357M Mobile processor

Intel Core i3-2357M is the first Core i3-branded ultra-low voltage microprocessor, built on Sandy Bridge micro-architecture. The processor was launched in June 2011 along with 14 other Sandy Bridge SKUs. The i3-2357M is aimed at thin-and-light notebooks, and offers solid performance in common office and day-to-day tasks, while featuring very low power consumption.

While previous generation of Westmere Core i3 microprocessors had all chip components divided between two separate dies, the Core i3-2357M integrates everything on a single 32nm die:

• Two CPU cores with Hyper-threading support. Each core incorporates its own 64 KB level 1 and 256 KB level 2 caches, and can execute two threads at once.
• 3 MB level 3 cache, shared between the cores and an integrated graphics controller.
• DDR3 memory controller, that supports two memory channels with data rates up to 1333 MHz.
• Direct Media Interface (DMI) 2.0, that provides twice as much bandwidth as the DMI in the previous generation of Westmere microprocessors. The Direct Media Interface is primarily used to communicate to South Bridge chip, and, consequentially, to all peripheral devices.
• Graphics processing unit (GPU) can handle 3D graphics, HD and/or 3D video content, and includes such video technologies, as Quick Sync, InTru 3D and Clear Video HD.

Intel i3-2357M CPU operates at 1.3 GHz, and supports basic and intermediate instruction set extensions, such as Intel 64, SSE4 and Advanced Vector Extensions. The processor lacks certain advanced features, like Turbo Boost technology, AES instructions and Vpro. Low-power features on this model are identical to other Sandy Brdge-based CPUs. These features are comprised of several low-power states, used when one or both cores are idle, and Enhanced SpeedStep technology, which reduces power consumption of active cores by reducing their operating frequency and voltage. Thermal Design Power of this chip is 17 Watt.

The Core i3-2357M is fabricated in a Ball Grid Array (BGA) package, which is usually soldered on a motherboard, and cannot be easily replaced or upgraded.