AMD Opteron 4284 vs Intel Core i3-1115GRE Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data presents a remarkably consistent picture across all six Cinebench comparisons: the AMD Opteron 4284 wins every single benchmark, although by narrow margins. The largest advantage appears in the R15 and R20 multicore tests, where the Opteron leads by 1.8% and 1.7%, respectively. In the R15 multicore run, the Opteron scores 399 against the Core i3-1115GRE's 392, a seven-point gap that translates to that 1.8% delta. The R20 multicore test shows a similar pattern: 1665 versus 1637, again a 1.7% edge for the AMD part.

Single-core results are just as tight. The Opteron 4284 posts 56 in R15 single-core versus 55 for the Intel chip, also a 1.8% win. In R20 single-core, the margin narrows to 1.3%, with scores of 234 and 231. The R23 suite repeats the trend: multicore 3965 versus 3899 (1.7% to AMD), and single-core 559 versus 550 (1.6% to AMD). Across the entire head-to-head set, the Opteron claims six wins and the Core i3 records zero.

These deltas are small enough that in real-world use they would be difficult to notice. The data does not show any workload category where the Intel processor turns the tables. The consistency of the AMD lead, however small, is the more notable fact: the older, higher-power server chip edges out the modern mobile part in every recorded render test.

Looking at the broader database context, both processors sit at the 32nd percentile among all CPUs, meaning they occupy essentially the same performance tier despite their very different origins. The Opteron's average benchmark score is 1146, while the Core i3-1115GRE averages 1127, a difference of roughly 1.7% that mirrors the head-to-head deltas. The Opteron's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-2600S at an identical 1146 average score, the AMD Opteron 4332 HE at 1144, and the Intel Core i5-4430 at 1149. The Core i3's closest competitors are the Intel Core i5-3330S at 1128, the Core i7-2720QM at 1128, and the Core i7-3612QM at 1129. In both cases, the surrounding CPUs are older desktop and mobile parts, which underscores how close these two chips are in raw render performance.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmarks in the head-to-head comparison?

A: The AMD Opteron 4284 wins all six recorded Cinebench tests. It takes R15 multicore (399 versus 392), R15 single-core (56 versus 55), R20 multicore (1665 versus 1637), R20 single-core (234 versus 231), R23 multicore (3965 versus 3899), and R23 single-core (559 versus 550). The Intel Core i3-1115GRE does not win any of the six.

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

A: The largest delta in any test is 1.8%, seen in R15 multicore and R15 single-core. The smallest is 1.3% in R20 single-core. The R20 and R23 multicore tests both show 1.7% gaps, and R23 single-core shows 1.6%. These are all narrow margins.

Q: Do the two processors have similar overall standing in the database?

A: Yes. Both sit at the 32nd percentile among all CPUs. The Opteron 4284 has an average benchmark score of 1146, and the Core i3-1115GRE averages 1127.

Q: What are the closest rival processors to each chip?

A: For the Opteron 4284, the nearest rivals by average score are the Intel Core i7-2600S (1146, 0% delta), the Intel Core i7-3612QE (1147, -0.1%), the AMD Opteron 4332 HE (1144, 0.2%), and the Intel Core i5-4430 (1149, -0.3%). For the Core i3-1115GRE, the nearest rivals are the Intel Core i5-3330S (1128, -0.1%), the Intel Core i7-2720QM (1128, -0.1%), the Intel Core i7-3612QM (1129, -0.2%), and the Intel Core i5-4690T (1129, -0.2%).

Q: Does the Intel chip have any benchmark advantage at all?

A: No. In the recorded head-to-head data, the Core i3-1115GRE posts zero wins. Its scores are consistently a few points lower in every Cinebench test, and its average benchmark score is 19 points below the Opteron's.

Q: What do the Cinebench scores suggest about the chips' suitability for rendering workloads?

A: The data shows that the Opteron 4284 is slightly faster in every Cinebench render test, including both single-core and multicore workloads. The margins are small, so the practical difference in render times would be minimal, but the AMD part holds a measurable edge across all recorded versions of the benchmark.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Opteron 4284 wins in every recorded benchmark category. Its largest advantages come in the R15 tests, where it leads by 1.8% in both single-core and multicore. The R20 and R23 multicore tests show a 1.7% lead, R23 single-core shows 1.6%, and R20 single-core shows 1.3%. This means the Opteron is the pick for anyone prioritizing Cinebench render performance, whether the workload is single-threaded or multi-threaded.

The Intel Core i3-1115GRE does not hold a win in any of the six head-to-head tests. However, the context matters. The Core i3 is a 15 watt mobile processor with integrated graphics, while the Opteron is a 95 watt server part with no integrated graphics. The data does not show the Intel chip winning any render test, but the margin is thin enough that the Core i3's other attributes, such as its mobile form factor and integrated UHD Graphics G4 48EU, may be more relevant for certain use cases.

For pure compute performance as measured by Cinebench, the Opteron 4284 is the clear, if narrow, winner. Its six wins and zero losses in the head-to-head table make that unambiguous. The practical takeaway is that the two chips are nearly equivalent in render throughput, with the Opteron holding a slight edge that appears consistently across every test version.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ substantially in core configuration. The AMD Opteron 4284 has 8 cores and 8 threads, while the Intel Core i3-1115GRE has 2 cores and 4 threads. Clock speeds also differ: the Opteron runs at a 3.00 GHz base clock and a 3.70 GHz boost clock, whereas the Core i3 has a 2.20 GHz base clock and a 3.90 GHz boost clock. The Intel chip boosts higher, but the AMD chip starts from a much higher base.

Power consumption is a major differentiator. The Opteron 4284 carries a 95 watt TDP, while the Core i3-1115GRE is rated at just 15 watts. That is a six-fold difference in thermal design power. Socket compatibility also splits them completely: the Opteron uses AMD Socket C32, and the Core i3 uses Intel BGA 1449, meaning they are not interchangeable in any system.

Memory support differs as well. The Opteron uses DDR3 over a dual-channel bus with 25.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The Core i3 supports DDR4 and LPDDR4X over a dual-channel bus, though the database does not record a bandwidth figure for it. Both support ECC memory, which is notable for a mobile chip. PCIe generations differ: the Opteron has Gen 2, while the Core i3 has Gen 4 with 4 lanes from the CPU.

Integrated graphics is another clear split. The Opteron 4284 has no integrated graphics, while the Core i3-1115GRE includes UHD Graphics G4 48EU. The Opteron is a server and workstation part, while the Core i3 is a mobile processor. The Opteron is end-of-life, and the Core i3 remains active in production.

Architecture Differences

The Opteron 4284 is built on AMD's Bulldozer architecture, codenamed Valencia, and belongs to the Opteron 4000 series. It uses a 32 nm process from GlobalFoundries, with 1,200 million transistors on a 315 mm² die. The Core i3-1115GRE is built on Intel's Tiger Lake architecture, codenamed Tiger Lake-U, and uses a 10 nm process from Intel with a 144 mm² die. The transistor count for the Intel chip is not recorded in the database.

Cache configurations differ significantly. The Opteron has 384 KB of L1 cache, 8 MB of L2 cache, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The Core i3 has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The Opteron's larger total cache reflects its eight-core design, while the Intel chip's per-core figures reflect its smaller core count.

The generation gap is also notable. The Opteron is from the Opteron (Valencia) generation and was released in 2011. The Core i3 belongs to the Core i3 (Willow Cove-U) generation and was released in 2020. The manufacturing process has shrunk from 32 nm to 10 nm, the die size has dropped from 315 mm² to 144 mm², and the power envelope has fallen from 95 watts to 15 watts. Despite these architectural advances, the Intel chip does not outperform the older AMD part in the recorded Cinebench tests.

The Core i3's integrated UHD Graphics G4 48EU is a feature the Opteron simply does not have, which matters for systems that need display output without a discrete GPU. The Opteron's Bulldozer design, by contrast, is a pure compute processor aimed at server workloads. The architecture differences are substantial, but the benchmark results show that they do not translate into a performance advantage for the newer part in these specific tests.

The Verdict

The data points to a simple conclusion: the AMD Opteron 4284 is the faster processor in every recorded Cinebench test. It wins all six head-to-head benchmarks, with deltas ranging from 1.3% to 1.8%. Its average benchmark score of 1146 is higher than the Core i3-1115GRE's 1127, and both chips sit at the same 32nd percentile overall. If the selection criterion is raw render performance, the Opteron is the choice.

That said, the Core i3-1115GRE has its own reasons for selection. It draws only 15 watts against the Opteron's 95 watts, includes integrated UHD Graphics G4 48EU, supports DDR4 and LPDDR4X memory, and uses a Gen 4 PCIe interface. It is an active, mobile-class processor with a smaller die and a newer 10 nm process. The Opteron is an end-of-life server part with no integrated graphics, DDR3 support, and Gen 2 PCIe.

The practical verdict depends on the use case. For a server or workstation where render speed matters most and power and graphics are secondary concerns, the Opteron 4284 offers a slight but consistent edge. For a mobile or low-power system that needs integrated graphics and modern memory support, the Core i3-1115GRE is the only sensible option, and its performance deficit is small enough to be acceptable. Neither chip dominates the other in a way that would make the choice obvious without considering the system context. The benchmark data shows near-parity, with the Opteron holding a narrow but complete advantage in Cinebench scores.