Pentium 4 2.60 vs Pentium M 1.50

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.

Pentium 4 2.60 vs Pentium M 1.50 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.

Pentium 4 2.60 vs Pentium M 1.50: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Pentium 4 2.60

2002

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (365 vs 375).
❌Launch MSRP is still $401 MSRP, while Pentium M 1.50 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌283.3% higher power demand at 92W vs 24W.

Pentium M 1.50

2003

Why buy it

✅+2.7% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 24W instead of 92W, a 68W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium M 1.50 better than Pentium 4 2.60?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium 4 2.60 is ahead with 73.3% higher max boost clock. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium M 1.50 pulls ahead with 2.7% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium M 1.50 is the stronger fit. You are getting 2.7% better PassMark, backed by 1 cores and 1 threads.

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

Pentium M 1.50 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium M 1.50 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $401 MSRP, and it still gives you 2.7% better PassMark. Pentium 4 2.60 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2002 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (0.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on PGA478.

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

Pentium M 1.50 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2003 vs 2002) and 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.

Pentium 4 2.60 vs Pentium M 1.50 Technical Specifications

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

Pentium 4 2.60

The Pentium 4 2.60 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: 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 92 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 365 points. Launch price was $69.

Pentium M 1.50

The Pentium M 1.50 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Banias (2003) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.5 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 24 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 375 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

Both the Pentium 4 2.60 and Pentium M 1.50 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.6 GHz on the Pentium 4 2.60 versus 1.5 GHz on the Pentium M 1.50 — a 53.7% clock advantage for the Pentium 4 2.60. The Pentium 4 2.60 uses the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture (130 nm), while the Pentium M 1.50 uses Banias (2003) (130 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 4 2.60 scores 365 against the Pentium M 1.50's 375 — a 2.7% lead for the Pentium M 1.50. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Pentium 4 2.60	Pentium M 1.50
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	1 / 1
Boost Clock	2.6 GHz+73%	1.5 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB	1 MB+100%
Process	130 nm	130 nm
Architecture	NetBurst (2000−2006)	Banias (2003)
PassMark	365	375+3%