CPU Comparison

The AMD Opteron 3380 and Intel Processor N95 represent two very different eras of processor design, yet they land in the same performance tier. The data shows they are near-perfect equals in overall average benchmark score, with the Opteron 3380 at 1071 and the N95 at 1070, a delta of just 0.1%. However, the way they achieve that parity could not be more different, with the older AMD server chip winning on raw multi-threaded throughput in newer workloads while the modern Intel mobile part dominates single-thread performance and older benchmark suites.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking divide appears in the Cinebench R15 tests, where the Intel Processor N95 wins decisively. In the R15 multi-core test, the N95 scores 445 against the Opteron’s 373, a 16.2% advantage. The single-core gap is even more dramatic: the N95 posts 151 points versus just 52 for the Opteron 3380, a 65.6% lead. This suggests the Gracemont architecture’s efficiency cores are far more capable per thread than the decade-old K10 design, even when the AMD chip has double the physical cores.

The tables turn completely in the newer Cinebench R23 multi-core test. Here, the AMD Opteron 3380 scores 3704, which is 33.8% higher than the N95’s 2769. This is the Opteron’s only head-to-head win, but it is a significant one. The 8-core, 8-thread configuration appears to scale much better in this workload, leveraging its 8 MB of L2 cache and 8 MB of shared L3 cache to overcome the N95’s per-core efficiency. The N95’s 4 cores and 4 threads are simply outmatched when all cores are saturated in this rendering task.

In the R23 single-core test, the Intel part reasserts its dominance with a score of 914 against the Opteron’s 522, a 42.9% margin. This reinforces the pattern: the N95 is a single-thread specialist, while the Opteron relies on core count. Notably, the two chips share the same 29th percentile ranking among all CPUs, and their average benchmark scores are within 0.1% of each other, confirming that these divergent strengths cancel out in aggregate. The Opteron also has an R20 score of 1555 multi-core and 219 single-core, though no direct N95 comparison exists for that suite.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split decision based on workload type. For users running modern, heavily threaded applications like Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD Opteron 3380 is the stronger choice, delivering a 33.8% performance advantage over the Intel Processor N95. Its 8 cores and 8 threads provide headroom that the N95 cannot match in sustained multi-threaded rendering tasks.

However, for anything that relies on single-thread speed, the Intel Processor N95 is the unequivocal winner. Its leads of 65.6% in R15 single-core and 42.9% in R23 single-core make it the better option for everyday responsiveness, lightly threaded applications, and older software that may not scale across many cores. The N95 also wins the R15 multi-core test by 16.2%, suggesting it handles legacy workloads better despite fewer cores.

The N95’s active production status and mobile segment positioning make it a practical choice for modern low-power systems, while the Opteron 3380 is end-of-life and aimed at server/workstation use. Given the N95’s wins in 3 of the 4 head-to-head benchmarks, it is the more versatile processor for general-purpose use. The Opteron is only preferable when the specific workload is known to be heavily multi-threaded and modern, such as the R23 multi-core test where its 8 cores shine.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Opteron 3380 is built on the K10 architecture with the codename Delhi, part of the Opteron 3000 series. It uses a 32 nm process node and contains 1,200 million transistors on a 315 mm² die. This is a server-class design from 2012, released on 2012-12-03, with a 65 W TDP and support for DDR3 memory over a dual-channel bus. Its integrated graphics are only available as a chipset feature on certain motherboards, not as a native part of the CPU.

The Intel Processor N95, by contrast, uses the Gracemont architecture with the same codename, part of the Intel Processor generation based on Alder Lake-N. It is built on Intel’s 10 nm process and is a mobile-focused design with a 15 W TDP. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory but only through a single-channel bus, and it includes native UHD Graphics 710. The N95 was released on 2023-01-02 and remains in active production.

These are fundamentally different designs: the Opteron is a high-TDP server part with a large physical die, while the N95 is a low-power mobile chip with integrated graphics. The process node advantage of 10 nm versus 32 nm explains much of the N95’s single-thread superiority, as smaller transistors enable higher clock efficiency and lower power consumption. The Opteron’s larger core count and cache hierarchy are its main architectural weapons, but they come at the cost of much higher power draw and a larger physical footprint.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts are the most obvious differentiators: the AMD Opteron 3380 has 8 cores and 8 threads, while the Intel Processor N95 has 4 cores and 4 threads. The Opteron’s base clock is 2.60 GHz with a boost clock of 3.60 GHz, whereas the N95’s base clock is listed at 100.00 GHz (a data artifact) with a boost clock of 3.40 GHz. The Opteron’s TDP is 65 W, over four times the N95’s 15 W.

The memory configurations differ substantially. The Opteron uses DDR3 with a dual-channel bus and 29.9 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the N95 supports DDR4 and DDR5 with a single-channel bus and a higher 38.4 GB/s bandwidth. Both processors lack ECC memory support. The PCIe connectivity also differs: the Opteron uses Gen 2, while the N95 supports Gen 3 with 9 lanes from the CPU.

Cache layouts are different as well. The Opteron has 384 KB of L1 cache, 8 MB of L2, and 8 MB of shared L3. The N95 has 96 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of shared L2, and 6 MB of shared L3. The sockets are incompatible: the Opteron uses AMD Socket AM3+, while the N95 uses Intel BGA 1264. The Opteron’s launch MSRP was $229, but no equivalent price data exists for the N95. The Opteron is end-of-life and aimed at the server/workstation segment, while the N95 is active and mobile-targeted.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The AMD Opteron 3380 has 8 cores and 8 threads, double the Intel Processor N95’s 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: How much faster is the Intel Processor N95 in single-core performance?

A: The N95 leads by 65.6% in Cinebench R15 single-core (151 vs 52) and by 42.9% in Cinebench R23 single-core (914 vs 522).

Q: In which benchmark does the AMD Opteron 3380 win?

A: The Opteron wins the Cinebench R23 multi-core test with a score of 3704, which is 33.8% higher than the N95’s 2769.

Q: Do these processors support ECC memory?

A: No, both the AMD Opteron 3380 and the Intel Processor N95 have ECC memory support listed as false in the data.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The AMD Opteron 3380 has a 65 W TDP, while the Intel Processor N95 has a 15 W TDP, a difference of 50 W.

Q: Are the overall benchmark scores similar?

A: Yes, the average benchmark scores are nearly identical: the Opteron scores 1071 and the N95 scores 1070, a delta of just 0.1%, and both rank in the 29th percentile of all CPUs.