Pentium E2180 vs Athlon II X2 250u
Pentium E2180
Athlon II X2 250u
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 E2180 is positioned at rank 976 and the Athlon II X2 250u is on rank 891, so the Athlon II X2 250u offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium E2180
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 250u
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium E2180 | Athlon II X2 250u |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 65 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium E2180 | Athlon II X2 250u |
|---|---|---|
| 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 E2180 and Athlon II X2 250u
Pentium E2180
The Pentium E2180 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. Base frequency: 2 GHz. L3 cache: 1 MB L2 Cache. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 938 points. Launch price was $69.
Athlon II X2 250u
The Athlon II X2 250u 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: 1.6 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: 935 points. Launch price was $35.
Processing Power
The Athlon II X2 250u is built on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. In PassMark, the Pentium E2180 scores 938 against the Athlon II X2 250u's 935 — a 0.3% lead for the Pentium E2180. L3 cache: 1 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium E2180 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 250u.
| Feature | Pentium E2180 | Athlon II X2 250u |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | — | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | — | 1.6 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 1 MB L2 Cache | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | — | 1 MB |
| Process | 65 nm | 45 nm-31% |
| Architecture | — | Regor (2009−2013) |
| PassMark | 938 | 935 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 222 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 423 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium E2180 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon II X2 250u uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 800 on the Pentium E2180 versus DDR3-1066 on the Athlon II X2 250u — the Pentium E2180 supports 198.5% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 8 of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support.
| Feature | Pentium E2180 | Athlon II X2 250u |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA775 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | 800+26567% | DDR3-1066 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 | 8 GB+104857500% |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization support: false (Pentium E2180) vs AMD-V (Athlon II X2 250u). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 250u targets Low Power Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 250u rivals Core 2 Duo E7500.
| Feature | Pentium E2180 | Athlon II X2 250u |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | false | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Low Power Desktop |
Value Analysis
The Pentium E2180 launched at $84 MSRP, while the Athlon II X2 250u debuted at $60. At current prices ($15 vs $15), the Athlon II X2 250u is $0 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium E2180 delivers 62.5 pts/$ vs 62.3 pts/$ for the Athlon II X2 250u — making the Pentium E2180 the 0.3% better value option.
| Feature | Pentium E2180 | Athlon II X2 250u |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $84 | $60-29% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $15 | $15 |
| Performance per Dollar | 62.5 | 62.3 |
| Release Date | 2007 | 2009 |
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