Xeon 2.66 vs Celeron 430
Xeon 2.66
Celeron 430
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 Xeon 2.66 is positioned at rank 1028 and the Celeron 430 is on rank 1010, so the Celeron 430 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon 2.66
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 430
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon 2.66 | Celeron 430 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Prestonia (2002) / 130 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Conroe-L (2007−2008) / 65 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon 2.66 | Celeron 430 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+1%) |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 Xeon 2.66 and Celeron 430
Xeon 2.66
The Xeon 2.66 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Prestonia (2002) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: PGA604. Thermal design power (TDP): 89 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 445 points. Launch price was $800.
Celeron 430
The Celeron 430 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 June 2007 (18 years ago). It is based on the Conroe-L (2007−2008) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 448 points. Launch price was $50.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon 2.66 and Celeron 430 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.66 GHz on the Xeon 2.66 versus 1.8 GHz on the Celeron 430 — a 38.6% clock advantage for the Xeon 2.66. The Xeon 2.66 uses the Prestonia (2002) architecture (130 nm), while the Celeron 430 uses Conroe-L (2007−2008) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon 2.66 scores 445 against the Celeron 430's 448 — a 0.7% lead for the Celeron 430. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Xeon 2.66 | Celeron 430 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 |
| Boost Clock | 2.66 GHz+48% | 1.8 GHz |
| Base Clock | — | 1.8 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB | 512 kB |
| Process | 130 nm | 65 nm-50% |
| Architecture | Prestonia (2002) | Conroe-L (2007−2008) |
| PassMark | 445 | 448 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 226 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon 2.66 uses the PGA604 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron 430 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon 2.66 | Celeron 430 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA604 | LGA775 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0+82% | 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 (Xeon 2.66) / No (Celeron 430). Primary use case: Celeron 430 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 430 rivals Pentium 4 2.80.
| Feature | Xeon 2.66 | Celeron 430 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | No |
| Target Use | — | Budget |
Value Analysis
The Xeon 2.66 launched at $337 MSRP, while the Celeron 430 debuted at $49. At current prices ($10 vs $10), the Celeron 430 is $0 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon 2.66 delivers 44.5 pts/$ vs 44.8 pts/$ for the Celeron 430 — making the Celeron 430 the 0.7% better value option.
| Feature | Xeon 2.66 | Celeron 430 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $337 | $49-85% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $10 | $10 |
| Performance per Dollar | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Release Date | 2002 | 2007 |
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