AMD Opteron 3350 HE vs Intel Pentium G4520 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clean sweep for the AMD Opteron 3350 HE across all five Cinebench comparisons, though the margins are consistently narrow. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Opteron scores 231 against 227 for the Pentium G4520, a 1.8% advantage. That is the largest single delta in the entire head-to-head set, and it reflects the Opteron's four physical cores working against the Pentium's two cores in a workload that scales with thread count.

Moving to Cinebench R20 multi-core, the Opteron posts 963 versus 949, a 1.5% edge. The same 1.5% delta appears in Cinebench R20 single-core, where the Opteron scores 135 and the Pentium scores 133. This is notable because single-core performance is typically where a newer Intel architecture would be expected to lead; here, the Opteron's higher boost clock of 3.80 GHz appears to compensate for the architectural age of the K10 design. The pattern repeats in Cinebench R23: multi-core shows 2294 for the Opteron against 2261 for the Pentium (1.5% ahead), and single-core shows 323 against 319 (1.3% ahead).

The overall benchmark averages reinforce the picture. The Opteron 3350 HE has an average benchmark score of 789, while the Pentium G4520 sits at 778. That puts the Opteron roughly 1.4% higher on the aggregate metric, consistent with the individual test deltas. The nearest rivals in the database also cluster tightly around both chips: the Opteron's closest comparables are the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 (average 789, delta -0.1%), the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 (790, -0.1%), the Core i5-4210U (788, 0.1%), and the Core i5-3610ME (788, 0.2%). The Pentium's nearest rivals include the AMD A10-5800K (778, 0%), the Athlon X4 760K (777, 0.2%), the Pentium Silver J5005 (776, 0.3%), and the Core i3-7100 (781, -0.4%). Both processors sit at the 21st percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning they occupy a similar performance tier despite their different underlying designs.

In practical terms, the Opteron wins every recorded comparison but never by a margin that would be perceptible in interactive use. The largest advantage is 1.8% in R15 multi-core, and the smallest is 1.3% in R23 single-core. For multithreaded rendering tasks, the Opteron's extra cores deliver a slight but measurable benefit; for single-threaded workloads, the two chips are effectively tied, with the Opteron holding a 1.5% edge in R20 and a 1.3% edge in R23.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the most benchmark comparisons?

A: The AMD Opteron 3350 HE wins all five head-to-head tests recorded in the database. The Intel Pentium G4520 does not win any of the five comparisons.

Q: How large is the performance gap in multi-core workloads?

A: The Opteron leads by 1.8% in Cinebench R15 multi-core (231 vs. 227), 1.5% in R20 multi-core (963 vs. 949), and 1.5% in R23 multi-core (2294 vs. 2261). The margins are consistent but small.

Q: Does the Pentium have any advantage in single-core tests?

A: No. The database shows the Opteron ahead in both single-core tests: 135 vs. 133 in R20 single-core (1.5%) and 323 vs. 319 in R23 single-core (1.3%).

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each processor?

A: The Opteron 3350 HE has an average benchmark score of 789. The Pentium G4520 has an average benchmark score of 778. Both processors are at the 21st percentile among all CPUs in the database.

Q: How do these chips compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The Opteron's closest rival is the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650, which matches its average score of 789 with a delta of -0.1%. The Pentium's closest rival is the AMD A10-5800K, which matches its average score of 778 with a delta of 0%.

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Opteron 3350 HE has a boost clock of 3.80 GHz. The Intel Pentium G4520 has no boost clock listed in the database; its base clock is 3.60 GHz.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design lineages. The AMD Opteron 3350 HE uses the K10 architecture under the codename Delhi, part of the Opteron 3000 series aimed at server and workstation use. It is built on a 32 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with 1,200 million transistors on a 315 mm² die. The Intel Pentium G4520 uses the Skylake architecture, a desktop part fabricated on Intel's 14 nm process with 1,400 million transistors on a 150 mm² die. The transistor count is higher on the Intel part, but the die is less than half the size, reflecting the density advantage of the newer process node.

Cache configurations differ substantially. The Opteron has 192 KB of L1 cache, 4 MB of L2 cache, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The Pentium has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3. For a two-core chip, the Pentium's per-core L2 allocation is generous, but the Opteron's larger shared L3 gives it more aggregate cache capacity for multithreaded workloads.

The integrated graphics situation is another clear differentiator. The Opteron relies on a chipset feature, with graphics available only on certain motherboards; it is not a CPU-integrated solution. The Pentium includes Intel HD 530 graphics directly on the processor. This makes the Pentium a more self-contained platform for systems without a discrete GPU. The Opteron's PCI Express support is Gen 2, while the Pentium offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU only. Memory support also diverges: the Opteron supports DDR3 only, while the Pentium supports both DDR3 and DDR4. Both use dual-channel memory buses, but the Pentium's memory bandwidth is listed at 34.1 GB/s, higher than the Opteron's 29.9 GB/s.

The production statuses reflect their different lifecycles. The Opteron is end-of-life, released on 2012-12-03, with a part number of OS3350HOW4KHK. The Pentium is active, released on 2015-08-31, with a part number of SR2HM. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking headroom is not a differentiator in the database.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts are the most obvious specification gap. The AMD Opteron 3350 HE provides 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Intel Pentium G4520 provides 2 cores and 2 threads. The Opteron's base clock is 2.80 GHz with a boost clock of 3.80 GHz; the Pentium's base clock is 3.60 GHz with no boost clock recorded. The Opteron has a TDP of 45 watts, lower than the Pentium's 51 watts, which is notable given the Opteron has twice the core count.

The sockets are incompatible: the Opteron uses AMD Socket AM3+, while the Pentium uses Intel Socket 1151. The market segments also differ, with the Opteron classified as server/workstation and the Pentium as desktop. The Opteron has a launch MSRP of $125, while the Pentium has no launch MSRP recorded in the database. The Opteron does not support ECC memory; the Pentium also does not support ECC memory, so that field is not a differentiator.

PCI Express generation and lanes differ as noted above: Gen 2 for the Opteron versus Gen 3 with 16 lanes for the Pentium. The integrated graphics differ as well, with a chipset-dependent feature on the Opteron versus Intel HD 530 on the Pentium. The memory support is broader on the Pentium, accepting both DDR3 and DDR4, while the Opteron is limited to DDR3.

The Verdict

The data points to a narrow but consistent win for the AMD Opteron 3350 HE in raw compute performance. It wins every recorded Cinebench test, holds a higher average benchmark score (789 vs. 778), and does so with a lower TDP (45 watts vs. 51 watts) despite having twice the core count. For workloads that can use four threads, the Opteron's 4-core/4-thread configuration provides a structural advantage that the Pentium cannot overcome, even with its higher base clock and newer architecture.

However, the margins are small enough that the choice should depend on platform needs rather than benchmark scores alone. The Pentium G4520 offers integrated Intel HD 530 graphics, PCIe Gen 3 support, and compatibility with both DDR3 and DDR4 memory, making it a more flexible desktop platform for builds that do not include a discrete GPU. The Opteron requires a motherboard with chipset-provided graphics and is limited to DDR3, which narrows its applicability despite its slightly better compute results.

For a server or workstation context where multithreaded rendering is the priority, the Opteron 3350 HE is the better pick based on the recorded data. For a desktop system where integrated graphics and modern platform features matter more than a 1.5% to 1.8% benchmark delta, the Pentium G4520 is the more practical option. The database shows both processors at the 21st percentile, so neither is a high-end part; the Opteron simply edges ahead in every measured computation while the Pentium offers a more complete feature set for general desktop use.