Athlon XP 1600+
Pentium III 1266S
Athlon XP 1600+ vs Pentium III 1266S Performance Spectrum
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 XP 1600+ vs Pentium III 1266S 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Athlon XP 1600+ vs Pentium III 1266S: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict
See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.
Athlon XP 1600+
2001Why buy it
- ✅Costs $209 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $369 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 119.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 1.3 vs 0.6 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $369 MSRP).
- ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Pentium III 1266S.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark (200 vs 210).
- ❌110% higher power demand at 63W vs 30W.
Pentium III 1266S
2001Why buy it
- ✅+5% higher PassMark.
- ✅Draws 30W instead of 63W, a 33W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 0.6 vs 1.3 PassMark/$ ($369 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon XP 1600+.
Quick Answers
So, is Pentium III 1266S better than Athlon XP 1600+?
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Athlon XP 1600+ vs Pentium III 1266S Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
Athlon XP 1600+
The Athlon XP 1600+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Thoroughbred (2001−2002) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 256 kB. Built on 180 nm process technology. Socket: A. Thermal design power (TDP): 63 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 200 points. Launch price was $149.
Pentium III 1266S
The Pentium III 1266S is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Tualatin (2000−2002) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.27 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: PGA370. Thermal design power (TDP): 30 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 210 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon XP 1600+ and Pentium III 1266S share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.4 GHz on the Athlon XP 1600+ versus 1.27 GHz on the Pentium III 1266S — a 9.7% clock advantage for the Athlon XP 1600+. The Athlon XP 1600+ uses the Thoroughbred (2001−2002) architecture (180 nm), while the Pentium III 1266S uses Tualatin (2000−2002) (130 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon XP 1600+ scores 200 against the Pentium III 1266S's 210 — a 4.9% lead for the Pentium III 1266S. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon XP 1600+ | Pentium III 1266S |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 |
| Boost Clock | 1.4 GHz+10% | 1.27 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB | 512 kB+100% |
| Process | 180 nm | 130 nm-28% |
| Architecture | Thoroughbred (2001−2002) | Tualatin (2000−2002) |
| PassMark | 200 | 210+5% |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon XP 1600+ uses the A socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium III 1266S uses PGA370 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon XP 1600+ | Pentium III 1266S |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | A | PGA370 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 1.1 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR-266 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 2 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 1 | — |
| ECC Support | No | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: false (Athlon XP 1600+) / not specified (Pentium III 1266S).
| Feature | Athlon XP 1600+ | Pentium III 1266S |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | false | — |
Value Analysis
At launch, the Athlon XP 1600+ was priced at $160, while the Pentium III 1266S came in at $369. On launch pricing ($160 vs $369), Athlon XP 1600+ was $209 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon XP 1600+ delivers 1.3 pts/$ vs 0.6 pts/$ for the Pentium III 1266S — making the Athlon XP 1600+ the 74.9% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon XP 1600+ | Pentium III 1266S |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $160-57% | $369 |
| Performance per Dollar | 1.3+117% | 0.6 |
| Release Date | 2001 | 2001 |
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