Atom 230 vs Pentium III 1266S

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.

Atom 230 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.

Atom 230 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.

Atom 230

2008

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 4W instead of 30W, a 26W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Pentium III 1266S

2001

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Atom 230 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (210 vs 248).
❌Launch MSRP is still $369 MSRP, while Atom 230 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌650% higher power demand at 30W vs 4W.

Quick Answers

So, is Atom 230 better than Pentium III 1266S?

Yes. Atom 230 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 20.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 18.1% 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, Atom 230 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 20.0% 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, Atom 230 is the stronger fit. You are getting 18.1% better PassMark, backed by 1 cores and 2 threads.

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

Atom 230 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Atom 230 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $369 MSRP, and it still gives you a 20.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Pentium III 1266S only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2001 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (0.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Atom 230 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2008 vs 2001) and more multi-core headroom with 1 cores / 2 threads instead of 1/1. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Atom 230 vs Pentium III 1266S Technical Specifications

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

Atom 230

The Atom 230 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Silverthorne (2008−2010) architecture. It features 1 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 0.1 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PBGA437. Thermal design power (TDP): 4 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 248 points. Launch price was $29.

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.

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Processing Power

The Atom 230 packs 1 cores / 2 threads, matching the Pentium III 1266S's 1 cores. Boost clocks reach 0.1 GHz on the Atom 230 versus 1.27 GHz on the Pentium III 1266S — a 170.8% clock advantage for the Pentium III 1266S. The Atom 230 uses the Silverthorne (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium III 1266S uses Tualatin (2000−2002) (130 nm). In PassMark, the Atom 230 scores 248 against the Pentium III 1266S's 210 — a 16.6% lead for the Atom 230. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Atom 230	Pentium III 1266S
Cores / Threads	1 / 2	1 / 1
Boost Clock	0.1 GHz	1.27 GHz+1170%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	—
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB	512 kB
Process	45 nm-65%	130 nm
Architecture	Silverthorne (2008−2010)	Tualatin (2000−2002)
PassMark	248+18%	210

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Memory & Platform

The Atom 230 uses the PBGA437 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium III 1266S uses PGA370 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.