Intel Pentium G3440 socket: LGA 1150

What the Pentium G3440 is

The Pentium G3440 is a standard power Haswell Pentium for office towers on LGA 1150. Intel set two cores and two threads at 3.3 GHz with 3 MB of Smart Cache. Power is 53 W on 22 nm from May 2014. It sits 100 MHz above the G3250 while keeping the same cooler and board needs.

Higher base clocks aid single thread programs that dominate office work. Mail, documents and browser apps launch a touch faster. The extra cache over Celeron trims stalls in larger sheets. Two threads still cap parallel renders, so an SSD and enough memory matter more than clocks for feel.

Intel HD Graphics for 4th Generation covers monitors without a card. DDR3 memory in two channels to 32 GB feeds the chip. Business boards can use ECC for steady terminals. The G3440 is a low fuss Haswell socket for fleets that need a bit more speed than Celeron.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The G3440 fits LGA 1150 on 8 series chipsets such as H81, B85, H87 and Z87, plus 9 series chipsets such as H97 and Z97. Haswell runs native on both series, so most boards need no BIOS update for this part. Confirm the maker CPU entry for OEM boards with older firmware.

Cooler fit is 75 × 75 mm, shared with nearby LGA sockets. The CPU cooler compatibility by socket guide lists stock and tower options. Boards for LGA 1151 never take this chip. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide sets out series features.

H81 with two DIMMs is the price match. B85 adds USB and SATA for small offices. Z boards work but do not unlock this locked chip.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory is DDR3-1333 and 1600 class in dual channel to 32 GB. Eight gigabytes suits office images. Two sticks aid graphics in video meetings. Board manuals list DDR3L support for low voltage builds.

The CPU supplies 16 lanes of PCIe 3.0 for a single graphics or I/O slot. Most G3440 PCs stay integrated and use slots for extra networking. Chipset PCIe 2.0 lanes cover drives and peripherals. Slot wiring follows the board manual.

Stock 53 W cooling handles 3.3 GHz in towers with normal vents. The FCLGA1150 package at 37.5 × 37.5 mm fits push pin coolers. Keep cables clear of the fan for steady airflow.

Upgrade paths

Within the socket the Intel Pentium G3450 at 3.4 GHz is the next 100 MHz step on the same boards. The Intel Core i3-4160 at 3.6 GHz with four threads adds Hyper-Threading for multitasking. Both reuse DDR3, so only board support needs review.

DDR4 needs a new socket and board. The G3440 covers entry desks where 3.3 GHz dual core speed is enough.