Pentium M 725
VS
Pentium D 820

Pentium M 725 vs Pentium D 820

Intel

Pentium M 725

1 Cores1 Thrd21 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2004
VS
Intel

Pentium D 820

2 Cores2 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2005

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 M 725 is positioned at rank 141 and the Pentium D 820 is on rank 1065, so the Pentium M 725 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium M 725

#36
Core i5-11500B
MSRP: $185|Avg: $185
99%
#129
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
314%
#130
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
310%
#131
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
284%
#132
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
283%
#133
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
280%
#135
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
271%
#136
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
260%
#137
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
259%
#138
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
252%
#141
Pentium M 725
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#147
Atom N2800
MSRP: $47|Avg: $3
98%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium D 820

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
53194%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
50263%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
36495%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
10994%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
8709%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
7618%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
4363%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
4306%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
3921%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
3921%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
3877%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
3772%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
3720%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
3705%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
3671%
#1065
Pentium D 820
MSRP: $241|Avg: $20
100%
#1066
Celeron 2.10
MSRP: $49|Avg: $49
99%
#1067
Core i7-950
MSRP: $562|Avg: $15
99%
#1068
Sempron 3100+
MSRP: $65|Avg: $15
98%
#1069
Athlon II X4 635
MSRP: $400|Avg: $250
96%
#1070
Core 2 Duo E6750
MSRP: $183|Avg: $15
96%
#1071
Core i7-940
MSRP: $562|Avg: $90
92%
#1072
Celeron 2.40
MSRP: $69|Avg: $13
85%
#1073
Sempron 2800+
MSRP: $65|Avg: $29
84%
#1074
Athlon 64 3100+
MSRP: $100|Avg: $15
81%
#1075
Sempron 3600+
MSRP: $105|Avg: $20
79%
#1076
Celeron 2.80
MSRP: $100|Avg: $15
73%
#1077
Athlon 64 X2 6000+
MSRP: $450|Avg: $20
69%
#1078
Athlon 64 3600+
MSRP: $149|Avg: $15
68%
#1079
Core 2 Quad Q6700
MSRP: $530|Avg: $50
67%
#1080
Athlon 64 2600+
MSRP: $100|Avg: $5
67%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium D 820 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium M 725 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.9% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightPentium M 725Pentium D 820
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($20)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Dothan (2004−2005) / 90 nm)
🛑 Legacy (NetBurst (2000−2006) / 90 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightPentium M 725Pentium D 820
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($20)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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 M 725 and Pentium D 820

Intel

Pentium M 725

The Pentium M 725 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Dothan (2004−2005) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 90 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 7.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 1,400 points. Launch price was $69.

Intel

Pentium D 820

The Pentium D 820 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 90 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,412 points. Launch price was $69.

Processing Power

The Pentium M 725 packs 1 cores / 1 threads, while the Pentium D 820 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Pentium D 820 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Pentium M 725 versus 2.8 GHz on the Pentium D 820 — a 54.5% clock advantage for the Pentium D 820 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Pentium M 725 uses the Dothan (2004−2005) architecture (90 nm), while the Pentium D 820 uses NetBurst (2000−2006) (90 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium M 725 scores 1,400 against the Pentium D 820's 1,412 — a 0.9% lead for the Pentium D 820. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 150 vs 166, a 10.1% lead for the Pentium D 820 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

FeaturePentium M 725Pentium D 820
Cores / Threads
1 / 1
2 / 2+100%
Boost Clock
1.6 GHz
2.8 GHz+75%
Base Clock
1.6 GHz
2.8 GHz+75%
L3 Cache
0 kB
0 kB
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
Process
90 nm
90 nm
Architecture
Dothan (2004−2005)
NetBurst (2000−2006)
PassMark
1,400
1,412
Geekbench 6 Single
150
166+11%
Geekbench 6 Multi
150
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium M 725 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium D 820 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR-333 on the Pentium M 725 versus DDR2-667 on the Pentium D 820 — the Pentium D 820 supports -202.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Pentium D 820 supports up to 4 GB of RAM compared to 2 GB 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 1 (Pentium M 725) vs 2 (Pentium D 820). Both provide 0 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: 855PM (Pentium M 725) and Intel 945,Intel 955 (Pentium D 820).

FeaturePentium M 725Pentium D 820
Socket
PGA478
LGA775
PCIe Generation
PCIe 1.1
PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed
DDR-333
DDR2-667
Max RAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
RAM Channels
1
2+100%
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
0
0
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: None (Pentium M 725) vs No (Pentium D 820). Primary use case: Pentium M 725 targets Legacy Laptop.

FeaturePentium M 725Pentium D 820
Integrated GPU
No
No
IGPU Model
None
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
No
Virtualization
None
No
Target Use
Legacy Laptop