Pentium III 1266S vs Sempron 2300+

Pentium III 1266S vs Sempron 2300+ Performance Spectrum

Pentium III 1266S

1 / 1

210

0.0%

248

+18.1%

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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.

Pentium III 1266S vs Sempron 2300+ 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 III 1266S vs Sempron 2300+: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Pentium III 1266S

2001

Why buy it

✅Draws 30W instead of 62W, a 32W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Sempron 2300+ across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (210 vs 248).
❌Launch MSRP is still $369 MSRP, while Sempron 2300+ mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Sempron 2300+

2001

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌106.7% higher power demand at 62W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

So, is Sempron 2300+ better than Pentium III 1266S?

Yes. Sempron 2300+ is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 20.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 18.1% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Sempron 2300+ is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 20.0% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Sempron 2300+ is the stronger fit. You are getting 18.1% better PassMark, backed by 1 cores and 1 threads.

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

Sempron 2300+ is still the much better call for a fresh build. Sempron 2300+ comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $369 MSRP, and it still gives you a 20.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Pentium III 1266S only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2001 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (0.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on PGA370.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Sempron 2300+ makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 1 cores / 1 threads instead of 1/1. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Pentium III 1266S vs Sempron 2300+ Technical Specifications

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

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.

Sempron 2300+

The Sempron 2300+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2001 (24 years ago). It is based on the Barton (2001−2004) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.58 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 256 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: A. Thermal design power (TDP): 62 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 248 points. Launch price was $45.

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Processing Power

Both the Pentium III 1266S and Sempron 2300+ share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.27 GHz on the Pentium III 1266S versus 1.58 GHz on the Sempron 2300+ — a 21.8% clock advantage for the Sempron 2300+. The Pentium III 1266S uses the Tualatin (2000−2002) architecture (130 nm), while the Sempron 2300+ uses Barton (2001−2004) (130 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium III 1266S scores 210 against the Sempron 2300+'s 248 — a 16.6% lead for the Sempron 2300+. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Pentium III 1266S	Sempron 2300+
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	1 / 1
Boost Clock	1.27 GHz	1.58 GHz+24%
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB+100%	256 kB
Process	130 nm	130 nm
Architecture	Tualatin (2000−2002)	Barton (2001−2004)
PassMark	210	248+18%

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Memory & Platform

The Pentium III 1266S uses the PGA370 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Sempron 2300+ uses A (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.