Celeron 2.60 vs Pentium 4 2.66
Celeron 2.60
Pentium 4 2.66
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Celeron 2.60 is positioned at rank 1045 and the Pentium 4 2.66 is on rank 1113, so the Celeron 2.60 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2.60
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 4 2.66
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron 2.60 | Pentium 4 2.66 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($10) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($300) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Northwood (2002−2004) / 130 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (NetBurst (2000−2006) / 130 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron 2.60 | Pentium 4 2.66 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+2956%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($10) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($300) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Celeron 2.60 and Pentium 4 2.66
Celeron 2.60
The Celeron 2.60 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Northwood (2002−2004) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 128 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 73 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 385 points. Launch price was $69.
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 Celeron 2.60 and Pentium 4 2.66 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.6 GHz on the Celeron 2.60 versus 2.66 GHz on the Pentium 4 2.66 — a 2.3% clock advantage for the Pentium 4 2.66. The Celeron 2.60 uses the Northwood (2002−2004) architecture (130 nm), while the Pentium 4 2.66 uses NetBurst (2000−2006) (130 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 2.60 scores 385 against the Pentium 4 2.66's 378 — a 1.8% lead for the Celeron 2.60. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Celeron 2.60 | Pentium 4 2.66 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 |
| Boost Clock | 2.6 GHz | 2.66 GHz+2% |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 128 kB | 512 kB+300% |
| Process | 130 nm | 130 nm |
| Architecture | Northwood (2002−2004) | NetBurst (2000−2006) |
| PassMark | 385+2% | 378 |
Memory & Platform
Both processors use the PGA478 socket with PCIe 1.1.
| Feature | Celeron 2.60 | Pentium 4 2.66 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA478 | PGA478 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 1.1 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR2-400 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 4 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 1 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: No (Celeron 2.60) / not specified (Pentium 4 2.66). Primary use case: Celeron 2.60 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 2.60 rivals Pentium 4 2.40.
| Feature | Celeron 2.60 | Pentium 4 2.66 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | No | — |
| Target Use | Budget | — |
Value Analysis
The Celeron 2.60 launched at $53 MSRP, while the Pentium 4 2.66 debuted at $300. At current prices ($10 vs $300), the Celeron 2.60 is $290 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Celeron 2.60 delivers 38.5 pts/$ vs 1.3 pts/$ for the Pentium 4 2.66 — making the Celeron 2.60 the 187.3% better value option.
| Feature | Celeron 2.60 | Pentium 4 2.66 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $53-82% | $300 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $10-97% | $300 |
| Performance per Dollar | 38.5+2862% | 1.3 |
| Release Date | 2003 | 2002 |
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