CPU Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents an unusually tight contest between the AMD Opteron 4226 and the Intel Core i7-960. Across five Cinebench workloads, the AMD processor wins every single test, but the margins are remarkably narrow. The largest advantage appears in the Cinebench R20 single-core test, where the Opteron 4226 scores 171 against the Core i7-960's 170, a delta of 0.6%. Every other benchmark shows an even slimmer gap of 0.2% to 0.3%.

In multi-core workloads, the pattern is consistent. The Cinebench R15 multi-core test shows the Opteron 4226 at 291 points versus 290 for the Intel part, a 0.3% lead. The Cinebench R20 multi-core test repeats the near-identical outcome with scores of 1213 and 1211, respectively (0.2% delta). The Cinebench R23 multi-core benchmark follows suit: 2890 for the AMD chip against 2885 for the Intel chip, again a 0.2% margin. These results indicate that despite having six cores to the Intel's four, the Opteron 4226's advantage in heavily threaded workloads is essentially negligible, the Core i7-960's eight threads compensate almost perfectly for its two-core deficit.

Single-core performance tells the same story. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Opteron 4226 posts 171 points versus 170 for the Core i7-960. The Cinebench R23 single-core test yields 408 versus 407. The AMD processor wins by a single point in both cases. The data suggests that the two CPUs deliver virtually identical per-thread performance, with the Opteron 4226 holding a razor-thin edge.

The aggregate benchmark scores reinforce this picture. The Opteron 4226 has an average benchmark score of 995, while the Core i7-960 sits at 993. Both processors occupy the 27th percentile among all CPUs. The nearest rivals for the Opteron 4226 include the Intel Core i7-2635QM and Intel Core i7-2920XM, both with an average score of 995 and a 0% delta. The Intel Core i3-8130U trails at 994 (0.1% delta), and the Intel Xeon W3565 comes in at 993 (0.2% delta). For the Core i7-960, the nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-965 and AMD Phenom II X6 1065T, both at 993 with a 0% delta, followed by the Intel Xeon W3565 at 993 and the Intel Core i3-8130U at 994 with a -0.1% delta. The two processors are effectively interchangeable in raw compute performance, differing by only two points on the aggregate scale.

FAQ

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

A: The AMD Opteron 4226 wins all five head-to-head benchmarks. It takes Cinebench R15 multi-core (291 vs 290), R20 multi-core (1213 vs 1211), R20 single-core (171 vs 170), R23 multi-core (2890 vs 2885), and R23 single-core (408 vs 407). The Intel Core i7-960 does not win a single test.

Q: How large is the performance gap between the two processors?

A: The gap is extremely small. The largest delta is 0.6% in Cinebench R20 single-core, favoring the Opteron 4226. All other deltas are 0.2% or 0.3%. The average benchmark scores are 995 for the AMD chip and 993 for the Intel chip, a difference of two points.

Q: Do the two processors fall into the same performance percentile?

A: Yes. Both the AMD Opteron 4226 and the Intel Core i7-960 sit at the 27th percentile among all CPUs. Their nearest rivals are also closely matched, with the Opteron 4226 facing the Intel Core i7-2635QM and i7-2920XM at 995, and the Core i7-960 facing the Intel Core i7-965 and AMD Phenom II X6 1065T at 993.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The AMD Opteron 4226 has 6 cores and 6 threads. The Intel Core i7-960 has 4 cores and 8 threads. Despite the core-count difference, benchmark scores are nearly identical, indicating that the Intel chip's Hyper-Threading compensates for its fewer physical cores.

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock speed?

A: The Intel Core i7-960 has a base clock of 3.20 GHz, while the AMD Opteron 4226 has a base clock of 2.70 GHz. The Intel chip also boosts higher at 3.47 GHz compared to the AMD chip's 3.10 GHz. Despite these clock advantages, the AMD processor edges out the Intel part in every benchmark.

Q: What is the production status of both processors?

A: Both the AMD Opteron 4226 and the Intel Core i7-960 are end-of-life products. The Opteron 4226 was released on 2011-11-13, and the Core i7-960 was released earlier on 2009-10-19.

The Verdict

The data points to a statistical dead heat between the AMD Opteron 4226 and the Intel Core i7-960. The AMD part wins every benchmark, but the margins are so thin that they fall within normal run-to-run variation. The largest delta is 0.6%, and most deltas are 0.2%. The average benchmark scores differ by only two points (995 vs 993). Both processors sit at the 27th percentile, and their nearest rival lists overlap, with the Intel Xeon W3565 appearing as a rival for both.

For a buyer choosing strictly on performance, the Opteron 4226 is technically the winner, but the practical benefit is imperceptible. The Core i7-960's 4-core/8-thread configuration delivers almost exactly the same multi-core throughput as the Opteron 4226's 6-core/6-thread design. In single-core workloads, the two are also indistinguishable.

The decision comes down to platform-level factors rather than compute performance. The Opteron 4226 supports ECC memory and targets the server/workstation segment, while the Core i7-960 is a desktop part without ECC support. The Intel chip uses triple-channel memory, whereas the AMD chip uses dual-channel. The Opteron 4226 has a much lower TDP at 95W versus 130W for the Core i7-960, which could be a decisive factor in dense server deployments. The Opteron 4226 also has a launch MSRP of $125, while the Core i7-960 has no listed launch MSRP in the data.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification category. The AMD Opteron 4226 uses the AMD Socket C32, while the Intel Core i7-960 uses Intel Socket 1366. The Opteron 4226 has 6 cores and 6 threads; the Core i7-960 has 4 cores and 8 threads. Base clocks differ significantly: 2.70 GHz for the AMD part versus 3.20 GHz for the Intel part. Boost clocks are 3.10 GHz and 3.47 GHz, respectively. The TDP gap is substantial, with the Opteron 4226 rated at 95W and the Core i7-960 at 130W.

Memory support also diverges. Both support DDR3, but the Opteron 4226 uses a dual-channel memory bus with 25.6 GB/s bandwidth, while the Core i7-960 uses a triple-channel bus with no bandwidth figure listed. ECC memory support is present on the AMD chip but absent on the Intel chip. Both use PCIe Gen 2, and neither has integrated graphics. The market segments differ: the Opteron 4226 is a server/workstation part, while the Core i7-960 is a desktop processor. The Opteron 4226 has a launch MSRP of $125; the Core i7-960 has none listed. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two processors is significant. The AMD Opteron 4226 is built on the Bulldozer architecture with the Valencia codename, part of the Opteron 4000 series. It uses a 32 nm process node from GlobalFoundries, packing 1,200 million transistors on a 315 mm² die. The Intel Core i7-960 uses the older Nehalem architecture with the Bloomfield codename, built on Intel's 45 nm process. It has 731 million transistors on a 263 mm² die. The process node difference gives AMD a manufacturing advantage, though the benchmark data shows no corresponding performance benefit.

Cache layouts also differ markedly. The Opteron 4226 has 288 KB of L1 cache, 6 MB of L2 cache, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The Core i7-960 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel chip's per-core L2 allocation means its 4 cores share 1 MB of L2 total, while the AMD chip has 6 MB of L2 across 6 cores. Both have 8 MB of L3, but the total cache organization reflects different design philosophies. The Opteron 4226's larger aggregate L2 cache may help in some workloads, though the Cinebench results do not show a clear advantage.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Opteron 4226 wins every single benchmark in this comparison, but the practical significance is minimal. Its largest win is 0.6% in Cinebench R20 single-core, and its smallest wins are 0.2% in multiple tests. For applications that rely on Cinebench-style rendering workloads, the Opteron 4226 is nominally the better choice, but the difference would be imperceptible in real-world use. The Opteron 4226's ECC memory support and lower TDP make it the more appropriate choice for server environments where data integrity and power efficiency are priorities. Its 6-core configuration also provides headroom in workloads that scale with physical cores rather than threads.

The Intel Core i7-960, despite losing all benchmarks, is not without merit. Its 4-core/8-thread design delivers nearly identical multi-core performance to the 6-core Opteron 4226, which suggests that its thread scheduling and per-core efficiency are superior. The triple-channel memory bus could provide a bandwidth advantage in memory-intensive workloads, although no bandwidth figure is listed in the data. For desktop users who already have an Intel Socket 1366 platform, the Core i7-960 remains a viable option since its performance is within 0.6% of the Opteron 4226 across all tests.

For users choosing between these two specific parts, the data favors the Opteron 4226 in raw benchmark scores, but the margin is so small that platform compatibility, ECC support, and power consumption should drive the decision. The Opteron 4226's 95W TDP versus 130W for the Core i7-960 is the largest tangible difference between the two, making the AMD part more attractive for power-constrained deployments. The Core i7-960, with its higher clocks and triple-channel memory, might appeal to those prioritizing memory bandwidth, though no benchmark in the data captures that advantage.