Athlon 64 X2 4000+ vs Pentium Extreme Edition 965
Athlon 64 X2 4000+
Pentium Extreme Edition 965
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Athlon 64 X2 4000+ is positioned at rank 1082 and the Pentium Extreme Edition 965 is on rank 1119, so the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon 64 X2 4000+
Performance Per Dollar Pentium Extreme Edition 965
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon 64 X2 4000+ | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($10) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($100) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Windsor (2006−2007) / 90 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Presler (2005−2007) / 65 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon 64 X2 4000+ | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+909%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($10) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($100) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Athlon 64 X2 4000+ and Pentium Extreme Edition 965
Athlon 64 X2 4000+
The Athlon 64 X2 4000+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Windsor (2006−2007) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512K. Built on 90 nm process technology. Socket: AM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 89 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,175 points. Launch price was $149.
Pentium Extreme Edition 965
The Pentium Extreme Edition 965 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 26 March 2006 (19 years ago). It is based on the Presler (2005−2007) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.733 GHz, with boost up to 0.73 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 1,165 points. Launch price was $999.
Processing Power
The Athlon 64 X2 4000+ packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Pentium Extreme Edition 965's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ versus 0.73 GHz on the Pentium Extreme Edition 965 — a 93% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 X2 4000+. The Athlon 64 X2 4000+ uses the Windsor (2006−2007) architecture (90 nm), while the Pentium Extreme Edition 965 uses Presler (2005−2007) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ scores 1,175 against the Pentium Extreme Edition 965's 1,165 — a 0.9% lead for the Athlon 64 X2 4000+.
| Feature | Athlon 64 X2 4000+ | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 2 GHz+174% | 0.73 GHz |
| Base Clock | — | 3.733 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | — |
| L2 Cache | 512K | 2 MB (per core)+300% |
| Process | 90 nm | 65 nm-28% |
| Architecture | Windsor (2006−2007) | Presler (2005−2007) |
| PassMark | 1,175 | 1,165 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 195 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 380 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon 64 X2 4000+ uses the AM2 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium Extreme Edition 965 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon 64 X2 4000+ | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM2 | LGA775 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 1.1 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR2-800 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 4 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon 64 X2 4000+) / not specified (Pentium Extreme Edition 965). Primary use case: Athlon 64 X2 4000+ targets Legacy Desktop.
| Feature | Athlon 64 X2 4000+ | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| IGPU Model | None | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Legacy Desktop | — |
Value Analysis
The Athlon 64 X2 4000+ launched at $328 MSRP, while the Pentium Extreme Edition 965 debuted at $999. At current prices ($10 vs $100), the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ is $90 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ delivers 117.5 pts/$ vs 11.7 pts/$ for the Pentium Extreme Edition 965 — making the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ the 163.9% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon 64 X2 4000+ | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $328-67% | $999 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $10-90% | $100 |
| Performance per Dollar | 117.5+904% | 11.7 |
| Release Date | 2006 | 2006 |
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