AMD Opteron 3350 HE vs Intel Pentium Silver J5040 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are remarkably consistent. The Intel Pentium Silver J5040 wins all five recorded Cinebench comparisons, and the margin is nearly uniform across both single-core and multi-core workloads.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Intel part scores 276 against 231 for the AMD Opteron 3350 HE, a 19.5% advantage. The R20 multi-core test shows a similar story: 1150 versus 963, a 19.4% gap. The R23 multi-core result follows the same pattern, with the J5040 at 2739 and the Opteron at 2294, again 19.4% ahead.

Single-core performance tells the same tale. In R20 single-core, the Intel chip records 162 versus 135, a 20% lead. In R23 single-core, the margin is 386 to 323, or 19.5%. There is no test in the database where the Opteron 3350 HE pulls ahead. The consistency of the delta, hovering between 19.4% and 20% across every test, indicates a fundamental architectural advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

The aggregate benchmark scores reinforce this. The Pentium Silver J5040 posts an average benchmark score of 801, while the Opteron 3350 HE sits at 789. Both processors occupy the 21st percentile among all CPUs in the database, but the Intel part does so with a higher raw average. The nearest rivals for the J5040 include the AMD A10-7700K and Intel Xeon E5530, both at 801 with a 0% delta, and the Intel Core i5-3320M at 803 with a -0.2% delta. The Opteron's nearest rivals are the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 at 789 (-0.1%), Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 at 790 (-0.1%), Intel Core i5-4210U at 788 (0.1%), and Intel Core i5-3610ME at 788 (0.2%). The Opteron's performance cluster is populated by older enthusiast and mobile parts, while the Pentium sits alongside a mix of AMD APUs and Intel Xeon and Core processors.

What stands out is that the Opteron's higher clock speeds do not translate into benchmark wins. The AMD part has a base clock of 2.80 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz, while the Intel part runs at 2.00 GHz base and 3.20 GHz boost. Despite the 800 MHz base clock disadvantage and 600 MHz boost disadvantage, the Intel chip wins every test. This points to a substantial instructions-per-clock advantage for the Goldmont Plus architecture in Cinebench workloads.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras and design philosophies. The Intel Pentium Silver J5040 uses the Goldmont Plus architecture, codenamed Gemini Lake, built on a 14 nm process at Intel's own foundry. The AMD Opteron 3350 HE uses the K10 architecture, codenamed Delhi, fabricated on a 32 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The process node difference alone, 14 nm versus 32 nm, explains much of the efficiency and performance-per-clock gap.

Both chips have 4 cores and 4 threads, so the thread count is identical. The cache layouts differ significantly. The Intel part has 56 KB of L1 cache per core and 4 MB of shared L2 cache, with no L3 cache listed. The AMD part has 192 KB of L1 cache, 4 MB of L2 cache, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The Opteron's larger cache hierarchy, especially the 8 MB L3, does not overcome the Intel part's architectural efficiency in the recorded benchmarks.

The memory subsystems also differ. The Intel chip supports DDR4 memory over a dual-channel bus with a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The AMD chip uses DDR3 memory over a dual-channel bus with a bandwidth of 29.9 GB/s. The Intel part has a 28.4% bandwidth advantage in raw numbers, which may contribute to its multi-core benchmark lead. Neither processor supports ECC memory.

The power envelopes are dramatically different. The Intel Pentium Silver J5040 has a TDP of 10 watts, while the AMD Opteron 3350 HE is rated at 45 watts. This 35-watt gap means the Intel part delivers higher benchmark scores while drawing less than a quarter of the power budget in the official specifications. The Intel chip also includes integrated graphics, the UHD Graphics 605, while the AMD part relies on chipset-based graphics on certain motherboards.

The physical specifications reflect their different manufacturing processes. The Intel die is 93 mm², while the AMD die is 315 mm², more than three times larger. The AMD chip packs 1,200 million transistors, a figure not listed for the Intel part. The Intel chip uses the BGA 1090 socket, while the AMD chip uses the AM3+ socket. PCIe support differs as well: the Intel part provides Gen 2 with 6 lanes from the CPU, while the AMD part lists Gen 2 without a lane count.

The release dates show a seven-year gap. The Opteron 3350 HE launched in December 2012 as part of the Opteron 3000 series, targeting the server and workstation segment. The Pentium Silver J5040 launched in November 2019 as a mobile part. Both are now end-of-life products. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $161, while the AMD part has a launch MSRP of $125. Neither has an unlocked multiplier. The part numbers are SRFDB for Intel and OS3350HOW4KHK for AMD.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous. The Intel Pentium Silver J5040 wins all five head-to-head comparisons, with margins between 19.4% and 20% in every test. There is no recorded workload in the database where the AMD Opteron 3350 HE comes out ahead. The Intel part achieves this while carrying a 10-watt TDP against the Opteron's 45-watt TDP, and while running at lower clock speeds on both base and boost.

The Opteron 3350 HE's higher clocks, larger L3 cache, and higher transistor count do not translate into Cinebench victories. The Goldmont Plus architecture in the Intel chip delivers superior performance per clock and per watt in these workloads. The Intel part's DDR4 memory support and higher memory bandwidth also give it a platform-level advantage.

For anyone choosing between these two based on the recorded data, the Intel Pentium Silver J5040 is the stronger performer in every measured metric. The AMD Opteron 3350 HE holds no benchmark wins in this comparison. The only areas where the Opteron shows an advantage are clock speed specifications, cache capacity, and launch price, none of which appear in the benchmark results.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the most benchmarks in this comparison?

A: The Intel Pentium Silver J5040 wins all 5 recorded head-to-head benchmarks. The AMD Opteron 3350 HE has 0 wins.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two chips?

A: The largest gap is in Cinebench R20 single-core, where the Intel part leads by 20%. The other four tests show gaps between 19.4% and 19.5%.

Q: How do the clock speeds compare?

A: The AMD Opteron 3350 HE has a higher base clock (2.80 GHz versus 2.00 GHz) and a higher boost clock (3.80 GHz versus 3.20 GHz), yet it loses every benchmark.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for each processor?

A: The Intel Pentium Silver J5040 is rated at 10 watts TDP, while the AMD Opteron 3350 HE is rated at 45 watts TDP.

Q: Do both processors have the same core and thread counts?

A: Yes, both have 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: Which chip has more cache?

A: The AMD Opteron 3350 HE has 192 KB of L1 cache, 4 MB of L2 cache, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel Pentium Silver J5040 has 56 KB of L1 cache per core and 4 MB of shared L2 cache, with no L3 cache listed.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Pentium Silver J5040 wins in every benchmark category recorded in the database. In multi-core workloads, it leads by 19.5% in Cinebench R15, 19.4% in R20, and 19.4% in R23. In single-core workloads, it leads by 20% in R20 and 19.5% in R23. The consistency of these margins, all clustered around the 19% to 20% range, suggests the Intel architecture's advantage scales evenly across both lightly threaded and fully threaded tasks.

The AMD Opteron 3350 HE does not win any recorded benchmark. Its advantages are purely on paper: higher base and boost clocks, a larger L3 cache, and a lower launch MSRP. In the database's measured performance, however, none of these translate into a single test victory.

For specific use cases, the data supports the Intel part for any Cinebench-style rendering workload, whether single-threaded or multi-threaded. The Intel chip also carries a 10-watt TDP, making it the more power-efficient option by a wide margin. The AMD part's 45-watt TDP and older 32 nm process place it at a disadvantage in any power-sensitive scenario.

The Intel Pentium Silver J5040 also benefits from newer platform features: DDR4 memory support with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth versus DDR3 at 29.9 GB/s, and integrated UHD Graphics 605 versus chipset-dependent graphics on the AMD side. The Intel part's die size of 93 mm² versus the AMD's 315 mm² reflects the efficiency of the 14 nm process.

The Opteron's server and workstation heritage shows in its socket type, AM3+, and its Opteron 3000 series branding, but the recorded benchmarks place it alongside Intel Core 2 Extreme processors from an earlier era. The Pentium Silver J5040, meanwhile, sits alongside the AMD A10-7700K and Intel Xeon E5530 in aggregate score, a more modern performance neighborhood. Based strictly on the data, the Intel Pentium Silver J5040 is the recommended choice for every benchmark scenario covered in this comparison.