Pentium D 950 vs Athlon II X2 260u
Pentium D 950
Athlon II X2 260u
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 Pentium D 950 is positioned at rank 1110 and the Athlon II X2 260u is on rank 873, so the Athlon II X2 260u offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium D 950
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 260u
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium D 950 | Athlon II X2 260u |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (NetBurst (2000−2006) / 65 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium D 950 | Athlon II X2 260u |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+6%) |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 Pentium D 950 and Athlon II X2 260u
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.
Athlon II X2 260u
The Athlon II X2 260u is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 990 points. Launch price was $83.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium D 950 and Athlon II X2 260u share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Pentium D 950 versus 1.8 GHz on the Athlon II X2 260u — a 61.5% clock advantage for the Pentium D 950. The Pentium D 950 uses the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture (65 nm), while the Athlon II X2 260u uses Regor (2009−2013) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium D 950 scores 935 against the Athlon II X2 260u's 990 — a 5.7% lead for the Athlon II X2 260u. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Pentium D 950 | Athlon II X2 260u |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 3.4 GHz+89% | 1.8 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.4 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB (total)+100% | 1 MB |
| Process | 65 nm | 45 nm-31% |
| Architecture | NetBurst (2000−2006) | Regor (2009−2013) |
| PassMark | 935 | 990+6% |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium D 950 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon II X2 260u uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium D 950 | Athlon II X2 260u |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA775 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | 1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium D 950) / true (Athlon II X2 260u). Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 260u rivals Core 2 Duo SU9400.
| Feature | Pentium D 950 | Athlon II X2 260u |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| IGPU Model | — | None |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | true |
Value Analysis
The Pentium D 950 launched at $637 MSRP, while the Athlon II X2 260u debuted at $60. At current prices ($10 vs $10), the Athlon II X2 260u is $0 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium D 950 delivers 93.5 pts/$ vs 99.0 pts/$ for the Athlon II X2 260u — making the Athlon II X2 260u the 5.7% better value option.
| Feature | Pentium D 950 | Athlon II X2 260u |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $637 | $60-91% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $10 | $10 |
| Performance per Dollar | 93.5 | 99.0+6% |
| Release Date | 2006 | 2009 |
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