Athlon XP 2700+ vs Pentium 4 2.66

Athlon XP 2700+ vs Pentium 4 2.66 Performance Spectrum

Athlon XP 2700+

1 / 1

360

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium 4 2.66

1 / 1

378

+5.0%

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 2700+ vs Pentium 4 2.66 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 2700+ vs Pentium 4 2.66: 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 2700+

2002

Why buy it

✅Draws 68W instead of 110W, a 42W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (360 vs 378).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 1.0 vs 1.3 PassMark/$ ($349 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).

Pentium 4 2.66

2002

Why buy it

✅Costs $49 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅Delivers 22.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 1.3 vs 1.0 PassMark/$ ($300 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌61.8% higher power demand at 110W vs 68W.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium 4 2.66 better than Athlon XP 2700+?

Yes. Pentium 4 2.66 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you 5% 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, Pentium 4 2.66 has the edge because it leads the single-thread side of this matchup with 22.6% higher max boost clock.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 4 2.66 is the stronger fit. You are getting 5% better PassMark, backed by 1 cores and 1 threads.

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

Pentium 4 2.66 is the better buy right now. Pentium 4 2.66 comes in $49 cheaper on MSRP at $300 MSRP versus $349 MSRP, and it still gives you 5.0% higher PassMark. It is also 22.2% better value on MSRP (1.3 vs 1.0 PassMark/$), 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 4 2.66 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 2700+ vs Pentium 4 2.66 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon XP 2700+

The Athlon XP 2700+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Outubro 2002 (23 years ago). It is based on the Thoroughbred (2001−2002) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 2.17 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 256 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: A. Thermal design power (TDP): 68 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 360 points. Launch price was $85.

Pentium 4 2.66

The Pentium 4 2.66 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 110 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 378 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Athlon XP 2700+ and Pentium 4 2.66 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.17 GHz on the Athlon XP 2700+ versus 2.66 GHz on the Pentium 4 2.66 — a 20.3% clock advantage for the Pentium 4 2.66. The Athlon XP 2700+ uses the Thoroughbred (2001−2002) architecture (130 nm), while the Pentium 4 2.66 uses NetBurst (2000−2006) (130 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon XP 2700+ scores 360 against the Pentium 4 2.66's 378 — a 4.9% lead for the Pentium 4 2.66. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon XP 2700+	Pentium 4 2.66
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	1 / 1
Boost Clock	2.17 GHz	2.66 GHz+23%
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	256 kB	512 kB+100%
Process	130 nm	130 nm
Architecture	Thoroughbred (2001−2002)	NetBurst (2000−2006)
PassMark	360	378+5%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon XP 2700+ uses the A socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium 4 2.66 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon XP 2700+	Pentium 4 2.66
Socket	A	PGA478
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR-333	—
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 2700+ was priced at $349, while the Pentium 4 2.66 came in at $300. On launch pricing ($349 vs $300), Pentium 4 2.66 was $49 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon XP 2700+ delivers 1.0 pts/$ vs 1.3 pts/$ for the Pentium 4 2.66 — making the Pentium 4 2.66 the 19.9% better value option.

Feature	Athlon XP 2700+	Pentium 4 2.66
MSRP	$349	$300-14%
Performance per Dollar	1.0	1.3+30%
Release Date	2002	2002

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