AMD Opteron 4274 HE vs Intel Core i5-4460 Comparison

The AMD Opteron 4274 HE and Intel Core i5-4460 are both end-of-life processors that land at the 37th percentile among all CPUs, yet they achieve that identical standing through fundamentally different designs. The Opteron is a server-class, 8-core Bulldozer part built for AMD Socket C32, while the i5-4460 is a desktop Haswell chip with 4 cores on Intel Socket 1150. Across every benchmark in the dataset, the Opteron wins outright, but the margins and the architectural reasons behind them reveal a more nuanced story than a simple sweep.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Opteron 4274 HE is the clear winner in every single benchmark recorded in the head-to-head comparison, taking all six tests with a consistent performance edge. Its victories span both multi-core and single-core workloads, which is notable for a server chip that is often expected to prioritize parallel throughput over single-thread responsiveness. In multi-core tests like Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, the Opteron scores 494, 2061, and 4909 respectively, versus the i5-4460’s 421, 1758, and 4188. The consistent margin of roughly 17% across all three multi-core tests suggests the Opteron’s 8 physical cores provide a durable advantage in heavily threaded rendering workloads.

What is more surprising is that the Opteron also wins the single-core tests, which are typically the domain of higher-clocked desktop parts. It posts 69 in Cinebench R15 single-core, 291 in R20 single-core, and 693 in R23 single-core, while the i5-4460 trails with 59, 248, and 591 respectively. This reverses the usual expectation that a lower-core-count, higher-base-clock desktop chip would dominate single-threaded performance. The i5-4460 does have a higher base clock of 3.20 GHz compared to the Opteron’s 2.50 GHz, but the data shows the Opteron’s architecture still delivers superior single-core scores in this comparison.

The Intel Core i5-4460’s only recorded advantage appears in the Geekbench tests, which are not part of the head-to-head data but are present in its own benchmark list. There, it scores 3035 multi-core and 1018 single-core, but since the Opteron has no Geekbench entries, there is no direct comparison available. From the data that does exist, the Opteron wins all six shared benchmarks, making it the default choice for any workload represented in the Cinebench suite.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The AMD Opteron 4274 HE has 8 cores and 8 threads, while the Intel Core i5-4460 has 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: How much faster is the Opteron in multi-core Cinebench R23?

A: The Opteron scores 4909 versus the i5-4460’s 4188, a delta of 17.2% in favor of the AMD part.

Q: Does the i5-4460 win any single-core benchmark?

A: No. The Opteron wins all three single-core Cinebench tests, with deltas of 16.9%, 17.3%, and 17.3% in R15, R20, and R23 respectively.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The Opteron has a TDP of 65 watts, while the i5-4460 has a higher TDP of 84 watts.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Only the Opteron supports ECC memory; the i5-4460 does not.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each?

A: The Opteron has an average benchmark score of 1420, and the i5-4460 has an average of 1415, making them statistically near-identical in overall performance.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data is remarkably consistent, with the AMD Opteron 4274 HE winning every test by a margin that hovers just above 17%. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Opteron scores 494 against the i5-4460’s 421, a 17.3% advantage. The single-core R15 test shows a nearly identical gap: 69 versus 59, also 16.9% in favor of AMD. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multi-core test yields 2061 for the Opteron and 1758 for Intel, a 17.2% difference, while the single-core test produces 291 versus 248, a 17.3% margin.

The pattern holds in Cinebench R23, where the multi-core score is 4909 for AMD and 4188 for Intel (17.2%), and the single-core score is 693 versus 591 (17.3%). This uniformity across different versions of the same benchmark suite is striking — it suggests that the performance gap is not workload-specific but rather a fundamental architectural difference that scales consistently. The Opteron does not just win; it wins by the same relative amount regardless of whether the test stresses one core or all cores. This is unusual, as most processors show different scaling patterns between single-threaded and multi-threaded tasks.

The i5-4460 does have Geekbench scores in its own benchmark list — 3035 multi-core and 1018 single-core — but the Opteron has no corresponding Geekbench entries in the dataset. Without that data, no head-to-head comparison can be made for that suite. What the numbers do show is that in the Cinebench suite, the Opteron is consistently 17% faster across the board, which is a decisive and reproducible result.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every core specification. The Opteron has 8 cores and 8 threads, while the i5-4460 has 4 cores and 4 threads. The base clocks are also different: the Opteron runs at 2.50 GHz with a boost of 3.50 GHz, whereas the i5-4460 has a higher base of 3.20 GHz but a lower boost of 3.40 GHz. TDP is another differentiator, with the Opteron rated at 65 watts and the i5-4460 at 84 watts, meaning the AMD chip draws less power despite having twice the core count.

The sockets are incompatible: the Opteron uses AMD Socket C32, while the i5-4460 uses Intel Socket 1150. The memory support is similar in that both use DDR3 and dual-channel buses with identical 25.6 GB/s bandwidth, but the Opteron supports ECC memory while the i5-4460 does not. PCIe support also differs, with the Opteron offering Gen 2 and the i5-4460 offering Gen 3 with 16 lanes on the CPU. The i5-4460 includes integrated Intel HD 4600 graphics, while the Opteron has no integrated graphics. The market segments are distinct — the Opteron is a Server/Workstation part, while the i5-4460 is Desktop.

The launch MSRP also differs significantly: the Opteron launched at $377, while the i5-4460 launched at $187. Physical specifications show the Opteron has a die size of 315 mm² with 1,200 million transistors, whereas the i5-4460 has a smaller 177 mm² die but more transistors at 1,400 million.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two is fundamental. The Opteron is built on AMD’s Bulldozer architecture, codenamed Valencia, part of the Opteron 4000 series, and fabricated on a 32 nm process by GlobalFoundries. The i5-4460 uses Intel’s Haswell architecture, also codenamed Haswell, and is manufactured on a 22 nm process by Intel. The process node difference is significant — 32 nm versus 22 nm — which partially explains why the Intel chip packs more transistors (1,400 million) into a smaller die (177 mm²) than the AMD part (1,200 million transistors on 315 mm²).

Cache layouts are also notably different. The Opteron has 384 KB of L1 cache, 8 MB of L2, and 8 MB of shared L3. The i5-4460 lists its cache per core: 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3. When adjusted for core count, the Opteron’s total L2 of 8 MB across 8 cores works out to 1 MB per core, which is four times the i5-4460’s 256 KB per core. This larger per-core L2 cache may contribute to the Opteron’s surprising single-core wins.

The market positioning is different as well — the Opteron targets server and workstation workloads with ECC memory support and a lower 65-watt TDP, while the i5-4460 is a mainstream desktop chip with integrated graphics and no ECC. The Opteron’s release date of November 2011 predates the i5-4460’s May 2014 launch by roughly two and a half years, yet the older AMD part still outperforms the newer Intel chip in this benchmark set.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear performance winner: the AMD Opteron 4274 HE wins all six head-to-head benchmarks, with consistent 17% margins in both single-core and multi-core Cinebench tests. For any workload represented in the Cinebench suite, the Opteron is the faster processor. Its 8 cores and 8 threads provide a solid multi-threaded foundation, and its single-core scores are unexpectedly strong despite a lower base clock than the i5-4460. The Opteron also offers ECC memory support and a lower 65-watt TDP, making it the more power-efficient choice per the data.

However, the i5-4460 is not without its own merits. It has a smaller die, more transistors, a newer 22 nm process, and integrated graphics, which the Opteron lacks. It also has a higher base clock and supports PCIe Gen 3. For users who need integrated graphics or prefer the Haswell platform’s feature set, the i5-4460 holds appeal. The Geekbench scores listed for the i5-4460 suggest it performs well in that suite, though no Opteron data exists for direct comparison.

The choice depends on priorities. For raw compute performance in Cinebench-style rendering workloads, the Opteron is the definitive pick — it wins every shared test by a substantial margin. For a desktop system requiring integrated graphics, PCIe Gen 3, and a smaller physical footprint, the i5-4460 is the only viable option between the two. The Opteron’s server heritage shows in its ECC support and socket choice, which are irrelevant for most desktop users but critical for server environments. Ultimately, the Opteron’s 17% performance lead in all tested scenarios makes it the stronger processor, but the i5-4460’s platform features and lower launch MSRP give it a distinct use case.