AMD Opteron 6366 HE vs Intel Core i7-3820QM Comparison

The AMD Opteron 6366 HE and the Intel Core i7-3820QM are two chips from the same era that ended up in completely different machines: a 16-core server CPU in Socket G34 and a 4-core mobile processor soldered to BGA 1224. The recorded benchmark data shows something remarkable, though. Despite the massive difference in core count, these two processors land within a fraction of a percent of each other across every recorded Cinebench test, with average benchmark scores of 1379 for the Opteron and 1366 for the Intel chip. Both sit at the 36th percentile of all CPUs in the database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data reads like a statistical tie. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-3820QM scores 481 against the Opteron's 480, a delta of just 0.2 percent. Cinebench R20 multi-core goes to Intel by a single point margin in percentage terms: 2006 versus 2003. Cinebench R23 multi-core lands at 4777 for Intel and 4771 for AMD, a 0.1 percent gap.

Single-core results are equally tight. Both chips score exactly 67 in Cinebench R15 single-core, the one test the Opteron wins outright (as a dead heat). The i7-3820QM edges R20 single-core 283 to 282 and R23 single-core 674 to 673. The overall tally is five wins for Intel and one for the Opteron, but the largest margin in the entire set is 0.4 percent. That is a draw for all practical purposes.

The context each score sits in is more interesting. The Opteron's average score of 1379 places it alongside rivals like the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U and Ryzen 3 PRO 1200, both at an identical average of 1379, and the Intel Core i7-3740QM at 1378, a 0.1 percent difference. The i7-3820QM's average of 1366 puts it near the Intel Xeon D-1521 at 1367, the Xeon E5-1410 v2 at 1368, and the AMD Opteron 6376 at 1370, all within 0.3 percent.

The i7-3820QM also has Geekbench data the Opteron lacks: 2041 multi-core and 601 single-core.

Architecture Differences

These chips could hardly be more different under the hood. The Opteron 6366 HE is a Piledriver architecture part, codenamed Abu Dhabi, built on a 32 nm GlobalFoundries process with 2,400 million transistors spread across two dies of 315 mm² each. It carries 16 cores and 16 threads, a 1800 MHz base clock, and a boost clock of 3100 MHz, all within an 85 W TDP. Its cache structure follows the module design: 768 KB of L1, 2 MB of L2 per module, and 8 MB of L3 per die.

The i7-3820QM is an Ivy Bridge design on Intel's own 22 nm process, with 1,400 million transistors on a single 160 mm² die. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, a 2700 MHz base clock, a 3700 MHz boost, and a 45 W TDP. Cache is arranged as 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 8 MB of L3, a large slice of fast shared cache for a mobile part.

Platform characteristics diverge sharply. The Opteron supports DDR3 across a quad-channel memory bus with 59.7 GB/s of bandwidth and ECC memory, suited to its Server/Workstation segment, though its PCIe support stops at Gen 2. The i7-3820QM uses a dual-channel memory bus, lacks ECC support, and integrates Intel HD 4000 graphics, which the Opteron does not have at all. The Opteron's multiplier is locked, and so is the Intel part's. Both launched in 2012, the Opteron on November 4 with a launch MSRP of $575, and the i7-3820QM on April 28. The Opteron is now end-of-life.

Where Each One Wins

On raw benchmark scores, neither chip wins meaningfully. The data shows the i7-3820QM taking five of six head-to-head tests, but by margins of 0.4 percent or less, which is well within run-to-run variance territory. The Opteron's one "win", the R15 single-core tie at 67, is equally inconclusive.

The real differentiators are structural. The Opteron brings 16 physical cores to the table. The Cinebench results show that a 16-core server chip and a 4-core mobile chip deliver effectively identical throughput, which means per-core efficiency and clock behavior favor Intel heavily: a mobile-class 45 W part matches an 85 W server part. Where the Opteron stands apart is platform capability: quad-channel DDR3 at 59.7 GB/s, ECC memory support for data integrity, and the G34 socket ecosystem aimed at multi-socket server deployments.

The i7-3820QM wins on integration and efficiency. It fits a 45 W envelope, includes HD 4000 graphics so it can drive a display without a discrete GPU, and still posts the same benchmark numbers as the Opteron. Its Ivy Bridge 22 nm process against the Opteron's 32 nm node is a generational manufacturing gap, visible in the transistor counts and die sizes recorded in the database.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Opteron 6366 HE faster than the Intel Core i7-3820QM?

A: No, but the difference is negligible. The i7-3820QM wins five of six head-to-head Cinebench tests, yet the largest gap is 0.4 percent. In Cinebench R15 single-core both score exactly 67.

Q: How can a 4-core chip match a 16-core chip in multi-core tests?

A: The recorded data shows exactly that: 481 versus 480 in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 4777 versus 4771 in R23 multi-core. The Opteron's 16 Piledriver cores at up to 3100 MHz deliver the same aggregate throughput as the i7-3820QM's 4 cores and 8 threads at up to 3700 MHz.

Q: Which chip supports ECC memory?

A: The Opteron 6366 HE. ECC is enabled on its quad-channel DDR3 platform with 59.7 GB/s of bandwidth. The i7-3820QM does not support ECC.

Q: Do either of these chips have integrated graphics?

A: Only the i7-3820QM, which includes Intel HD 4000. The Opteron 6366 HE has no integrated graphics.

Q: What power envelope does each chip fit?

A: The Opteron 6366 HE is rated at 85 W TDP. The i7-3820QM is rated at 45 W TDP, roughly half the envelope for the same benchmark output.

Q: What rivals score similarly to these two?

A: The Opteron matches the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U, Ryzen 3 PRO 1200, and Intel Core i7-3740QM within 0.1 percent. The i7-3820QM sits near the Intel Xeon D-1521, Xeon E5-1410 v2, and AMD Opteron 6376, all within 0.3 percent.

The Verdict

The database tells an unusually clean story: two processors with radically different designs produce identical benchmark results. The i7-3820QM is the better pick on efficiency grounds, delivering the same Cinebench scores as the Opteron in half the TDP, with integrated HD 4000 graphics and a modern-for-its-time 22 nm process. It suits mobile and compact systems where power and integration matter.

The Opteron 6366 HE earns its place in server contexts only. Its strengths are platform-level: 16 cores, quad-channel DDR3 at 59.7 GB/s, ECC memory support, and the Socket G34 server ecosystem. For raw throughput, the data says these chips are interchangeable, so the choice comes down to platform needs rather than performance. Both sit at the 36th percentile of all recorded CPUs, and both are relics of 2012 silicon. For anyone choosing today based on scores alone, there is nothing to separate them.