E2-3000 vs Pentium D 950

E2-3000 vs Pentium D 950 Performance Spectrum

E2-3000

2 / 2

990

+5.9%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium D 950

2 / 2

935

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.

E2-3000 vs Pentium D 950 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.

E2-3000 vs Pentium D 950: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

E2-3000

2013

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 130W, a 115W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Pentium D 950

2006

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than E2-3000 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (935 vs 990).
❌Launch MSRP is still $637 MSRP, while E2-3000 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌766.7% higher power demand at 130W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is E2-3000 better than Pentium D 950?

Yes. E2-3000 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 8.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 5.9% 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, E2-3000 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 8.5% 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, E2-3000 is the stronger fit. You are getting 5.9% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

E2-3000 is still the much better call for a fresh build. E2-3000 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $637 MSRP, and it still gives you a 8.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Pentium D 950 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2006 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (1.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

E2-3000 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 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.

E2-3000 vs Pentium D 950 Technical Specifications

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

E2-3000

The E2-3000 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Kabini (2013−2014) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.65 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1024 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FT3. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 990 points. Launch price was $50.

Pentium D 950

The Pentium D 950 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 January 2006 (19 years ago). It is based on the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 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: 935 points. Launch price was $637.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the E2-3000 and Pentium D 950 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.65 GHz on the E2-3000 versus 3.4 GHz on the Pentium D 950 — a 69.3% clock advantage for the Pentium D 950. The E2-3000 uses the Kabini (2013−2014) architecture (28 nm), while the Pentium D 950 uses NetBurst (2000−2006) (65 nm). In PassMark, the E2-3000 scores 990 against the Pentium D 950's 935 — a 5.7% lead for the E2-3000. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	E2-3000	Pentium D 950
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.65 GHz	3.4 GHz+106%
Base Clock	—	3.4 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	1024 kB	2 MB (total)+100%
Process	28 nm-57%	65 nm
Architecture	Kabini (2013−2014)	NetBurst (2000−2006)
PassMark	990+6%	935

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Memory & Platform

The E2-3000 uses the FT3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium D 950 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.