Athlon II X2 250e vs Pentium E6600
Athlon II X2 250e
Pentium E6600
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 II X2 250e is positioned at rank 889 and the Pentium E6600 is on rank 912, so the Athlon II X2 250e offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 250e
Performance Per Dollar Pentium E6600
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II X2 250e | Pentium E6600 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($15) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Wolfdale (2008−2010) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II X2 250e | Pentium E6600 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+236%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($15) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) |
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 II X2 250e and Pentium E6600
Athlon II X2 250e
The Athlon II X2 250e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,202 points. Launch price was $77.
Pentium E6600
The Pentium E6600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 17 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.06 GHz, with boost up to 0.07 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,194 points. Launch price was $16.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon II X2 250e and Pentium E6600 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Athlon II X2 250e versus 0.07 GHz on the Pentium E6600 — a 190.9% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 250e (base: 3 GHz vs 3.06 GHz). The Athlon II X2 250e uses the Regor (2009−2013) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium E6600 uses Wolfdale (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X2 250e scores 1,202 against the Pentium E6600's 1,194 — a 0.7% lead for the Athlon II X2 250e. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 250e | Pentium E6600 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 3 GHz+4186% | 0.07 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3 GHz | 3.06 GHz+2% |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 2 MB (total)+100% |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Regor (2009−2013) | Wolfdale (2008−2010) |
| PassMark | 1,202 | 1,194 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 250 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 470 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II X2 250e uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium E6600 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 250e | Pentium E6600 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM3 | LGA775 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0+82% | PCIe 1.1 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1333 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II X2 250e) / not specified (Pentium E6600). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 250e targets Energy Efficient Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 250e rivals Pentium E5700.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 250e | Pentium E6600 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Energy Efficient Legacy Desktop | — |
Value Analysis
The Athlon II X2 250e launched at $77 MSRP, while the Pentium E6600 debuted at $84. At current prices ($15 vs $50), the Athlon II X2 250e is $35 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X2 250e delivers 80.1 pts/$ vs 23.9 pts/$ for the Pentium E6600 — making the Athlon II X2 250e the 108.2% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 250e | Pentium E6600 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $77-8% | $84 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $15-70% | $50 |
| Performance per Dollar | 80.1+235% | 23.9 |
| Release Date | 2010 | 2010 |
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