Pentium Extreme Edition 965 vs Athlon 64 X2 4000+
Pentium Extreme Edition 965
Athlon 64 X2 4000+
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 Extreme Edition 965 is positioned at rank 1119 and the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ is on rank 1082, so the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium Extreme Edition 965
Performance Per Dollar Athlon 64 X2 4000+
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 | Athlon 64 X2 4000+ |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($100) | ✅ More affordable ($10) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Presler (2005−2007) / 65 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Windsor (2006−2007) / 90 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 | Athlon 64 X2 4000+ |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+909%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($100) | ✅ More affordable ($10) |
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 Extreme Edition 965 and Athlon 64 X2 4000+
Pentium Extreme Edition 965
The Pentium Extreme Edition 965 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 26 March 2006 (19 years ago). It is based on the Presler (2005−2007) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.733 GHz, with boost up to 0.73 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 1,165 points. Launch price was $999.
Athlon 64 X2 4000+
The Athlon 64 X2 4000+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Windsor (2006−2007) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512K. Built on 90 nm process technology. Socket: AM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 89 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,175 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Pentium Extreme Edition 965 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Athlon 64 X2 4000+'s 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 0.73 GHz on the Pentium Extreme Edition 965 versus 2 GHz on the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ — a 93% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 X2 4000+. The Pentium Extreme Edition 965 uses the Presler (2005−2007) architecture (65 nm), while the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ uses Windsor (2006−2007) (90 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Extreme Edition 965 scores 1,165 against the Athlon 64 X2 4000+'s 1,175 — a 0.9% lead for the Athlon 64 X2 4000+.
| Feature | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 | Athlon 64 X2 4000+ |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 0.73 GHz | 2 GHz+174% |
| Base Clock | 3.733 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | — | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB (per core)+300% | 512K |
| Process | 65 nm-28% | 90 nm |
| Architecture | Presler (2005−2007) | Windsor (2006−2007) |
| PassMark | 1,165 | 1,175 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 195 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 380 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium Extreme Edition 965 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ uses AM2 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 | Athlon 64 X2 4000+ |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA775 | AM2 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 1.1 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR2-800 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 4 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium Extreme Edition 965) / AMD-V (Athlon 64 X2 4000+). Primary use case: Athlon 64 X2 4000+ targets Legacy Desktop.
| Feature | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 | Athlon 64 X2 4000+ |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| IGPU Model | — | None |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Legacy Desktop |
Value Analysis
The Pentium Extreme Edition 965 launched at $999 MSRP, while the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ debuted at $328. At current prices ($100 vs $10), the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ is $90 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium Extreme Edition 965 delivers 11.7 pts/$ vs 117.5 pts/$ for the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ — making the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ the 163.9% better value option.
| Feature | Pentium Extreme Edition 965 | Athlon 64 X2 4000+ |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $999 | $328-67% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $100 | $10-90% |
| Performance per Dollar | 11.7 | 117.5+904% |
| Release Date | 2006 | 2006 |
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