Pentium E6600 vs Athlon II X2 250e
Pentium E6600
Athlon II X2 250e
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 E6600 is positioned at rank 912 and the Athlon II X2 250e is on rank 889, so the Athlon II X2 250e offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium E6600
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 250e
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium E6600 | Athlon II X2 250e |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) | ✅ More affordable ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Wolfdale (2008−2010) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium E6600 | Athlon II X2 250e |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+236%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) | ✅ More affordable ($15) |
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 E6600 and Athlon II X2 250e
Pentium E6600
The Pentium E6600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 17 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.06 GHz, with boost up to 0.07 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: 1,194 points. Launch price was $16.
Athlon II X2 250e
The Athlon II X2 250e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,202 points. Launch price was $77.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium E6600 and Athlon II X2 250e share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 0.07 GHz on the Pentium E6600 versus 3 GHz on the Athlon II X2 250e — a 190.9% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 250e (base: 3.06 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Pentium E6600 uses the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon II X2 250e uses Regor (2009−2013) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium E6600 scores 1,194 against the Athlon II X2 250e's 1,202 — a 0.7% lead for the Athlon II X2 250e. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Pentium E6600 | Athlon II X2 250e |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 0.07 GHz | 3 GHz+4186% |
| Base Clock | 3.06 GHz+2% | 3 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB (total)+100% | 1 MB |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Wolfdale (2008−2010) | Regor (2009−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,194 | 1,202 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 250 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 470 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium E6600 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon II X2 250e uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium E6600 | Athlon II X2 250e |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA775 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium E6600) / AMD-V (Athlon II X2 250e). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 250e targets Energy Efficient Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 250e rivals Pentium E5700.
| Feature | Pentium E6600 | Athlon II X2 250e |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Energy Efficient Legacy Desktop |
Value Analysis
The Pentium E6600 launched at $84 MSRP, while the Athlon II X2 250e debuted at $77. At current prices ($50 vs $15), the Athlon II X2 250e is $35 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium E6600 delivers 23.9 pts/$ vs 80.1 pts/$ for the Athlon II X2 250e — making the Athlon II X2 250e the 108.2% better value option.
| Feature | Pentium E6600 | Athlon II X2 250e |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $84 | $77-8% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $50 | $15-70% |
| Performance per Dollar | 23.9 | 80.1+235% |
| Release Date | 2010 | 2010 |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar CPU comparisons based on Pentium E6600 and Athlon II X2 250e
