AMD Opteron 6234 vs Intel Xeon D-1520 Comparison

The Verdict

The Intel Xeon D-1520 is the clear winner in this comparison. It wins all five head-to-head benchmark comparisons against the AMD Opteron 6234, with margins ranging from 20.7% to 21.1% across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 tests. The data shows a consistent performance advantage for Intel in both single-core and multi-core workloads.

The Xeon D-1520 also holds a higher average benchmark score of 1209 versus 1191 for the Opteron 6234. It achieves this despite having only 4 cores and 8 threads, compared to the Opteron's 12 cores and 12 threads. The Intel part reaches the 34th percentile among all CPUs in the database, while the AMD part sits at the 33rd percentile.

The Opteron 6234 is listed as end-of-life production status, while the Xeon D-1520 remains active. The Intel chip launched in 2015, several years after the Opteron's 2011 release. For anyone choosing between these two processors, the Xeon D-1520 delivers superior performance across every benchmark category recorded, uses far less power, and remains in production. The Opteron 6234 offers more physical cores and a wider memory bus, but the benchmark results do not translate that into any performance win.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies and manufacturing eras. The Intel Xeon D-1520 uses the Broadwell architecture on a 14 nm process node, fabricated by Intel. It packs 3,200 million transistors into a 246 mm² die. The AMD Opteron 6234 uses the Bulldozer architecture, specifically the Interlagos codename, built on a 32 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with 2,400 million transistors spread across two 315 mm² dies.

Core configuration differs sharply. The Xeon D-1520 has 4 cores and 8 threads, using simultaneous multithreading. The Opteron 6234 has 12 physical cores but only 12 threads, meaning no multithreading support. The Opteron's Bulldozer design organizes cores into modules, with 2 MB of L2 cache per module and 8 MB of L3 cache per die. The Xeon D-1520 provides 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 1.5 MB of L3 per core.

Memory architecture also separates these parts. The Xeon D-1520 supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory over a dual-channel bus. The Opteron 6234 supports only DDR3 but over a quad-channel bus, giving it a recorded memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Both support ECC memory. The Intel chip uses PCIe Gen 3 with 24 lanes from the CPU, while the AMD chip uses PCIe Gen 2.

Power and packaging diverge as well. The Xeon D-1520 has a 45 W TDP and uses Intel BGA 1667 socket. The Opteron 6234 has a 115 W TDP and uses AMD Socket G34. The Xeon D-1520 is a single-die, soldered part, while the Opteron uses a dual-die design on a large socketed package. The Intel chip's launch MSRP was $199.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Xeon D-1520 wins everywhere in the recorded benchmark data. It leads in Cinebench R15 multi-core with a score of 421 versus 348 for the Opteron, a 21% advantage. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, it scores 1755 against 1453, a 20.8% lead. The R23 multi-core test shows 4179 versus 3461, a 20.7% margin.

Single-core performance follows the same pattern. The Xeon D-1520 scores 247 in Cinebench R20 single-core versus 204 for the Opteron, a 21.1% difference. In R23 single-core, it scores 590 versus 488, a 20.9% lead. The consistency of these margins across all tests suggests the Xeon D-1520 has a structural advantage in per-thread performance, likely from its newer architecture and higher efficiency.

The Opteron 6234 does not record a single benchmark win in the head-to-head data. Its advantages exist only on paper: 12 cores versus 4, a quad-channel memory bus with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, and a higher base clock of 2.40 GHz versus 2.20 GHz, plus a 3.00 GHz boost versus 2.60 GHz. None of these translate into a Cinebench victory. The Opteron's Bulldozer architecture, with shared module resources and no SMT, appears unable to leverage its core count effectively in these workloads.

For workloads that scale heavily with thread count, one might expect the 12-core Opteron to compete, but the data shows otherwise. The Xeon D-1520's multi-core scores remain ahead by roughly 21% across R15, R20, and R23. For single-threaded workloads, the Intel part leads by similar margins. The Opteron 6234 is competitive only in the sense that its average benchmark score of 1191 sits within 1.5% of the Xeon D-1520's 1209, but that aggregate figure hides the consistent per-test deficit.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The AMD Opteron 6234 has 12 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel Xeon D-1520 has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: Does the AMD Opteron 6234 beat the Intel Xeon D-1520 in any benchmark?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows the Intel Xeon D-1520 winning all five recorded Cinebench tests, with margins between 20.7% and 21.1%.

Q: Which CPU has higher clock speeds?

A: The AMD Opteron 6234 has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.00 GHz. The Intel Xeon D-1520 has a base clock of 2.20 GHz and a boost clock of 2.60 GHz.

Q: What memory types does each processor support?

A: The Intel Xeon D-1520 supports DDR3 and DDR4 over a dual-channel bus. The AMD Opteron 6234 supports only DDR3 over a quad-channel bus with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which CPU is still in production?

A: The Intel Xeon D-1520 has active production status. The AMD Opteron 6234 is listed as end-of-life.

Q: How does the average benchmark score compare?

A: The Intel Xeon D-1520 has an average benchmark score of 1209, while the AMD Opteron 6234 has an average of 1191. The Xeon D-1520 sits at the 34th percentile of all CPUs, and the Opteron 6234 sits at the 33rd.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results show a remarkably consistent pattern. The Intel Xeon D-1520 leads the AMD Opteron 6234 in every recorded test, and the margin barely varies. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Xeon D-1520 scores 421 against the Opteron's 348, a 21% advantage. This is the smallest raw gap, 73 points, but the percentage lead matches the other tests.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the multi-core test shows the Xeon D-1520 at 1755 and the Opteron at 1453, a 302-point gap equal to 20.8%. The single-core R20 test shows 247 versus 204, a 43-point gap equal to 21.1%. These two tests bracket the multi-core result, showing that the Intel advantage holds in both scaling regimes.

Cinebench R23 multi-core delivers the largest absolute gap: 4179 for the Xeon D-1520 versus 3461 for the Opteron, a 718-point difference and a 20.7% lead. The R23 single-core test shows 590 versus 488, a 102-point gap and a 20.9% margin. The narrow spread of these percentages, from 20.7% to 21.1%, indicates the performance difference is consistent rather than workload-dependent.

The aggregate figures reinforce this picture. The Xeon D-1520's average benchmark score is 1209, placing it at the 34th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-8121U at an identical 1209, the Intel Xeon D-1527 at 1207 with a 0.1% delta, and the Intel Xeon E5645 and Core i3-7300T, both at 1211 with a -0.1% delta. The Opteron 6234 averages 1191, at the 33rd percentile, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core i5-4460T at 1190 (0.1% delta), the Core i7-8665UE at 1193 (-0.1%), and the Core i3-4170 and AMD Athlon PRO 300U, both at 1193 with a -0.2% delta.

The Opteron's 12 cores do not rescue it. Despite offering three times the core count, it loses multi-core tests by roughly 21%. The Bulldozer architecture's shared floating-point units and module-based design appear to limit real-world throughput. The Xeon D-1520, with fewer but more capable cores and hyper-threading, sustains a lead that grows slightly in single-core tests, where the Opteron's older architecture is at its weakest.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification category. The Intel Xeon D-1520 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the AMD Opteron 6234 has 12 cores and 12 threads. Base clocks favor the Opteron at 2.40 GHz versus 2.20 GHz, and boost clocks favor it as well at 3.00 GHz versus 2.60 GHz.

Power draw diverges significantly: the Xeon D-1520 has a 45 W TDP, while the Opteron 6234 has a 115 W TDP. The Intel part uses Intel BGA 1667 socket, the AMD part uses AMD Socket G34. Architecture differs by generation: Broadwell on 14 nm for Intel, Bulldozer on 32 nm for AMD. The Xeon D-1520 is built by Intel with 3,200 million transistors on a 246 mm² die. The Opteron 6234 is built by GlobalFoundries with 2,400 million transistors across two 315 mm² dies.

Cache layouts are not directly comparable. The Xeon D-1520 provides 64 KB L1 per core and 256 KB L2 per core, plus 1.5 MB L3 per core. The Opteron 6234 provides 768 KB total L1, 2 MB L2 per module, and 8 MB L3 per die. Memory support differs: the Xeon supports DDR3 and DDR4 over dual-channel, while the Opteron supports only DDR3 over quad-channel with a recorded 51.2 GB/s bandwidth. Both support ECC memory.

PCIe generation differs, with the Xeon D-1520 using Gen 3 with 24 CPU lanes versus the Opteron's Gen 2. Production status separates them: the Xeon is active, the Opteron is end-of-life. Release dates show the Xeon D-1520 arriving in 2015, the Opteron in 2011. The launch MSRP for the Xeon D-1520 was $199, and for the Opteron 6234 it was $377. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, and neither has integrated graphics.