Athlon XP 1700+ vs Pentium III 1266S

Athlon XP 1700+ vs Pentium III 1266S Performance Spectrum

Athlon XP 1700+

1 / 1

212

+1.0%

Athlon XP 1500+

Ryzen 7 4700GE

Ryzen 9 5900X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7985WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7980X

Pentium III 1266S

1 / 1

210

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 XP 1700+ 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.

Athlon XP 1700+ 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 1700+

2001

Why buy it

✅Costs $179 less on MSRP ($190 MSRP vs $369 MSRP).
✅Delivers 96.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 1.1 vs 0.6 PassMark/$ ($190 MSRP vs $369 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌113.3% higher power demand at 64W vs 30W.

Pentium III 1266S

2001

Why buy it

✅Draws 30W instead of 64W, a 34W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (210 vs 212).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 0.6 vs 1.1 PassMark/$ ($369 MSRP vs $190 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon XP 1700+ better than Pentium III 1266S?

Yes. Athlon XP 1700+ is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you 1% 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 XP 1700+ has the edge because it leads the single-thread side of this matchup with 15.7% higher max boost clock.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon XP 1700+ is the stronger fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 1 cores and 1 threads.

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

Athlon XP 1700+ is the better buy right now. Athlon XP 1700+ comes in $179 cheaper on MSRP at $190 MSRP versus $369 MSRP, and it still gives you 1.0% higher PassMark. It is also 96.1% better value on MSRP (1.1 vs 0.6 PassMark/$), 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 XP 1700+ makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 1 cores / 1 threads instead of 1/1. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon XP 1700+ vs Pentium III 1266S Technical Specifications

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

Athlon XP 1700+

The Athlon XP 1700+ 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: 1.47 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 256 kB. Built on 180 nm process technology. Socket: A. Thermal design power (TDP): 64 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 212 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 1700+ and Pentium III 1266S share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.47 GHz on the Athlon XP 1700+ versus 1.27 GHz on the Pentium III 1266S — a 14.6% clock advantage for the Athlon XP 1700+. The Athlon XP 1700+ uses the Thoroughbred (2001−2002) architecture (180 nm), while the Pentium III 1266S uses Tualatin (2000−2002) (130 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon XP 1700+ scores 212 against the Pentium III 1266S's 210 — a 0.9% lead for the Athlon XP 1700+. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon XP 1700+	Pentium III 1266S
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	1 / 1
Boost Clock	1.47 GHz+16%	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	212	210

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon XP 1700+ 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 1700+	Pentium III 1266S
Socket	A	PGA370
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR-266	—
Max RAM Capacity	4 GB	—
RAM Channels	1	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon XP 1700+ was priced at $190, while the Pentium III 1266S came in at $369. On launch pricing ($190 vs $369), Athlon XP 1700+ was $179 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon XP 1700+ delivers 1.1 pts/$ vs 0.6 pts/$ for the Pentium III 1266S — making the Athlon XP 1700+ the 64.9% better value option.

Feature	Athlon XP 1700+	Pentium III 1266S
MSRP	$190-49%	$369
Performance per Dollar	1.1+83%	0.6
Release Date	2001	2001

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