Athlon II Neo K325 vs Pentium Extreme Edition 955

Athlon II Neo K325 vs Pentium Extreme Edition 955 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II Neo K325

2 / 2

1,111

+1.5%

Mobile Athlon 64 3700+

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium Extreme Edition 955

2 / 4

1,095

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 II Neo K325 vs Pentium Extreme Edition 955 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 II Neo K325 vs Pentium Extreme Edition 955: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon II Neo K325

2010

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $939 less on MSRP ($60 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1589.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 18.5 vs 1.1 PassMark/$ ($60 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Draws 1W instead of 130W, a 129W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Pentium Extreme Edition 955

2005

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon II Neo K325 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (1,095 vs 1,111).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 1.1 vs 18.5 PassMark/$ ($999 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
❌12900% higher power demand at 130W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II Neo K325 better than Pentium Extreme Edition 955?

Yes. Athlon II Neo K325 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 3.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.5% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Athlon II Neo K325 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 3.4% 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, Athlon II Neo K325 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.5% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Athlon II Neo K325 is the better buy right now. Athlon II Neo K325 comes in $939 cheaper on MSRP at $60 MSRP versus $999 MSRP, and it still gives you a 3.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 1589.3% better value on MSRP (18.5 vs 1.1 PassMark/$), 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 II Neo K325 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2010 vs 2005) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon II Neo K325 vs Pentium Extreme Edition 955 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II Neo K325

The Athlon II Neo K325 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Geneva (2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.3 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,111 points. Launch price was $149.

Pentium Extreme Edition 955

The Pentium Extreme Edition 955 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 27 December 2005 (19 years ago). It is based on the Presler (2005−2007) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.466 GHz, with boost up to 0.47 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: 1,095 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon II Neo K325 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Pentium Extreme Edition 955's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.3 GHz on the Athlon II Neo K325 versus 0.47 GHz on the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 — a 93.8% clock advantage for the Athlon II Neo K325. The Athlon II Neo K325 uses the Geneva (2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 uses Presler (2005−2007) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II Neo K325 scores 1,111 against the Pentium Extreme Edition 955's 1,095 — a 1.5% lead for the Athlon II Neo K325.

Feature	Athlon II Neo K325	Pentium Extreme Edition 955
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	1.3 GHz+177%	0.47 GHz
Base Clock	—	3.466 GHz
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB (per core)+100%
Process	45 nm-31%	65 nm
Architecture	Geneva (2010)	Presler (2005−2007)
PassMark	1,111+1%	1,095
Geekbench 6 Single	736	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,235	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II Neo K325 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II Neo K325	Pentium Extreme Edition 955
Socket	S1	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-800	—
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II Neo K325) / not specified (Pentium Extreme Edition 955). Primary use case: Athlon II Neo K325 targets Low Power.

Feature	Athlon II Neo K325	Pentium Extreme Edition 955
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Low Power	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon II Neo K325 was priced at $60, while the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 came in at $999. On launch pricing ($60 vs $999), Athlon II Neo K325 was $939 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II Neo K325 delivers 18.5 pts/$ vs 1.1 pts/$ for the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 — making the Athlon II Neo K325 the 177.6% better value option.

Feature	Athlon II Neo K325	Pentium Extreme Edition 955
MSRP	$60-94%	$999
Performance per Dollar	18.5+1582%	1.1
Release Date	2010	2005

Search Athlon II Neo K325 on Amazon

Search Pentium Extreme Edition 955 on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.