AMD Opteron 6212 vs Intel Core i5-4440 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-4440 and the AMD Opteron 6212 shows a consistent pattern across every recorded test. The Intel Core i5-4440 wins all five head-to-head comparisons, with the margin of victory remarkably stable at around 20% in each case.

In the Cinebench R15 multi-core test, the Intel Core i5-4440 scores 410 against the AMD Opteron 6212's 340, a delta of 20.6%. This is a substantial lead, especially considering the Opteron has double the core count. The R20 multi-core test tells a similar story: the Intel part scores 1712 versus 1418, a 20.7% advantage. Moving to R23 multi-core, the Intel chip records 4077 while the Opteron manages 3377, again a 20.7% gap. These results indicate that the Intel processor's architectural efficiency more than compensates for its lower core count in multi-threaded workloads.

Single-core performance shows the same trend, and the margins are even slightly larger. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Intel Core i5-4440 achieves 241 points against 199 for the Opteron 6212, a 21.1% difference. The R23 single-core test shows the Intel part at 575 and the Opteron at 476, a 20.8% gap. This consistency across tests and across single-core versus multi-core workloads is notable. It suggests that the Intel Core i5-4440 holds a fundamental performance advantage in Cinebench rendering tasks, regardless of thread count.

The average benchmark score, which aggregates the recorded Cinebench results, reinforces this picture. The Intel Core i5-4440 has an average score of 1179, while the AMD Opteron 6212 sits at 1162. That is a difference of only about 1.5%, which is far smaller than the head-to-head deltas. This apparent contradiction is explained by the nearest rivals data. Both processors sit in the 33rd percentile of all CPUs in the database, and their closest competitors are similar in average score. The Intel Core i5-4440 is within 0.8% of the Intel Core i7-3635QM and within 0.1% of the Intel Core i5-3550. The AMD Opteron 6212 is within 0.5% of the AMD Opteron 6220 and within 0.6% of the Intel Core i5-3570S. In other words, each processor is surrounded by comparable chips in the database, and the head-to-head deltas of roughly 20% are the most direct measure of how they compare to each other.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data gives the Intel Core i5-4440 a clean sweep with 5 wins and the AMD Opteron 6212 zero wins. There is no benchmark in the database where the Opteron comes out ahead. This means that for every workload represented by the Cinebench suite, the Intel processor is the faster choice.

The Intel Core i5-4440 wins in both single-core and multi-core tests. The single-core wins are important for applications that rely on one or a few threads, such as many legacy applications, lightly threaded games, and everyday desktop tasks. The multi-core wins matter for rendering, video encoding, and other heavily threaded workloads. The fact that the Intel chip wins both categories indicates it does not sacrifice one type of performance for the other.

The AMD Opteron 6212, by contrast, does not have a single recorded benchmark victory. Its strengths lie elsewhere in the specification sheet rather than in the Cinebench results. It offers eight cores and eight threads, which is double the Intel part's four cores and four threads. It also supports ECC memory, has a quad-channel memory bus with 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth, and targets the server and workstation segment. These are meaningful attributes for certain use cases, but they do not translate into a win in any of the measured Cinebench tests.

For users focused purely on the recorded benchmark scores, the choice is clear. The Intel Core i5-4440 is the faster processor in every tested scenario. For users who need server-specific features such as ECC memory support, the Opteron's feature set may matter more than its benchmark deficits, but the data shows no workload category where it outperforms the Intel part.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher multi-core score in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i5-4440 scores 4077 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the AMD Opteron 6212 scores 3377. The Intel part leads by 20.7%.

Q: How large is the single-core performance gap in Cinebench R20?

A: The Intel Core i5-4440 achieves 241 points in Cinebench R20 single-core, and the AMD Opteron 6212 achieves 199 points. That is a 21.1% advantage for the Intel processor.

Q: Does the AMD Opteron 6212 win any benchmark in the head-to-head comparison?

A: No. The Intel Core i5-4440 wins all five head-to-head benchmarks, covering both single-core and multi-core tests across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23.

Q: How do the two processors compare in average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-4440 has an average benchmark score of 1179, and the AMD Opteron 6212 has an average score of 1162. Both sit in the 33rd percentile of all CPUs in the database.

Q: What is the closest rival to each processor by average score?

A: The Intel Core i5-4440's closest rival is the Intel Core i5-3550 with an average score of 1178, a delta of 0.1%. The AMD Opteron 6212's closest rival is the AMD Ryzen Embedded R2312 with an average score of 1156, a delta of 0.5%.

Q: Does the AMD Opteron 6212 support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the AMD Opteron 6212 supports ECC memory and has a quad-channel DDR3 memory bus with 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel Core i5-4440 does not support ECC memory and uses a dual-channel DDR3 bus.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every major specification category. The Intel Core i5-4440 has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the AMD Opteron 6212 has 8 cores and 8 threads. Base clocks are 3.10 GHz for the Intel part and 2.60 GHz for the AMD part. Boost clocks are 3.30 GHz and 3.20 GHz respectively, so the Intel chip has the higher clock speed in both modes.

Thermal design power also differs substantially. The Intel Core i5-4440 is rated at 84 watts, while the AMD Opteron 6212 is rated at 115 watts. The sockets are incompatible: the Intel part uses Intel Socket 1150, and the AMD part uses AMD Socket G34. The memory bus differs as well, with the Intel chip using dual-channel DDR3 and the AMD chip using quad-channel DDR3. The AMD part also has a specified memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, while the Intel part has no bandwidth figure in the database.

PCIe support differs by generation. The Intel Core i5-4440 supports PCIe Gen 3, while the AMD Opteron 6212 supports PCIe Gen 2. Integrated graphics are present on the Intel part as Intel HD 4600, while the AMD part has no integrated graphics. The market segments differ: Intel targets Desktop, and AMD targets Server/Workstation. The AMD Opteron 6212 is listed as end-of-life, and its launch MSRP was $266. The Intel Core i5-4440 has no launch MSRP in the database. The part numbers are SR14F for Intel and OS6212WKT8GGU for AMD.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two chips is substantial. The Intel Core i5-4440 is built on the Haswell architecture, codenamed Haswell, and belongs to the Core i5 (Haswell) generation. It uses a 22 nm process node manufactured by Intel. The die contains 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. Its cache hierarchy is 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache.

The AMD Opteron 6212 is built on the Bulldozer architecture, codenamed Interlagos, and belongs to the Opteron (Interlagos) generation. It uses a 32 nm process node manufactured by GlobalFoundries. The die contains 2,400 million transistors spread across a dual-die configuration of 2x 315 mm². Its cache is organized differently: 768 KB of L1, 2 MB of L2 per module, and 8 MB of L3 per die.

The memory support differs as well. Both chips support DDR3 memory, but the Intel part uses a dual-channel bus while the AMD part uses a quad-channel bus. ECC memory is supported only on the AMD part. The Intel Core i5-4440 includes integrated graphics, which the AMD Opteron 6212 lacks entirely. The Intel part supports PCIe Gen 3, while the AMD part supports PCIe Gen 2.

The production status also differs. The AMD Opteron 6212 is marked as end-of-life, while the Intel Core i5-4440 has no production status recorded. The release dates place the AMD part earlier, in November 2011, and the Intel part later, in August 2013.

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents an unambiguous result: the Intel Core i5-4440 is the faster processor in every recorded test. It wins all five head-to-head Cinebench comparisons, with margins between 20.6% and 21.1%. This applies to both single-core and multi-core workloads, meaning there is no tested scenario where the AMD Opteron 6212 takes the lead.

The Intel Core i5-4440 should be the choice for users whose priority is raw Cinebench performance. It delivers higher scores in R15, R20, and R23, across both single-core and multi-core tests, despite having half the core count of the Opteron. Its higher clocks, newer architecture, and smaller process node contribute to this result. For desktop applications, rendering tasks, and any workload measured by the database, the Intel part is clearly superior.

The AMD Opteron 6212 is the choice only for users who need the specific platform features it offers. It supports ECC memory, which the Intel part does not. It has a quad-channel memory bus with 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth. It targets the server and workstation segment, with eight cores and eight threads. For a server environment where ECC memory is mandatory and where the processor's benchmark deficit in Cinebench is not the primary concern, the Opteron may still be relevant. However, the database shows no performance category where it beats the Intel Core i5-4440.

The average benchmark scores are close, 1179 versus 1162, and both processors sit in the 33rd percentile. But the head-to-head results are decisive. The 20% delta in every test is too large to ignore. Anyone selecting between these two based on the recorded data should favor the Intel Core i5-4440, unless the Opteron's server-specific features such as ECC memory and quad-channel bandwidth are essential requirements.