Athlon XP 1800+ vs Pentium III 1400

AMD

Athlon XP 1800+

1 Cores1 Thrd66 WWMax: 1.53 GHz2001
Similar parts
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VS
Intel

Pentium III 1400

1 Cores1 Thrd31 WWMax: 1.4 GHz2001
Similar parts
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Athlon XP 1800+ vs Pentium III 1400 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 1800+ vs Pentium III 1400 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 1800+ vs Pentium III 1400: 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 1800+

2001

Why buy it

  • Includes a boxed cooler (Stock), unlike Pentium III 1400.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark (225 vs 228).
  • 0.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $252 MSRPvs$250 MSRP
  • 112.9% higher power demand at 66W vs 31W.

Pentium III 1400

2001

Why buy it

  • +1.3% higher PassMark.
  • Costs $2 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $252 MSRP).
  • Draws 31W instead of 66W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon XP 1800+.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium III 1400 better than Athlon XP 1800+?
It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon XP 1800+ is ahead with 9.3% higher max boost clock. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium III 1400 pulls ahead with 1.3% better PassMark.
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium III 1400 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 1 cores and 1 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Pentium III 1400 is the better buy right now. Pentium III 1400 comes in $2 cheaper on MSRP at $250 MSRP versus $252 MSRP, and it still gives you 1.3% better PassMark. The compromise is that Athlon XP 1800+ is still the better pure gaming CPU with 9.3% higher max boost clock. It is also 2.1% better value on MSRP (0.9 vs 0.9 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Pentium III 1400 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 1800+ vs Pentium III 1400 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Athlon XP 1800+

The Athlon XP 1800+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2001 (24 years ago). It is based on the Thoroughbred (2001−2002) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.53 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 256 kB. Built on 180 nm process technology. Socket: A. Thermal design power (TDP): 66 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 225 points. Launch price was $59.

Intel

Pentium III 1400

The Pentium III 1400 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: 1.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 256 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: PGA370. Thermal design power (TDP): 31 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 228 points. Launch price was $69.

Processing Power

Both the Athlon XP 1800+ and Pentium III 1400 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.53 GHz on the Athlon XP 1800+ versus 1.4 GHz on the Pentium III 1400 — a 8.9% clock advantage for the Athlon XP 1800+. The Athlon XP 1800+ uses the Thoroughbred (2001−2002) architecture (180 nm), while the Pentium III 1400 uses Tualatin (2000−2002) (130 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon XP 1800+ scores 225 against the Pentium III 1400's 228 — a 1.3% lead for the Pentium III 1400. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

FeatureAthlon XP 1800+Pentium III 1400
Cores / Threads
1 / 1
1 / 1
Boost Clock
1.53 GHz+9%
1.4 GHz
L3 Cache
0 kB
0 kB
L2 Cache
256 kB
256 kB
Process
180 nm
130 nm-28%
Architecture
Thoroughbred (2001−2002)
Tualatin (2000−2002)
PassMark
225
228+1%
Geekbench 6 Single
180
Geekbench 6 Multi
651
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Memory & Platform

The Athlon XP 1800+ uses the A socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium III 1400 uses PGA370 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureAthlon XP 1800+Pentium III 1400
Socket
A
PGA370
PCIe Generation
PCIe 1.1
PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed
DDR1
Max RAM Capacity
2 GB
RAM Channels
1
ECC Support
No
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: No (Athlon XP 1800+) / not specified (Pentium III 1400). Primary use case: Athlon XP 1800+ targets Budget. Direct competitor: Athlon XP 1800+ rivals Pentium D 830.

FeatureAthlon XP 1800+Pentium III 1400
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
No
Target Use
Budget
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon XP 1800+ was priced at $252, while the Pentium III 1400 came in at $250. On launch pricing ($252 vs $250), Pentium III 1400 was $2 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon XP 1800+ delivers 0.9 pts/$ vs 0.9 pts/$ for the Pentium III 1400 — making the Pentium III 1400 the 2.1% better value option.

FeatureAthlon XP 1800+Pentium III 1400
MSRP
$252
$250
Performance per Dollar
0.9
0.9
Release Date
2001
2001

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