Athlon 64 2800+ vs Pentium M 1.70

Athlon 64 2800+ vs Pentium M 1.70 Performance Spectrum

Athlon 64 2800+

1 / 1

420

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium M 1.70

1 / 1

435

+3.6%

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 M 1.70 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 M 1.70: 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

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Pentium M 1.70 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (420 vs 435).
❌Launch MSRP is still $178 MSRP, while Pentium M 1.70 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌270.8% higher power demand at 89W vs 24W.

Pentium M 1.70

2003

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 24W instead of 89W, a 65W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium M 1.70 better than Athlon 64 2800+?

Yes. Pentium M 1.70 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 9.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 3.6% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Pentium M 1.70 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 9.6% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium M 1.70 is the stronger fit. You are getting 3.6% better PassMark, backed by 1 cores and 1 threads.

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

Pentium M 1.70 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium M 1.70 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $178 MSRP, and it still gives you a 9.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Athlon 64 2800+ only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2004 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (2.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on 754.

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 2003). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon 64 2800+ vs Pentium M 1.70 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 M 1.70

The Pentium M 1.70 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Banias (2003) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 24 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 435 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

Both the Athlon 64 2800+ and Pentium M 1.70 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.8 GHz on the Athlon 64 2800+ versus 1.7 GHz on the Pentium M 1.70 — a 5.7% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 2800+. The Athlon 64 2800+ uses the NewCastle (2004) architecture (130 nm), while the Pentium M 1.70 uses Banias (2003) (130 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 2800+ scores 420 against the Pentium M 1.70's 435 — a 3.5% lead for the Pentium M 1.70. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon 64 2800+	Pentium M 1.70
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	1 / 1
Boost Clock	1.8 GHz+6%	1.7 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB	1 MB+100%
Process	130 nm	130 nm
Architecture	NewCastle (2004)	Banias (2003)
PassMark	420	435+4%

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon 64 2800+ uses the 754 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium M 1.70 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.