E1-6010 vs Pentium D 960

E1-6010 vs Pentium D 960 Performance Spectrum

E1-6010

2 / 2

1,006

+0.1%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium D 960

2 / 2

1,005

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.

E1-6010 vs Pentium D 960 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.

E1-6010 vs Pentium D 960: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

E1-6010

2014

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 10W instead of 130W, a 120W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Pentium D 960

2006

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,005 vs 1,006).
❌Launch MSRP is still $523 MSRP, while E1-6010 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1200% higher power demand at 130W vs 10W.

Quick Answers

So, is E1-6010 better than Pentium D 960?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium D 960 is ahead with a 0.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, E1-6010 pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, E1-6010 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

E1-6010 is still the much better call for a fresh build. E1-6010 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $523 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark. Pentium D 960 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2006 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (1.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA775.

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

E1-6010 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2014 vs 2006) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

E1-6010 vs Pentium D 960 Technical Specifications

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

E1-6010

The E1-6010 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Beema (2014) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.35 GHz. L2 cache: 1024 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FT3. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,006 points. Launch price was $50.

Pentium D 960

The Pentium D 960 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2006 (19 years ago). It is based on the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,005 points. Launch price was $523.

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Processing Power

Both the E1-6010 and Pentium D 960 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.35 GHz on the E1-6010 versus 3.6 GHz on the Pentium D 960 — a 90.9% clock advantage for the Pentium D 960. The E1-6010 uses the Beema (2014) architecture (28 nm), while the Pentium D 960 uses NetBurst (2000−2006) (65 nm). In PassMark, the E1-6010 scores 1,006 against the Pentium D 960's 1,005 — a 0.1% lead for the E1-6010.

Feature	E1-6010	Pentium D 960
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.35 GHz	3.6 GHz+167%
Base Clock	—	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	—	0 kB
L2 Cache	1024 kB	2 MB (total)+100%
Process	28 nm-57%	65 nm
Architecture	Beema (2014)	NetBurst (2000−2006)
PassMark	1,006	1,005

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Memory & Platform

The E1-6010 uses the FT3 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium D 960 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.