CPU Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents an unusually tight contest between the AMD Opteron 6276 and the Intel Core i3-9300. Across all six Cinebench workloads, the AMD part claims victory, but the margins are razor-thin. In the Cinebench R15 multicore test, the Opteron scores 543 against the i3-9300's 541, a delta of just 0.4%. The single-core R15 result is a perfect tie at 76 points each, with the Opteron listed as the winner on a 0% delta. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multicore scores are 2265 for AMD and 2257 for Intel, again a 0.4% gap, while the single-core test shows 319 versus 318, a 0.3% advantage.

The Cinebench R23 results continue the pattern: the Opteron 6276 posts 5395 in multicore against 5374 for the i3-9300 (0.4% delta), and 761 in single-core versus 758 (0.4% delta). What stands out immediately is the consistency of the margins. Every multicore delta is exactly 0.4%, and the single-core deltas range from 0% to 0.4%. This is not a case of one chip dominating through architectural superiority; rather, it is a statistical near-deadlock where the AMD processor edges ahead by a hair in every discipline. The average benchmark scores reinforce this: the Opteron sits at 1560, while the i3-9300 is at 1554, a difference of roughly 0.4% overall.

In the context of their respective peer groups, both processors land at the 39th percentile among all CPUs. The Opteron's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-1115G4E (average score 1559, delta 0.1%), the AMD Ryzen 3 1300X (1562, delta -0.1%), and the AMD FX-8350 (1557, delta 0.2%). The i3-9300's nearest rivals overlap significantly, with the Intel Xeon E3-1268L v5 (1557, delta -0.2%), the Intel Core i5-4690S (1551, delta 0.2%), and the same FX-8350 (1557, delta -0.2%) appearing in its list. The two chips effectively occupy the same performance tier, surrounded by the same competitors.

Where Each One Wins

The Opteron 6276 wins all six head-to-head benchmarks, but the practical significance of those wins is minimal given the sub-1% margins. The multicore workloads show the AMD part performing 0.4% better in R15, R20, and R23, which translates to a lead of 2 points, 8 points, and 21 points respectively. These are within run-to-run variance for most Cinebench executions, so the data suggests the 16-core Opteron and 4-core i3-9300 deliver effectively identical rendering throughput in this test suite.

The single-core results are even closer. The R15 test is a dead heat at 76 for both, while R20 and R23 show the Opteron ahead by 1 point (319 vs 318) and 3 points (761 vs 758) respectively. For single-threaded workloads, the i3-9300's higher clocks, a base of 3.70 GHz and boost of 4.30 GHz versus the Opteron's 2.30 GHz base and 3.20 GHz boost, should theoretically favor Intel, yet the Cinebench scores show no such advantage. The data indicates that the architectural efficiency of the Opteron's Bulldozer design at lower clocks is sufficient to match the Coffee Lake core at significantly higher frequencies.

Where the i3-9300 might be expected to win, in power-sensitive or desktop-oriented scenarios, the benchmark data does not provide direct evidence. The Intel part carries a 62 W TDP versus 115 W for the Opteron, and it includes integrated UHD 630 graphics, neither of which appears in the Cinebench scores. From a pure performance standpoint, the Opteron takes every metric, but the margins are so slim that neither chip can claim a meaningful advantage in any specific workload category based on these numbers alone.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two processors is substantial, even if the benchmark results are not. The Opteron 6276 is built on AMD's Bulldozer architecture, codenamed Interlagos, using a 32 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It packs 16 cores and 16 threads across a die size of 2x 315 mm² with 2,400 million transistors. The cache hierarchy is module-based: 768 KB of L1, 2 MB of L2 per module, and 8 MB of L3 per die. Memory support is DDR3 over a quad-channel bus, providing 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The chip uses AMD Socket G34 and PCIe Gen 2. It was released in November 2011 with a launch MSRP of $788.

The i3-9300, in contrast, is a Coffee Lake desktop part from Intel, fabricated on a 14 nm process with a die size of 126 mm². It has 4 cores and 4 threads, with a cache layout of 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3. Memory support is DDR4 over a dual-channel bus, offering 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel chip uses Socket 1151, PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes, and includes integrated UHD 630 graphics. It launched in April 2019 with a launch MSRP of $143.

The transistor counts, core counts, and process nodes could hardly differ more. The Opteron's 16-core, 32 nm design with 2,400 million transistors is a server-class behemoth aimed at throughput, while the i3-9300 is a compact 4-core, 14 nm desktop part with a much smaller transistor budget (though the exact count is not listed). The memory bandwidth advantage sits squarely with AMD at 51.2 GB/s versus 38.4 GB/s for Intel, yet the Cinebench results show no corresponding performance gap. The i3-9300 compensates with higher clocks and a more modern process, which appears to offset the Opteron's core count and bandwidth advantage in these specific workloads.

Both parts support ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers. The Opteron's socket and memory infrastructure target multi-socket server platforms, while the i3-9300 is a mainstream desktop part with integrated graphics. The production status for both is end-of-life, marking them as legacy products in their respective lineages.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear, if unexpected, conclusion: the AMD Opteron 6276 wins every benchmark in this comparison, but by margins that are statistically indistinguishable from zero. With deltas ranging from 0% to 0.4%, neither processor demonstrates a meaningful performance advantage in Cinebench R15, R20, or R23, whether single-core or multi-core. The Opteron's 16 cores and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth do not translate into a lead over the i3-9300's 4 cores and 38.4 GB/s in these tests. Conversely, the Intel part's higher clocks and 14 nm process do not overcome the AMD chip's core count.

For a user choosing between these two, the decision must rest on factors outside the benchmark scores. The i3-9300 offers integrated UHD 630 graphics, a 62 W TDP, and DDR4 support, making it a sensible pick for a desktop build where power draw and on-chip graphics matter. The Opteron 6276, with its quad-channel DDR3, 115 W TDP, and server socket, is geared toward workstation or server environments where ECC memory and multi-threaded capacity are priorities, even if the Cinebench scores do not reflect a large advantage.

The percentile rankings place both at the 39th percentile among all CPUs, and their average benchmark scores differ by just 6 points. Based strictly on the data, the Opteron 6276 is the nominal winner of this head-to-head, but the i3-9300 is functionally equivalent in rendering workloads while offering a different feature set. Pick the Opteron if the platform requires server-class memory bandwidth and a 16-core layout; pick the i3-9300 if integrated graphics and lower power consumption are prerequisites. The benchmark results will not decide the matter for you.

FAQ

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

A: The AMD Opteron 6276 scores 5395, slightly ahead of the Intel Core i3-9300's 5374, a difference of 0.4%.

Q: Are the single-core scores different between the two chips?

A: In Cinebench R15, both score 76, a tie. In R20, the Opteron leads 319 to 318 (0.3% delta), and in R23, it leads 761 to 758 (0.4% delta).

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

A: The AMD Opteron 6276 has 16 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core i3-9300 has 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the Opteron 6276 and the i3-9300 support ECC memory.

Q: What memory types do they use?

A: The Opteron 6276 uses DDR3 over a quad-channel bus with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth. The i3-9300 uses DDR4 over a dual-channel bus with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Opteron 6276 has an average benchmark score of 1560, while the i3-9300 scores 1554. The nearest rival for the Opteron is the Intel Core i3-1115G4E at 1559 (0.1% delta), and for the i3-9300 it is the Intel Xeon E3-1268L v5 at 1557 (-0.2% delta).