Pentium D 950 vs Pentium Dual-Core E2180

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 D 950 vs Pentium Dual-Core E2180 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 D 950 vs Pentium Dual-Core E2180: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Pentium D 950

2006

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (935 vs 938).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 1.5 vs 11.2 PassMark/$ ($637 MSRP vs $84 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 130W vs 65W.

Pentium Dual-Core E2180

2007

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $553 less on MSRP ($84 MSRP vs $637 MSRP).
✅Delivers 660.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 11.2 vs 1.5 PassMark/$ ($84 MSRP vs $637 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 130W, a 65W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Dual-Core E2180 better than Pentium D 950?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium D 950 is ahead with a 0.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Dual-Core E2180 pulls ahead with 0.3% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Dual-Core E2180 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Pentium Dual-Core E2180 is the better buy right now. Pentium Dual-Core E2180 comes in $553 cheaper on MSRP at $84 MSRP versus $637 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.3% better PassMark. The compromise is that Pentium D 950 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 660.8% better value on MSRP (11.2 vs 1.5 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Pentium Dual-Core E2180 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2007 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.

Pentium D 950 vs Pentium Dual-Core E2180 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Pentium Dual-Core E2180

The Pentium Dual-Core E2180 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (total). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 938 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

Both the Pentium D 950 and Pentium Dual-Core E2180 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Pentium D 950 versus 2 GHz on the Pentium Dual-Core E2180 — a 51.9% clock advantage for the Pentium D 950. Both are built on the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture using a 65 nm process. In PassMark, the Pentium D 950 scores 935 against the Pentium Dual-Core E2180's 938 — a 0.3% lead for the Pentium Dual-Core E2180. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Pentium D 950	Pentium Dual-Core E2180
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz+70%	2 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz	—
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	2 MB (total)+100%	1 MB (total)
Process	65 nm	65 nm
Architecture	NetBurst (2000−2006)	NetBurst (2000−2006)
PassMark	935	938

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA775 socket with PCIe 1.1.

Feature	Pentium D 950	Pentium Dual-Core E2180
Socket	LGA775	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 1.1

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Pentium D 950 was priced at $637, while the Pentium Dual-Core E2180 came in at $84. On launch pricing ($637 vs $84), Pentium Dual-Core E2180 was $553 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium D 950 delivers 1.5 pts/$ vs 11.2 pts/$ for the Pentium Dual-Core E2180 — making the Pentium Dual-Core E2180 the 153.5% better value option.

Feature	Pentium D 950	Pentium Dual-Core E2180
MSRP	$637	$84-87%
Performance per Dollar	1.5	11.2+647%
Release Date	2006	2007

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