Pentium D 960 vs Pentium E5400

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 960 vs Pentium E5400 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 960 vs Pentium E5400: 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 960

2006

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,005 vs 1,007).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 1.9 vs 18.3 PassMark/$ ($523 MSRP vs $55 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 130W vs 65W.

Pentium E5400

2009

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $468 less on MSRP ($55 MSRP vs $523 MSRP).
✅Delivers 852.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 18.3 vs 1.9 PassMark/$ ($55 MSRP vs $523 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 E5400 better than Pentium D 960?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium D 960 is ahead with 33.3% higher max boost clock. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium E5400 pulls ahead with 0.2% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium E5400 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Pentium E5400 is the better buy right now. Pentium E5400 comes in $468 cheaper on MSRP at $55 MSRP versus $523 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.2% better PassMark. The compromise is that Pentium D 960 is still the better pure gaming CPU with 33.3% higher max boost clock. It is also 852.8% better value on MSRP (18.3 vs 1.9 PassMark/$), 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 E5400 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2009 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 960 vs Pentium E5400 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Pentium E5400

The Pentium E5400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 18 January 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,007 points. Launch price was $55.

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Processing Power

Both the Pentium D 960 and Pentium E5400 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Pentium D 960 versus 2.7 GHz on the Pentium E5400 — a 28.6% clock advantage for the Pentium D 960 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Pentium D 960 uses the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture (65 nm), while the Pentium E5400 uses Wolfdale (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium D 960 scores 1,005 against the Pentium E5400's 1,007 — a 0.2% lead for the Pentium E5400. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Pentium D 960	Pentium E5400
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz+33%	2.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+33%	2.7 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	2 MB (total)	2 MB (total)
Process	65 nm	45 nm-31%
Architecture	NetBurst (2000−2006)	Wolfdale (2008−2010)
PassMark	1,005	1,007

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA775 socket with PCIe 1.1.

Feature	Pentium D 960	Pentium E5400
Socket	LGA775	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 1.1

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Pentium D 960 was priced at $523, while the Pentium E5400 came in at $55. On launch pricing ($523 vs $55), Pentium E5400 was $468 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium D 960 delivers 1.9 pts/$ vs 18.3 pts/$ for the Pentium E5400 — making the Pentium E5400 the 162% better value option.

Feature	Pentium D 960	Pentium E5400
MSRP	$523	$55-89%
Performance per Dollar	1.9	18.3+863%
Release Date	2006	2009

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