AMD A10-7700K vs AMD Opteron 3350 HE Comparison

The AMD A10-7700K and the AMD Opteron 3350 HE are two end-of-life AMD quad-cores separated by roughly a year and a half in release date, and by design intent that could hardly be more different. One is a Kaveri desktop part built on the Steamroller architecture with integrated Radeon R7 graphics and an unlocked multiplier; the other is a Delhi-based Opteron aimed at server and workstation duty with an unusually low 45 W TDP. The recorded data places them in a statistical dead heat overall, with average benchmark scores of 801 for the A10-7700K and 789 for the Opteron 3350 HE, and percentile rankings of 22 and 21 respectively. Those near-identical aggregate figures, however, hide meaningful differences in per-core speed, cache hierarchy, platform features, and efficiency that determine which chip makes sense for a given workload.

Where Each One Wins

The A10-7700K wins on responsiveness and graphics capability. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz sits well above the Opteron's 2.80 GHz, and its single-core Geekbench score of 447 reflects the newer Steamroller architecture's improved per-thread throughput. Because both chips are 4-core, 4-thread parts with no simultaneous multithreading, single-core speed translates directly into how quickly lightly threaded software runs, and that is where the desktop Kaveri part holds the advantage. It also carries Radeon R7 integrated graphics on die, which the Opteron simply does not: the Delhi chip depends on chipset-level graphics that only appear on certain motherboards. For a build that needs display output without a discrete graphics card, the A10-7700K is the only one of the two that guarantees it.

The Opteron 3350 HE wins on sustained, efficiency-sensitive operation. Its 45 W TDP is less than half of the A10-7700K's 95 W, which matters in multi-socket-adjacent server contexts, dense deployments, and always-on systems where power draw accumulates. It also brings an 8 MB shared L3 cache, something the Kaveri part lacks entirely, and that larger cache hierarchy favors workloads with big working sets, such as database serving or virtualization, the classic Opteron territory. Its PCIe support is limited to Gen 2 rather than Gen 3, and it uses the AM3+ socket rather than FM2+, so its platform strengths lean toward expandable server boards rather than the desktop-oriented feature set of the Kaveri chip.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two is generational. The A10-7700K uses the Steamroller architecture under the Kaveri codename, fabricated at GlobalFoundries on a 28 nm process, with 2,411 million transistors packed into a 245 mm² die. The Opteron 3350 HE uses the considerably older K10 architecture under the Delhi codename, built on a 32 nm process at the same foundry, with 1,200 million transistors spread across a larger 315 mm² die. The newer node lets Kaveri fit roughly twice the transistor count into a smaller piece of silicon, and much of that extra transistor budget went into the integrated Radeon R7 graphics that define the APU concept.

Cache layouts diverge sharply. The A10-7700K pairs 256 KB of L1 with 4 MB of L2 and has no L3 at all. The Opteron pairs a smaller 192 KB L1 with the same 4 MB of L2, then adds 8 MB of shared L3 on top. For latency-tolerant desktop work with strong prefetching, Kaveri's arrangement works well; for server workloads with larger data footprints, the Delhi chip's L3 gives it a cushion the APU cannot match.

Memory support is broadly similar on paper, both supporting DDR3 on a dual-channel bus, but bandwidth differs: the A10-7700K is rated at 34.1 GB/s against the Opteron's 29.9 GB/s. That extra bandwidth feeds the integrated graphics as much as the CPU cores. Notably, despite its server pedigree, the Opteron 3350 HE's recorded data shows ECC memory support as false, so the usual server-memory reliability argument does not apply here. On connectivity, the A10-7700K offers PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the Opteron is limited to Gen 2. The desktop chip also has an unlocked multiplier, opening overclocking headroom that the locked Opteron deliberately forgoes. The Opteron launched at an MSRP of $125.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster overall according to the database?

A: They are effectively tied. The A10-7700K records an average benchmark score of 801 against 789 for the Opteron 3350 HE, a gap small enough that both land in adjacent percentiles, 22 versus 21, across all CPUs in the database.

Q: Which one is faster in single-threaded work?

A: The A10-7700K. Its 3.40 GHz base clock exceeds the Opteron's 2.80 GHz, and its Steamroller architecture is newer than the K10 design in the Delhi chip. Both boost to the same 3.80 GHz ceiling, but the architectural edge stays with Kaveri.

Q: Do either of these CPUs support ECC memory?

A: No. The recorded data lists ECC memory support as false for both, which is a surprise for the Opteron given its server market segment, and rules out ECC-based platform decisions in this matchup.

Q: Which CPU uses less power?

A: The Opteron 3350 HE, by a wide margin. Its 45 W TDP compares to 95 W for the A10-7700K, making it the clear choice for efficiency-sensitive or always-on deployments.

Q: Can either chip be overclocked?

A: Only the A10-7700K, which has an unlocked multiplier. The Opteron 3350 HE ships locked, consistent with its server positioning.

Q: Do they share any benchmark results in the database?

A: No overlapping test results are recorded for the pair. The A10-7700K has Geekbench multi-core and single-core scores, while the Opteron 3350 HE has a full set of Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 results, so direct same-test comparisons cannot be drawn from the data.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD A10-7700K | AMD Opteron 3350 HE |

|---|---|---|

| Base clock | 3.40 GHz | 2.80 GHz |

| Boost clock | 3.80 GHz | 3.80 GHz |

| TDP | 95 W | 45 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FM2+ | AMD Socket AM3+ |

| Architecture | Steamroller | K10 |

| Codename | Kaveri | Delhi |

| Process node | 28 nm | 32 nm |

| Transistors | 2,411 million | 1,200 million |

| Die size | 245 mm² | 315 mm² |

| L1 cache | 256 KB | 192 KB |

| L3 cache | None | 8 MB (shared) |

| Memory bandwidth | 34.1 GB/s | 29.9 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 16 lanes (CPU only) | Gen 2 |

| Integrated graphics | Radeon R7 | On certain motherboards (chipset feature) |

| Market segment | Desktop | Server/Workstation |

| Release date | 2014-01-13 | 2012-12-03 |

| Multiplier unlocked | Yes | No |

| Launch MSRP | Not recorded | $125 |

Where the two agree: both are 4-core, 4-thread AMD parts from GlobalFoundries, both support dual-channel DDR3, both carry 4 MB of L2 cache, and both are end-of-life.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no overlapping benchmark suites for these two chips, so a strict same-test head-to-head is not possible from the recorded data. What the numbers do permit is a clear reading of each chip's profile.

The A10-7700K's recorded Geekbench results are 1155 multi-core and 447 single-core, and its average database score of 801 places it in the 22nd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals cluster almost perfectly at that level: the Intel Xeon E5530 and Pentium Silver J5040 both average exactly 801 for a delta of 0 percent, the Core i5-3320M sits at 803 (a delta of -0.2 percent), and the AMD Ryzen 3 2200U averages 805 (a delta of -0.5 percent). In other words, the Kaveri APU performs in the same band as a mixed field of older server silicon and low-power mobile chips, with a single-core figure that does the heavy lifting against rivals that often have more threads to work with.

The Opteron 3350 HE's Cinebench record tells a server-chip story: 231 in R15 multi-core, 963 in R20 multi-core with 135 single-core, and 2294 in R23 multi-core with 323 single-core. Its average score of 789 puts it in the 21st percentile, one point behind the A10-7700K, and its rivals bracket it just as tightly in the opposite direction: the Core 2 Extreme QX9650 and QX9770 average 789 and 790 (deltas of -0.1 percent), the Core i5-4210U averages 788 (a delta of 0.1 percent), and the Core i5-3610ME also averages 788 (a delta of 0.2 percent). The Opteron's rival set is dominated by much older enthusiast desktop flagships and low-power mobile parts, which matches the K10 architecture's vintage. The 12-point aggregate gap between the two AMD chips, 801 versus 789, is within the noise band each chip occupies relative to its own rivals, so the fair reading is parity in overall throughput with the A10-7700K holding the per-thread edge from its higher base clock and newer core design.

The Verdict

The data supports a clean split. Choose the A10-7700K for a desktop role: it delivers the faster day-to-day single-threaded experience, guaranteed Radeon R7 integrated graphics for builds without a discrete card, PCIe Gen 3 connectivity, higher memory bandwidth at 34.1 GB/s, and an unlocked multiplier for tuning. Choose the Opteron 3350 HE when efficiency and cache dominate: its 45 W TDP is the standout figure in this comparison, its 8 MB shared L3 suits memory-hungry server-style workloads, and its AM3+ platform targets workstation boards. Since neither chip supports ECC and both post nearly identical aggregate scores, the decision reduces to responsiveness and graphics on one side versus power draw and cache depth on the other. Both are end-of-life parts, so either choice is a legacy-platform commitment, and the database indicates performance parity in exchange for very different strengths.