Pentium III 1266S vs Athlon XP 1500+
Pentium III 1266S
Athlon XP 1500+
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 III 1266S is positioned at rank 1140 and the Athlon XP 1500+ is on rank 1111, so the Athlon XP 1500+ offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium III 1266S
Performance Per Dollar Athlon XP 1500+
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium III 1266S | Athlon XP 1500+ |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ More affordable ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Tualatin (2000−2002) / 130 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Palomino (2001) / 180 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium III 1266S | Athlon XP 1500+ |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+19%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ 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 III 1266S and Athlon XP 1500+
Pentium III 1266S
The Pentium III 1266S is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Tualatin (2000−2002) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.27 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: PGA370. Thermal design power (TDP): 30 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 210 points. Launch price was $69.
Athlon XP 1500+
The Athlon XP 1500+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Palomino (2001) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.33 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 256 kB. Built on 180 nm process technology. Socket: A. Thermal design power (TDP): 60 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 188 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium III 1266S and Athlon XP 1500+ share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.27 GHz on the Pentium III 1266S versus 1.33 GHz on the Athlon XP 1500+ — a 4.6% clock advantage for the Athlon XP 1500+. The Pentium III 1266S uses the Tualatin (2000−2002) architecture (130 nm), while the Athlon XP 1500+ uses Palomino (2001) (180 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium III 1266S scores 210 against the Athlon XP 1500+'s 188 — a 11.1% lead for the Pentium III 1266S. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Pentium III 1266S | Athlon XP 1500+ |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 |
| Boost Clock | 1.27 GHz | 1.33 GHz+5% |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB+100% | 256 kB |
| Process | 130 nm-28% | 180 nm |
| Architecture | Tualatin (2000−2002) | Palomino (2001) |
| PassMark | 210+12% | 188 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium III 1266S uses the PGA370 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon XP 1500+ uses A (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium III 1266S | Athlon XP 1500+ |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA370 | A |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 1.1 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR-266 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 2 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 1 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium III 1266S) / None (Athlon XP 1500+). Primary use case: Athlon XP 1500+ targets Desktop.
| Feature | Pentium III 1266S | Athlon XP 1500+ |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | None |
| Target Use | — | Desktop |
Value Analysis
The Pentium III 1266S launched at $369 MSRP, while the Athlon XP 1500+ debuted at $130. At current prices ($20 vs $15), the Athlon XP 1500+ is $5 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium III 1266S delivers 10.5 pts/$ vs 12.5 pts/$ for the Athlon XP 1500+ — making the Athlon XP 1500+ the 17.7% better value option.
| Feature | Pentium III 1266S | Athlon XP 1500+ |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $369 | $130-65% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $20 | $15-25% |
| Performance per Dollar | 10.5 | 12.5+19% |
| Release Date | 2001 | 2001 |
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