AMD Opteron 4334 vs Intel Core i5-4440 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data paints a one-sided picture. The Intel Core i5-4440 wins every recorded head-to-head test, taking all five comparisons in the Cinebench suite. The AMD Opteron 4334 does not register a single win in any of the five recorded workloads. This is not a case of split victories or workload-dependent tradeoffs; the Intel part is consistently ahead across both single-core and multi-core rendering tasks.

For single-threaded performance, the i5-4440 holds a clear edge. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 575 against the Opteron's 473, a 21.6% advantage. The R20 single-core test shows a similar pattern, with the Intel part at 241 versus 198, a 21.7% delta. These numbers indicate that the Haswell core architecture delivers substantially stronger per-thread throughput than AMD's Piledriver design, which matters for lightly threaded applications such as legacy productivity software, spreadsheet recalculation, and many older games that rely on one or two dominant threads.

Multi-core workloads also favor Intel, though the margin is comparable rather than larger. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i5-4440 scores 4077 against 3356 for the Opteron, a 21.5% lead. The R20 multi-core test shows 1712 versus 1409, a 21.5% delta. The R15 multi-core test records 410 versus 338, a 21.3% gap. Interestingly, the i5-4440 achieves this with only 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Opteron 4334 has 6 cores and 6 threads. The Intel part overcomes the two-core deficit through superior per-core efficiency, a result of its 22 nm process and Haswell architecture versus the Opteron's 32 nm Piledriver design.

The Opteron's best case does not appear in the recorded data. Its higher boost clock of 3.50 GHz compared to the i5-4440's 3.30 GHz does not translate into any benchmark victory. The additional two cores and larger shared L3 cache (8 MB versus 6 MB) also fail to produce a win in any multi-core test. The recorded data suggests that the Opteron's core count advantage is neutralized by the i5-4440's architectural efficiency.

When placed in the broader database context, both CPUs sit at the 33rd percentile of all recorded processors. Their average benchmark scores are close: 1179 for the i5-4440 and 1155 for the Opteron 4334. The nearest rivals for the Intel part include the Core i5-3550 at 1178 (0.1% delta), the Core i3-7320 at 1173 (0.5%), and the Core i5-2400 at 1187 (-0.7%). The Opteron's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen Embedded R2312 at 1156 (-0.1%), the Intel Core i3-8145UE at 1154 (0.1%), and the Intel Core i5-4430 at 1149 (0.5%). These proximity values reinforce that the two CPUs occupy a similar performance tier in aggregate, even though the direct head-to-head results show consistent Intel wins.

The use-case split is therefore straightforward. The i5-4440 is the choice for any workload that appears in the recorded benchmarks, whether single-threaded or multi-threaded. The Opteron 4334's only potential advantage lies outside these tests, in areas not captured by the Cinebench suite, such as server-specific features or platform characteristics that the data does not measure.

The Verdict

The data directs a clear recommendation. For anyone choosing between these two processors based on the recorded benchmarks, the Intel Core i5-4440 is the superior option. It wins all five head-to-head tests with deltas ranging from 21.3% to 21.7%. The consistency of these margins across different Cinebench versions and workload types indicates a fundamental per-core performance advantage rather than a test-specific artifact.

The i5-4440 is the appropriate pick for desktop users running rendering workloads, CPU-bound applications, or any software that benefits from strong single-thread performance. Its 4 cores and 4 threads are sufficient to outperform the Opteron's 6 cores and 6 threads in every recorded multi-core test, which suggests that the Intel architecture extracts more useful work per clock from each core.

The AMD Opteron 4334 targets the server and workstation segment, and its recorded data reflects a different design philosophy. It offers more physical cores and a larger shared L3 cache, but the benchmarks show that these resources do not overcome the i5-4440's architectural lead. The Opteron's 95 W TDP is higher than the i5-4440's 84 W TDP, and it lacks integrated graphics, which the Intel part includes in the form of Intel HD 4600.

The aggregate scores place both processors at the same 33rd percentile, and their average scores are within 2% of each other (1179 versus 1155). This parity in the overall database ranking, combined with the consistent head-to-head losses, suggests that the Opteron's benchmark profile is dragged down by its single-core results while its multi-core results, though losing, keep its average competitive.

The verdict is conditional on workload. For a desktop user, the i5-4440 is the clear pick. For a server or workstation buyer, the Opteron 4334 may still be relevant for platform reasons, socket compatibility, or specific server features, but the recorded benchmark data does not show any performance justification for choosing it over the i5-4440.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest recorded win for the Intel Core i5-4440 comes in Cinebench R20 single-core, where it scores 241 against the Opteron's 198, a 21.7% delta. This is the biggest margin in the dataset, and it underscores the gap in per-thread performance between Haswell and Piledriver. The R23 single-core test follows closely at 21.6%, with scores of 575 and 473.

The multi-core results are nearly identical in margin. Cinebench R20 multi-core shows the i5-4440 at 1712 and the Opteron at 1409, a 21.5% difference. Cinebench R23 multi-core records 4077 versus 3356, also a 21.5% delta. The earliest test, Cinebench R15 multi-core, shows 410 versus 338, a 21.3% gap, the smallest margin in the set but still a decisive Intel win.

What stands out is the uniformity of the margins. Across five tests spanning three Cinebench versions, the delta stays between 21.3% and 21.7%. This narrow band suggests a consistent performance ratio that is independent of workload type or test version. The Intel part's advantage does not grow with multi-threading, nor does it shrink; it remains steady at roughly one-fifth faster than the Opteron in every recorded test.

The nearest rival data provides additional context. The i5-4440's closest competitor in the database is the Intel Core i5-3550, with an average score of 1178 and a delta of 0.1%. The Opteron 4334's closest rival is the AMD Ryzen Embedded R2312 at 1156 with a -0.1% delta. Notably, the Intel Core i5-4430 appears as a rival to the Opteron with an average score of 1149 and a 0.5% delta, meaning the i5-4430, a slightly lower-clocked sibling of the i5-4440, is nearly tied with the Opteron in aggregate score. The i5-4440 itself is not listed as a nearest rival to the Opteron, but the head-to-head data shows a clear 21% plus gap between them.

The recorded data also shows that the Opteron 4334's single-core results are its weakest point. Its R23 single-core score of 473 is far below the i5-4440's 575, and its R20 single-core score of 198 trails the Intel part's 241. These single-core deficits are proportionally identical to its multi-core deficits, which means the Opteron does not compensate for weak per-core performance with additional cores in the recorded tests.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher single-core score in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i5-4440 scores 575 in Cinebench R23 single-core, while the AMD Opteron 4334 scores 473. The Intel part leads by 21.6%.

Q: How many cores and threads does each processor have?

A: The Intel Core i5-4440 has 4 cores and 4 threads. The AMD Opteron 4334 has 6 cores and 6 threads.

Q: Does the Opteron 4334 win any head-to-head benchmark?

A: No. The Opteron 4334 loses all five recorded head-to-head tests, with the Intel Core i5-4440 winning every comparison.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i5-4440 has an average benchmark score of 1179. The AMD Opteron 4334 has an average benchmark score of 1155.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core i5-4440 includes Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics. The AMD Opteron 4334 has no integrated graphics listed.

Q: What are the TDP values for these two processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-4440 has a TDP of 84 W. The AMD Opteron 4334 has a TDP of 95 W.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural lineages and target different market segments. The Intel Core i5-4440 is a desktop part built on the Haswell architecture, codenamed Haswell, using a 22 nm process at Intel's foundry. It contains 1,400 million transistors on a die size of 177 mm². The AMD Opteron 4334 is a server and workstation part from the Opteron 4000 series, built on the Piledriver architecture with the codename Seoul, using a 32 nm process. It contains 1,200 million transistors on a larger die size of 315 mm².

The cache layouts differ significantly. The i5-4440 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, with 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The Opteron 4334 lists 288 KB of L1 cache total and 6 MB of L2 cache total, with 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The Opteron's larger shared L3 cache does not translate into a benchmark advantage in the recorded data.

Both processors support DDR3 memory, and both have ECC memory support listed as false. The i5-4440 uses a dual-channel memory bus and PCIe Gen 3, while the Opteron's memory bus and PCIe support are not listed in the database. The Intel part uses the Intel Socket 1150, while the AMD part uses the AMD Socket C32.

Clock speeds are similar on paper. The i5-4440 has a base clock of 3.10 GHz and a boost clock of 3.30 GHz. The Opteron 4334 has the same base clock of 3.10 GHz but a higher boost clock of 3.50 GHz. Despite the higher boost clock, the Opteron loses every recorded benchmark.

Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier. The i5-4440 includes Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics, while the Opteron has no integrated graphics. The release dates differ by about nine months: the Opteron 4334 was released on December 3, 2012, and the i5-4440 on August 31, 2013.

The architectural differences explain the benchmark results. The i5-4440's 22 nm Haswell design delivers higher instructions per clock than the 32 nm Piledriver design, and this efficiency advantage offsets the Opteron's two extra cores. The Opteron's larger die size and transistor count are lower in absolute terms, and its power envelope is higher at 95 W versus 84 W. The data shows that the newer, smaller, more efficient Intel design wins consistently across all recorded workloads.