Athlon XP 2100+ vs Pentium III 1400

Athlon XP 2100+ vs Pentium III 1400 Performance Spectrum

Athlon XP 2100+

1 / 1

265

+16.2%

Athlon XP 1600+

Athlon XP 1800+

Ryzen 7 4700GE

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7985WX

Pentium III 1400

1 / 1

228

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 2100+ 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 2100+ 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 2100+

2001

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 0.6 vs 0.9 PassMark/$ ($420 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
❌132.3% higher power demand at 72W vs 31W.

Pentium III 1400

2001

Why buy it

✅Costs $170 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $420 MSRP).
✅Delivers 44.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 0.9 vs 0.6 PassMark/$ ($250 MSRP vs $420 MSRP).
✅Draws 31W instead of 72W, a 41W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon XP 2100+ across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (228 vs 265).

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon XP 2100+ better than Pentium III 1400?

Yes. Athlon XP 2100+ is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 16.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 16.2% 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 2100+ is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 16.7% 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 XP 2100+ is the stronger fit. You are getting 16.2% better PassMark, backed by 1 cores and 1 threads.

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

Athlon XP 2100+ is still the much better call for a fresh build. Athlon XP 2100+ comes in 68.0% more expensive on MSRP at $420 MSRP versus $250 MSRP, and it still gives you a 16.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Pentium III 1400 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2001 platform. Even with 44.5% better value on paper (0.9 vs 0.6 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on PGA370.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Athlon XP 2100+ 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 2100+ vs Pentium III 1400 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon XP 2100+

The Athlon XP 2100+ 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: 1.73 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 256 kB. Built on 180 nm process technology. Socket: A. Thermal design power (TDP): 72 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 265 points. Launch price was $149.

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.

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Processing Power

Both the Athlon XP 2100+ and Pentium III 1400 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.73 GHz on the Athlon XP 2100+ versus 1.4 GHz on the Pentium III 1400 — a 21.1% clock advantage for the Athlon XP 2100+. The Athlon XP 2100+ uses the Thoroughbred (2001−2002) architecture (180 nm), while the Pentium III 1400 uses Tualatin (2000−2002) (130 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon XP 2100+ scores 265 against the Pentium III 1400's 228 — a 15% lead for the Athlon XP 2100+. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon XP 2100+	Pentium III 1400
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	1 / 1
Boost Clock	1.73 GHz+24%	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	265+16%	228

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon XP 2100+ uses the A socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium III 1400 uses PGA370 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon XP 2100+	Pentium III 1400
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 2100+ was priced at $420, while the Pentium III 1400 came in at $250. On launch pricing ($420 vs $250), Pentium III 1400 was $170 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon XP 2100+ delivers 0.6 pts/$ vs 0.9 pts/$ for the Pentium III 1400 — making the Pentium III 1400 the 36.4% better value option.

Feature	Athlon XP 2100+	Pentium III 1400
MSRP	$420	$250-40%
Performance per Dollar	0.6	0.9+50%
Release Date	2001	2001

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