
Athlon XP 2100+

Pentium III 1400S
Athlon XP 2100+ vs Pentium III 1400S 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 2100+ vs Pentium III 1400S 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

Call of Duty: Warzone

Cyberpunk 2077

Deadlock

Destiny 2
Athlon XP 2100+ vs Pentium III 1400S: 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+
2001Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +16.7% higher average FPS across 25 shared CPU benchmark tests.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 0.6 vs 0.9 PassMark/$ ($420 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
- ❌125% higher power demand at 72W vs 32W.
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Pentium III 1400S.
Pentium III 1400S
2002Why 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 32W instead of 72W, a 40W reduction.
- ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Athlon XP 2100+.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon XP 2100+ across 25 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Lower PassMark (228 vs 265).
Quick Answers
So, is Athlon XP 2100+ better than Pentium III 1400S?
Which one is better for gaming?
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 2100+ vs Pentium III 1400S 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 1400S
The Pentium III 1400S 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: 512 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: PGA370. Thermal design power (TDP): 32 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 228 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon XP 2100+ and Pentium III 1400S 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 1400S — 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 1400S uses Tualatin (2000−2002) (130 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon XP 2100+ scores 265 against the Pentium III 1400S's 228 — a 15% lead for the Athlon XP 2100+. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon XP 2100+ | Pentium III 1400S |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 512 kB+100% |
| 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 1400S uses PGA370 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR-266 on the Athlon XP 2100+ versus PC133 on the Pentium III 1400S — the Pentium III 1400S supports -150% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 4 GB of RAM. Both feature 1-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 0 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: AMD Socket A (Athlon XP 2100+) and Intel 815,VIA Apollo Pro 133T (Pentium III 1400S).
| Feature | Athlon XP 2100+ | Pentium III 1400S |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | A | PGA370 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 1.1 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR-266 | PC133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| RAM Channels | 1 | 1 |
| ECC Support | Yes | Yes |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Athlon XP 2100+) / No (Pentium III 1400S).
| Feature | Athlon XP 2100+ | Pentium III 1400S |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | No |
Value Analysis
At launch, the Athlon XP 2100+ was priced at $420, while the Pentium III 1400S came in at $250. On launch pricing ($420 vs $250), Pentium III 1400S 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 1400S — making the Pentium III 1400S the 36.4% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon XP 2100+ | Pentium III 1400S |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $420 | $250-40% |
| Performance per Dollar | 0.6 | 0.9+50% |
| Release Date | 2001 | 2002 |
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