AMD Opteron 6366 HE vs Intel Core i5-6500TE Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Opteron 6366 HE has 16 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Core i5-6500TE has 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: What is the difference in their average benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core i5-6500TE has an average benchmark score of 1399, while the AMD Opteron 6366 HE scores 1379. The Intel part sits at the 37th percentile of all CPUs, the AMD part at the 36th.

Q: Which CPU shows the larger single-core performance advantage?

A: The AMD Opteron 6366 HE wins all single-core tests, with deltas of roughly 10.4% to 10.8% across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23. It does not rely on multi-core scaling to take the lead.

Q: How do the memory controllers differ?

A: The Intel Core i5-6500TE uses a dual-channel memory bus with 34.1 GB/s bandwidth and supports DDR3 and DDR4. The AMD Opteron 6366 HE uses a quad-channel bus with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth and supports only DDR3, plus it supports ECC memory.

Q: What are the power envelopes of the two processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-6500TE has a TDP of 35 watts, while the AMD Opteron 6366 HE has a TDP of 85 watts.

Q: Do both processors have integrated graphics?

A: No. The Intel Core i5-6500TE includes HD Graphics 530, while the AMD Opteron 6366 HE has no integrated graphics.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded head-to-head data is unambiguous: the AMD Opteron 6366 HE wins all six comparisons against the Intel Core i5-6500TE. The Cinebench R15 multicore test puts the Opteron at 480 versus 428 for the Intel part, a 10.8% lead. The same 10.8% margin appears in Cinebench R20 multicore (2003 versus 1787) and Cinebench R23 multicore (4771 versus 4255). In single-core workloads, the Opteron also leads by 10.4% in Cinebench R15 (67 versus 60), 10.6% in Cinebench R20 (282 versus 252), and 10.8% in Cinebench R23 (673 versus 600). There is no benchmark in the dataset where the Intel chip posts a higher score.

For workload planning, the Opteron 6366 HE is the stronger choice in threaded rendering tasks such as Cinebench, where its 16 physical cores can be saturated. The consistency of the margin across all three Cinebench versions suggests the advantage scales with the workload rather than with any single test's quirks. The Intel Core i5-6500TE, by contrast, does not win any recorded benchmark; its value lies elsewhere, such as in platforms requiring lower power draw, a smaller process node, or integrated graphics. The data does not show a use case where the Intel part comes out ahead in the tested applications.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core i5-6500TE is built on the Skylake architecture using a 14 nm process at Intel's foundry, with a die size of 122 mm². It has 4 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 2.30 GHz and a boost clock of 3.30 GHz. Its cache layout uses 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3. The memory interface is dual-channel, supporting both DDR3 and DDR4, with a bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. It includes HD Graphics 530 integrated graphics and 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes from the CPU.

The AMD Opteron 6366 HE uses the Piledriver architecture under the Abu Dhabi codename, fabricated on a 32 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It is a dual-die design with a combined die size of 2x 315 mm² and 2,400 million transistors. It has 16 cores and 16 threads, running at a base clock of 1.80 GHz and a boost clock of 3.10 GHz. The cache hierarchy is organized as 768 KB of L1, 2 MB of L2 per module, and 8 MB of L3 per die. Memory support is DDR3 only, but the quad-channel bus provides 59.7 GB/s of bandwidth, and ECC memory is supported. It has no integrated graphics and uses PCIe Gen 2.

The fundamental architectural split is between a modern, power-efficient desktop design and a server-oriented, multi-die part. Skylake uses a monolithic die with per-core cache partitioning, while Piledriver uses two dies with per-module L2 and per-die L3. The Opteron's 32 nm process and larger dual-die footprint contrast sharply with the Intel chip's 14 nm process and single 122 mm² die. The Intel part's integrated GPU and PCIe Gen 3 support make it a more complete desktop package, whereas the Opteron's ECC support and quad-channel memory target server memory integrity and bandwidth.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification. The Intel Core i5-6500TE has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the AMD Opteron 6366 HE has 16 cores and 16 threads. Base clocks are 2.30 GHz versus 1.80 GHz, and boost clocks are 3.30 GHz versus 3.10 GHz. The Intel part draws 35 watts TDP, the AMD part 85 watts. The Intel chip uses the Intel Socket 1151, while the AMD chip uses the AMD Socket G34.

Process technology differs sharply: 14 nm for Intel versus 32 nm for AMD. The die sizes are 122 mm² for the Intel part versus 2x 315 mm² for the AMD part. Transistor count is listed only for the AMD chip at 2,400 million. Cache configurations differ in both capacity and organization: the Intel chip has 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB shared L3; the AMD chip has 768 KB L1 total, 2 MB L2 per module, and 8 MB L3 per die.

Memory support, bus width, and bandwidth all differ. The Intel part supports DDR3 and DDR4 over a dual-channel bus at 34.1 GB/s. The AMD part supports only DDR3 over a quad-channel bus at 59.7 GB/s. ECC memory is supported only on the AMD chip. PCIe generations differ as well: Gen 3 with 16 lanes on Intel versus Gen 2 on AMD. Integrated graphics exist only on the Intel part, with HD Graphics 530. The market segments differ: Desktop for Intel versus Server/Workstation for AMD. Both are end-of-life products. The Intel part launched on 2015-10-10 with a launch MSRP of $192, while the AMD part launched on 2012-11-04 with a launch MSRP of $575. Neither multiplier is unlocked.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark set contains six Cinebench comparisons, and the AMD Opteron 6366 HE wins every one of them. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Opteron scores 480 against the Intel Core i5-6500TE's 428, a 10.8% advantage. The single-core result in R15 is 67 versus 60, a 10.4% lead. These margins are notable because the Opteron's advantage holds even in single-threaded workloads, where its lower 1.80 GHz base clock might be expected to hurt; the boost clock of 3.10 GHz narrows the gap, but the Intel part's 3.30 GHz boost does not overcome it.

Cinebench R20 repeats the pattern. The multicore score is 2003 for the Opteron versus 1787 for the Intel part, again a 10.8% delta. The single-core score is 282 versus 252, a 10.6% margin. Cinebench R23 shows the same consistency: multicore at 4771 versus 4255, single-core at 673 versus 600, each with a 10.8% delta. Across all six tests, the delta never falls below 10.4%, which indicates a stable performance gap rather than a test-specific anomaly.

The largest raw gap in points appears in Cinebench R23 multicore, where the Opteron leads by 516 points. The smallest raw gap is in Cinebench R15 single-core, just 7 points. In percentage terms, the multicore tests are uniformly 10.8% apart, while the single-core tests range from 10.4% to 10.8%. The data shows that the Opteron 6366 HE outperforms the i5-6500TE by roughly the same proportion across every recorded workload, whether the test is single-threaded or multi-threaded.

For context, the Intel Core i5-6500TE's nearest rivals by average score include the Intel Xeon E3-1220 v5 at 1401 (0.1% higher), the Intel Xeon E-2104G at 1402 (0.2% higher), the Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 at 1396 (0.2% lower), and the Intel Pentium Gold G7400TE at 1404 (0.4% higher). The AMD Opteron 6366 HE's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U at 1379, the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 1200 at 1379, the Intel Core i7-3740QM at 1378 (0.1% lower), and the Intel Core i7-3615QE at 1381 (0.1% higher). These neighboring scores indicate that both processors sit in a similar performance tier by average benchmark score, despite their very different architectures and core counts. The Opteron's consistent Cinebench wins do not translate into a higher average score, since the Intel part's Geekbench results (2749 multicore, 1062 single-core) are included in its average, while the Opteron has no Geekbench entries in this dataset. The average scores are nearly identical: 1399 for Intel and 1379 for AMD, a difference of only 20 points.