AMD Opteron 4284 vs Intel Core i5-4690T Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a remarkably consistent picture across all six Cinebench tests: the AMD Opteron 4284 wins every single head-to-head matchup, though by very narrow margins. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Opteron scores 399 against 393 for the Intel Core i5-4690T, a 1.5% advantage. The single-core R15 test shows a similar pattern, with the Opteron at 56 and the i5 at 55, a 1.8% edge. These are not the kind of dominant margins that define a clear performance tier; they are statistical hair-splits that place both processors in the same competitive bracket.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the Opteron repeats its multicore win with 1665 points versus 1640, again a 1.5% gap. The single-core R20 result gives the AMD part 234 points against 231, a 1.3% lead. The final pair of tests, Cinebench R23, follows the established trend: the Opteron scores 3965 in multicore against 3905 for the Intel chip, and 559 in single-core against 551. The delta in both R23 tests is 1.5%. Across the entire suite, the Opteron records 6 wins and the i5-4690T records 0 wins. The largest single margin anywhere is the 1.8% in R15 single-core, which is still a modest difference. No test shows either processor pulling away by a meaningful double-digit percentage.

The average benchmark score calculation reinforces this closeness. The Opteron 4284 holds an average score of 1146, while the i5-4690T sits at 1129. The 17-point gap represents a roughly 1.5% overall difference, consistent with the individual test deltas. Both processors land at the 32nd percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning they occupy the same performance tier relative to the broader market. The nearest rivals for the Opteron include the Intel Core i7-2600S at an identical 1146 average score (0% delta), the Intel Core i7-3612QE at 1147 (-0.1%), and the AMD Opteron 4332 HE at 1144 (0.2%). For the i5-4690T, the closest competitors are the Intel Core i7-3612QM at 1129 (0%), the Intel Core i7-2720QM at 1128 (0.1%), and the Intel Core i3-4370 at 1130 (-0.1%). These rival clusters show that both chips sit in a dense field where a single benchmark run could reorder the rankings.

Where Each One Wins

The Opteron 4284 wins in every recorded benchmark, so the use-case split is straightforward: any workload captured by the Cinebench suite favors the AMD part. The multicore tests show a consistent 1.5% advantage, which means threaded rendering tasks, such as 3D scene generation in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, lean toward the Opteron. The single-core tests also favor the Opteron, with margins ranging from 1.3% to 1.8%, so even lightly threaded tasks like viewport interaction or single-threaded rendering passes give the AMD chip a slight edge. The data does not reveal a single test where the i5-4690T comes out ahead, so there is no benchmark-driven scenario in this dataset that favors the Intel processor.

That said, the margins are narrow enough that the practical distinction is minimal. A 1.5% difference in multicore R23, for instance, translates to roughly 60 points out of nearly 4000, a gap that could be influenced by thermal state, memory configuration, or run-to-run variance. The Opteron's wins are consistent, but they are not commanding. In a database context, the Opteron 4284 is the better-performing part across the measured suite, yet the i5-4690T is close enough that it remains competitive in the same workload categories. For server and workstation environments where the Opteron is positioned, those small multicore advantages might accumulate over long render times, but the data does not support a claim of categorical superiority.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Opteron 4284 uses the Bulldozer architecture, specifically the Valencia codename, built on a 32 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It features 8 cores and 8 threads, with a 1,200 million transistor count on a 315 mm² die. The Intel Core i5-4690T uses the Haswell architecture, built on a 22 nm process at Intel, with 4 cores and 4 threads, 1,400 million transistors, and a much smaller 177 mm² die. The transistor density difference is stark: Intel packs more transistors into roughly half the die area, which reflects the newer process node.

Cache hierarchies also diverge significantly. The Opteron offers 384 KB of L1 cache, 8 MB of L2 cache, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The i5-4690T lists L1 cache as 64 KB per core, L2 as 256 KB per core, and 6 MB of shared L3. With four cores, the i5's per-core L1 totals 256 KB and its L2 totals 1 MB, which is substantially less aggregate cache than the Opteron's 8 MB L2. However, the i5's cache is organized per core, which can reduce contention in lightly threaded workloads, while the Opteron's larger shared pools may benefit heavily threaded scenarios. The L3 difference is modest: 8 MB shared on the AMD side versus 6 MB shared on the Intel side.

The memory interfaces are identical in bandwidth: both support DDR3 on a dual-channel bus with 25.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The Opteron supports ECC memory, while the i5-4690T does not. PCIe support differs as well, with the Opteron on Gen 2 and the i5 on Gen 3 with 16 lanes available on the CPU. The i5 includes integrated graphics in the form of Intel HD 4600, while the Opteron has no integrated graphics, which is expected for a server/workstation part. The Opteron also uses the AMD Socket C32, while the i5 uses Intel Socket 1150, meaning they are not platform-compatible in any way.

The release timeline shows the Opteron launching in late 2011, while the i5-4690T arrived in mid-2014. The Opteron is marked as end-of-life production status, while the i5 has no recorded production status in the database. The market segments differ: the Opteron targets server and workstation deployments, while the i5 is a desktop part. These architectural choices explain the performance parity despite the core count difference: the Opteron's 8 Bulldozer cores do not translate into a doubling of throughput versus 4 Haswell cores, primarily because Bulldozer's module-based design shares resources between pairs of cores, while Haswell delivers higher instructions per clock on each individual core.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts differ: the Opteron offers 8 cores and 8 threads, while the i5-4690T offers 4 cores and 4 threads. Base clocks are 3.00 GHz for the Opteron and 2.50 GHz for the i5, with boost clocks of 3.70 GHz and 3.50 GHz respectively. Thermal design power shows a major gap: the Opteron is rated at 95 W, while the i5-4690T is rated at 45 W, a 50 W difference that reflects the i5's smaller process node and lower clock targets. The process node is 32 nm for AMD and 22 nm for Intel. Transistor counts are 1,200 million for the Opteron and 1,400 million for the i5. Die sizes are 315 mm² for the AMD part and 177 mm² for the Intel part.

Cache configurations differ as described above: 384 KB L1, 8 MB L2, and 8 MB shared L3 for the Opteron versus 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB shared L3 for the i5. ECC memory support is present on the Opteron but absent on the i5. PCIe generation differs, with Gen 2 on the AMD side and Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes on the Intel side. The i5 includes integrated graphics (Intel HD 4600), while the Opteron has none. The Opteron has a recorded launch MSRP of $316, while the i5-4690T has no launch MSRP in the database. The Opteron uses part number OS4284WLU8KGU, and the i5 uses SR1QT. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier. Both support DDR3 memory on a dual-channel bus with 25.6 GB/s bandwidth, so that specification is identical and not a differentiator.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in multicore performance?

A: The AMD Opteron 4284 wins all three multicore tests: Cinebench R15 (399 vs 393), R20 (1665 vs 1640), and R23 (3965 vs 3905), each by 1.5%.

Q: How do the single-core scores compare?

A: The Opteron also wins every single-core test, with margins of 1.8% in R15 (56 vs 55), 1.3% in R20 (234 vs 231), and 1.5% in R23 (559 vs 551).

Q: What is the difference in average benchmark score?

A: The Opteron 4284 has an average benchmark score of 1146, while the Intel Core i5-4690T scores 1129, a gap of 17 points.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The AMD Opteron 4284 supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core i5-4690T does not.

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

A: The Opteron 4284 has 8 cores and 8 threads, while the i5-4690T has 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core i5-4690T includes Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics, while the AMD Opteron 4284 has no integrated graphics.

Q: How do the power ratings compare?

A: The Opteron 4284 is rated at 95 W TDP, while the i5-4690T is rated at 45 W TDP.