Athlon 64 2800+ vs Pentium 4 2.80

Athlon 64 2800+ vs Pentium 4 2.80 Performance Spectrum

Athlon 64 2800+

1 / 1

420

+2.9%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium 4 2.80

1 / 1

408

0.0%

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Athlon 64 2800+ vs Pentium 4 2.80 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Athlon 64 2800+ vs Pentium 4 2.80: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon 64 2800+

2004

Why buy it

✅+2.9% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $149 less on MSRP ($178 MSRP vs $327 MSRP).
✅Delivers 89.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 2.4 vs 1.2 PassMark/$ ($178 MSRP vs $327 MSRP).
✅Draws 89W instead of 110W, a 21W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Pentium 4 2.80

2002

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (408 vs 420).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 1.2 vs 2.4 PassMark/$ ($327 MSRP vs $178 MSRP).
❌23.6% higher power demand at 110W vs 89W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon 64 2800+ better than Pentium 4 2.80?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium 4 2.80 is ahead with 55% higher max boost clock. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon 64 2800+ pulls ahead with 2.9% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon 64 2800+ is the stronger fit. You are getting 2.9% better PassMark, backed by 1 cores and 1 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Athlon 64 2800+ is the better buy right now. Athlon 64 2800+ comes in $149 cheaper on MSRP at $178 MSRP versus $327 MSRP, and it still gives you 2.9% better PassMark. The compromise is that Pentium 4 2.80 is still the better pure gaming CPU with 55% higher max boost clock. It is also 89.1% better value on MSRP (2.4 vs 1.2 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Athlon 64 2800+ makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2004 vs 2002) and more multi-core headroom with 1 cores / 1 threads instead of 1/1. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon 64 2800+ vs Pentium 4 2.80 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Athlon 64 2800+

The Athlon 64 2800+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Abril 2004 (21 years ago). It is based on the NewCastle (2004) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: 754. Thermal design power (TDP): 89 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 420 points. Launch price was $100.

Pentium 4 2.80

The Pentium 4 2.80 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 2.79 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 110 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 408 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

Both the Athlon 64 2800+ and Pentium 4 2.80 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.8 GHz on the Athlon 64 2800+ versus 2.79 GHz on the Pentium 4 2.80 — a 43.1% clock advantage for the Pentium 4 2.80. The Athlon 64 2800+ uses the NewCastle (2004) architecture (130 nm), while the Pentium 4 2.80 uses NetBurst (2000−2006) (130 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 2800+ scores 420 against the Pentium 4 2.80's 408 — a 2.9% lead for the Athlon 64 2800+. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon 64 2800+	Pentium 4 2.80
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	1 / 1
Boost Clock	1.8 GHz	2.79 GHz+55%
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB	512 kB
Process	130 nm	130 nm
Architecture	NewCastle (2004)	NetBurst (2000−2006)
PassMark	420+3%	408

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon 64 2800+ uses the 754 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium 4 2.80 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon 64 2800+	Pentium 4 2.80
Socket	754	PGA478
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR-400	—
Max RAM Capacity	4 GB	—
RAM Channels	1	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon 64 2800+ was priced at $178, while the Pentium 4 2.80 came in at $327. On launch pricing ($178 vs $327), Athlon 64 2800+ was $149 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon 64 2800+ delivers 2.4 pts/$ vs 1.2 pts/$ for the Pentium 4 2.80 — making the Athlon 64 2800+ the 61.6% better value option.

Feature	Athlon 64 2800+	Pentium 4 2.80
MSRP	$178-46%	$327
Performance per Dollar	2.4+100%	1.2
Release Date	2004	2002

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