
Pentium D 960

A6-7000
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 960 is positioned at rank 1104 and the A6-7000 is on rank 1081, so the A6-7000 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 960
Performance Per Dollar A6-7000
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium D 960 | A6-7000 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (NetBurst (2000−2006) / 65 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Kaveri (2014−2015) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium D 960 | A6-7000 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+0%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| 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 960 and A6-7000

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.

A6-7000
The A6-7000 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Kaveri (2014−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L2 cache: 1024 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FT3. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,002 points. Launch price was $70.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium D 960 and A6-7000 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Pentium D 960 versus 3 GHz on the A6-7000 — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Pentium D 960 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Pentium D 960 uses the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture (65 nm), while the A6-7000 uses Kaveri (2014−2015) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium D 960 scores 1,005 against the A6-7000's 1,002 — a 0.3% lead for the Pentium D 960.
| Feature | Pentium D 960 | A6-7000 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 3.6 GHz+20% | 3 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.6 GHz+64% | 2.2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | — |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB (total)+100% | 1024 kB |
| Process | 65 nm | 28 nm-57% |
| Architecture | NetBurst (2000−2006) | Kaveri (2014−2015) |
| PassMark | 1,005 | 1,002 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium D 960 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the A6-7000 uses FT3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium D 960 | A6-7000 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA775 | FT3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 3.0+173% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | 1600 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 |
| RAM Channels | — | 1 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium D 960) / true (A6-7000). The A6-7000 includes integrated graphics (Radeon R4 Graphics), while the Pentium D 960 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: A6-7000 rivals Pentium 3556U.
| Feature | Pentium D 960 | A6-7000 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Radeon R4 Graphics |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | true |
Value Analysis
The Pentium D 960 launched at $523 MSRP, while the A6-7000 debuted at $100. At current prices ($15 vs $15), the A6-7000 is $0 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium D 960 delivers 67.0 pts/$ vs 66.8 pts/$ for the A6-7000 — making the Pentium D 960 the 0.3% better value option.
| Feature | Pentium D 960 | A6-7000 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $523 | $100-81% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $15 | $15 |
| Performance per Dollar | 67.0 | 66.8 |
| Release Date | 2006 | 2014 |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.

















