AMD Opteron 6276 vs Intel Core i5-4670S Comparison

AMD Opteron 6276 vs Intel Core i5-4670S

The recorded benchmark data presents a rare head-to-head scenario where one processor, the AMD Opteron 6276, wins every single comparative test, yet the two parts occupy nearly identical positions in the overall performance distribution. The Opteron 6276 holds a 39th percentile ranking across all CPUs, while the Core i5-4670S sits at the 38th percentile, a difference of just one percentile point. Their average benchmark scores, 1560 for the AMD part and 1526 for the Intel part, differ by only 34 points, which is less than 2.2 percent of the Opteron's average. This contradiction, where a 16-core server chip consistently beats a 4-core desktop chip by roughly 21 percent in every tested workload, yet lands in the same performance class, suggests that the Cinebench suite heavily rewards the Opteron's raw thread count, while the overall database averages pull in other factors that narrow the gap. The data invites a closer look at why the Opteron dominates these specific tests and what the Core i5-4670S brings to the table that the average score does not capture.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Opteron 6276 wins all six recorded Cinebench comparisons, covering both multicore and singlecore tests across three versions of the benchmark (R15, R20, and R23). The multicore victories are expected given the Opteron's 16 cores versus the Intel's 4 cores, but the singlecore wins are more surprising. In Cinebench R15 singlecore, the Opteron scores 76 against the Intel's 63, a 20.6 percent advantage. In R20 singlecore, the Opteron posts 319 versus 263, a 21.3 percent lead. In R23 singlecore, the Opteron reaches 761 while the Intel manages 628, a 21.2 percent edge. These singlecore results imply that the Opteron's Bulldozer architecture, despite its reputation for weaker per-core performance, still outperforms the Haswell-based Core i5-4670S in this particular rendering workload. The consistency of the delta, hovering around 21 percent across all six tests, indicates that the performance gap is uniform regardless of whether the workload scales across threads or runs on a single core.

The Intel Core i5-4670S wins no head-to-head benchmarks in the database. Its only recorded wins come from the Geekbench suite, where it scores 3300 in multicore and 1184 in singlecore, but those tests have no corresponding Opteron scores for comparison, so they cannot be used to establish a victory. The data shows that in the Cinebench family, the Opteron is the clear winner, and the Intel part's advantage, if any, would have to emerge from tests not present in this comparison set. The Core i5-4670S does hold a lower TDP of 65 watts versus the Opteron's 115 watts, which suggests an efficiency advantage, but the benchmark data does not include power consumption measurements, so that remains a qualitative observation rather than a quantified win.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras and design philosophies. The AMD Opteron 6276, released in November 2011, uses the Bulldozer architecture under the codename Interlagos, built on a 32 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 2,400 million transistors across a die size of 2x 315 mm², meaning two separate dies are packaged together. The Intel Core i5-4670S, released in June 2013, uses the Haswell architecture on a 22 nm process at Intel, with 1,400 million transistors on a single 177 mm² die. The Opteron's dual-die design reflects its server heritage, where scaling across multiple dies was necessary to achieve 16 cores, while the Intel part integrates everything into a smaller, more power-efficient package.

Cache configurations differ substantially. The Opteron 6276 features 768 KB of L1 cache, 2 MB of L2 cache per module, and 8 MB of L3 cache per die, meaning with two dies it has a total of 16 MB of L3 cache across the package. The Core i5-4670S has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The Opteron's L2 cache is organized per module, a Bulldozer design where two cores share a floating-point unit and a 2 MB L2 cache, whereas the Intel part gives each core its own 256 KB L2. The memory controllers also differ: the Opteron supports quad-channel DDR3 with a recorded memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, while the Core i5-4670S supports dual-channel DDR3 with no bandwidth figure recorded in the database. The Opteron supports ECC memory, the Intel part does not. The Opteron uses PCIe Gen 2, the Intel uses Gen 3. The Intel part includes integrated graphics (Intel HD 4600), while the Opteron has no integrated graphics, consistent with its server market segment. The Opteron's socket is AMD Socket G34, the Intel's is Socket 1150.

The Verdict

The data points to distinct use cases. The AMD Opteron 6276 is the choice for workloads that mirror the Cinebench rendering tests, which appear to scale with thread count and also favor the Opteron's per-core performance in this specific benchmark. Its 21 percent lead across all six tests, whether singlecore or multicore, suggests that for rendering tasks, the Opteron is consistently faster. The 16 cores and 16 threads, combined with 51.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth and ECC support, position it for server or workstation environments where reliability and parallel throughput matter. The Core i5-4670S, with 4 cores and 4 threads, is a desktop part with integrated graphics, a lower 65 watt TDP, and PCIe Gen 3 support, making it more suitable for general desktop use where the integrated GPU eliminates the need for a separate graphics card.

However, the percentile data complicates a straightforward verdict. The Opteron's 39th percentile and the Intel's 38th percentile show that across the entire CPU database, these two parts perform at nearly the same level. The Opteron's average score of 1560 is only 34 points higher than the Intel's 1526, a 2.2 percent difference. This means that outside of Cinebench, other workloads likely bring the Intel part closer to parity or even ahead. The absence of Geekbench scores for the Opteron means the database cannot show how the Intel part performs in that suite relative to the AMD chip. The verdict, strictly from the data, is that the Opteron wins the Cinebench family outright, but the overall performance class is nearly identical, so the choice depends on whether the target workload resembles Cinebench or falls outside that benchmark family.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Opteron 6276 has 16 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Core i5-4670S has 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The AMD Opteron 6276 has a TDP of 115 watts, while the Intel Core i5-4670S has a TDP of 65 watts.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-4670S support ECC memory?

A: No, the Intel Core i5-4670S does not support ECC memory, while the AMD Opteron 6276 does support ECC memory.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each processor?

A: The AMD Opteron 6276 has an average benchmark score of 1560, and the Intel Core i5-4670S has an average benchmark score of 1526.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core i5-4670S includes Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics, while the AMD Opteron 6276 has no integrated graphics.

Q: How many benchmark wins does each processor have in the head-to-head comparison?

A: The AMD Opteron 6276 has 6 wins, and the Intel Core i5-4670S has 0 wins in the recorded head-to-head benchmarks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench R15 multicore test shows the Opteron 6276 scoring 543 against the Core i5-4670S's 448, a 21.2 percent advantage. This is the largest multicore delta in the set, tied with the R23 singlecore result. The singlecore R15 test shows 76 versus 63, a 20.6 percent lead for the Opteron. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multicore score is 2265 for the Opteron and 1870 for the Intel, a 21.1 percent gap, while the singlecore test shows 319 versus 263, a 21.3 percent advantage, the largest singlecore delta in the set. In Cinebench R23, the multicore score is 5395 for the Opteron versus 4454 for the Intel, another 21.1 percent lead, and the singlecore score is 761 versus 628, a 21.2 percent edge. The consistency of these deltas, ranging from 20.6 percent to 21.3 percent, suggests that the performance difference is structural, not workload-dependent. The Opteron's wins are not marginal; every test shows at least a 20 percent advantage, and the multicore tests amplify that lead because the Opteron has four times the core count, yet the per-core performance is also higher in this benchmark family. The Intel part's best showing relative to the Opteron is in the R15 singlecore test, where the gap narrows to 20.6 percent, but even that is a substantial margin.

Specification Differences

The AMD Opteron 6276 and Intel Core i5-4670S differ in nearly every specification field. The Opteron has 16 cores and 16 threads, the Intel has 4 cores and 4 threads. Base clocks are 2.30 GHz for the Opteron and 3.10 GHz for the Intel, while boost clocks are 3.20 GHz and 3.80 GHz respectively. The Opteron's TDP is 115 watts, the Intel's is 65 watts. Sockets differ: AMD Socket G34 for the Opteron, Intel Socket 1150 for the Intel. The architectures are Bulldozer versus Haswell, with codenames Interlagos and Haswell respectively. Process nodes are 32 nm for the Opteron and 22 nm for the Intel. Transistor counts are 2,400 million for the Opteron and 1,400 million for the Intel. Die sizes are 2x 315 mm² for the Opteron and 177 mm² for the Intel. Cache layouts differ: the Opteron has 768 KB L1, 2 MB L2 per module, and 8 MB L3 per die, while the Intel has 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB shared L3. Memory support is DDR3 for both, but the Opteron uses quad-channel with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the Intel uses dual-channel with no recorded bandwidth figure. ECC memory is supported on the Opteron, not on the Intel. PCIe generations are Gen 2 for the Opteron and Gen 3 for the Intel. Integrated graphics exist only on the Intel part. Market segments are Server/Workstation for the Opteron and Desktop for the Intel. Release dates are November 2011 for the Opteron and June 2013 for the Intel. The Opteron has a launch MSRP of $788, while the Intel has no recorded launch MSRP. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier. Part numbers are OS6276WKTGGGU for the Opteron and SR14K for the Intel.