AMD Opteron 6376 vs Intel Core i7-3740QM Comparison

The Intel Core i7-3740QM and AMD Opteron 6376 are both 2012-era processors, but they target completely different corners of the market. The data shows a consistent pattern: the mobile Intel chip wins every single head-to-head benchmark in the Cinebench suite, despite the Opteron having four times the physical cores. The Opteron, a server-class part with a 115 W TDP and quad-channel memory, is built for throughput in multi-socket systems, while the i7-3740QM is a 45 W mobile chip designed for laptops. Despite their architectural gulf, their average benchmark scores are remarkably close, with the Intel part at 1378 and the AMD part at 1370, placing both at the 36th percentile of all CPUs.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results are unequivocal: the Intel Core i7-3740QM wins all six recorded Cinebench tests, making it the clear choice for single-threaded and lightly-threaded workloads. Its lead is narrow but consistent, ranging from a 2.5% advantage in Cinebench R15 multi-core to a 3% edge in R15 single-core. For any application that relies on high per-core performance—legacy software, most games of the era, or daily desktop tasks—the data indicates the i7-3740QM is the superior part. Its 3.70 GHz boost clock and Ivy Bridge architecture deliver results that the Opteron's slower 3.20 GHz boost cannot match.

The AMD Opteron 6376, despite losing every benchmark, still has a theoretical edge in raw parallelism. With 16 cores and 16 threads, it has double the core count of the Intel part's 4 cores and 8 threads. In workloads that scale perfectly across many cores, the Opteron's architecture should in principle be more capable, yet the Cinebench scores show it trailing by 2.5-2.6% in multi-core tests. This suggests that the benchmark's scaling is limited by the Piledriver module design, where two cores share resources. The Opteron's real strength lies in its platform features: quad-channel memory with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth, ECC memory support, and PCIe Gen 2 connectivity, making it suitable for memory-intensive server tasks where the Intel part's dual-channel bus and lack of ECC would be limiting.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent fundamentally different design philosophies. The Intel Core i7-3740QM is built on a 22 nm process at Intel's foundry, packing 1,400 million transistors into a 160 mm² die. It uses the Ivy Bridge architecture, a refined version of Sandy Bridge, with four cores and Hyper-Threading to reach eight threads. Its cache hierarchy is per-core: 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core, with a shared 6 MB L3. The chip integrates Intel HD 4000 graphics, a feature entirely absent on the Opteron, and supports dual-channel memory without ECC.

The AMD Opteron 6376 is a completely different beast. Fabricated on GlobalFoundries' 32 nm process, it uses the Piledriver architecture (codenamed Abu Dhabi) and contains 2,400 million transistors spread across two dies, each measuring 315 mm². It has 16 cores and 16 threads, but these are arranged in modules, with each module sharing L2 cache (2 MB per module). The L1 cache is 768 KB total, and each die has 8 MB of L3. This is a server part, so it supports quad-channel DDR3 memory with a theoretical bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s, ECC memory, and PCIe Gen 2. The Opteron's socket is G34, while the Intel chip uses BGA 1224. The Intel part was released in September 2012, two months before the Opteron's November 2012 debut.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most significant win for the Intel Core i7-3740QM comes in Cinebench R20 single-core, where it scores 288 against the Opteron's 280, a 2.9% advantage. This is consistent with the R23 single-core result: 686 vs 668, a 2.7% edge. The single-core tests highlight the fundamental clock and IPC advantage of the Intel chip. Its 2.70 GHz base and 3.70 GHz boost clocks are both higher than the Opteron's 2.30 GHz base and 3.20 GHz boost, and the Ivy Bridge architecture delivers more instructions per clock than Piledriver.

In multi-core tests, the gap narrows slightly but remains in Intel's favor. Cinebench R15 multi-core shows 489 vs 477, a 2.5% lead. Cinebench R20 multi-core shows 2040 vs 1989, a 2.6% lead. The most dramatic multi-core result is in Cinebench R23, where the Intel chip scores 4859 against the Opteron's 4736, again a 2.6% difference. This is the largest absolute gap of any test. The fact that a 4-core/8-thread mobile chip beats a 16-core server chip in every multi-core test underscores how inefficient the Piledriver module design is for this workload. The Opteron's two dies and shared resources cannot compensate for its lower clock speeds and architectural weaknesses.

The Intel chip also has a benchmark that the Opteron lacks entirely: Geekbench. The i7-3740QM scores 1993 in Geekbench multi-core and 599 in single-core. These results are not part of the head-to-head comparison, but they reinforce the Intel part's overall performance profile.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The AMD Opteron 6376 has 16 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Core i7-3740QM has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-3740QM support ECC memory?

A: No. The Intel chip does not support ECC memory, whereas the AMD Opteron 6376 supports ECC memory.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The AMD Opteron 6376 has a quad-channel memory bus with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth, while the Intel Core i7-3740QM has a dual-channel memory bus with no specified bandwidth figure in the data.

Q: Does either processor have integrated graphics?

A: Only the Intel Core i7-3740QM has integrated graphics, specifically Intel HD 4000. The AMD Opteron 6376 has no integrated graphics.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i7-3740QM has a boost clock of 3.70 GHz, which is higher than the AMD Opteron 6376's boost clock of 3.20 GHz.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel Core i7-3740QM has an average benchmark score of 1378, while the AMD Opteron 6376 has an average score of 1370. Both sit at the 36th percentile of all CPUs.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i7-3740QM | AMD Opteron 6376 |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 4 | 16 |

| Threads | 8 | 16 |

| Base Clock | 2.70 GHz | 2.30 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.70 GHz | 3.20 GHz |

| TDP | 45 W | 115 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 1224 | AMD Socket G34 |

| Architecture | Ivy Bridge | Piledriver |

| Codename | Ivy Bridge | Abu Dhabi |

| Process Node | 22 nm | 32 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | 1,400 million | 2,400 million |

| Die Size | 160 mm² | 2x 315 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB (per core) | 768 KB |

| L2 Cache | 256 KB (per core) | 2 MB (per module) |

| L3 Cache | 6 MB (shared) | 8 MB (per die) |

| Memory Bus | Dual-channel | Quad-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not specified | 59.7 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Not specified | Gen 2 |

| Integrated Graphics | Intel HD 4000 | None |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Server/Workstation |

| Production Status | Not specified | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2012-09-02 | 2012-11-04 |

| Launch MSRP | Not specified | $703 |

| Part Number | Not specified | OS6376WKTGGHK |

The specification table reveals the stark contrast between these two parts. The Opteron 6376 consumes 2.5 times the power of the i7-3740QM (115 W vs 45 W), uses a larger and older 32 nm process, and has more than double the transistor count spread across two dies. The Intel chip compensates with a smaller 22 nm process, higher clock speeds, and a more efficient microarchitecture. The Opteron's advantages are purely platform-level: quad-channel memory, ECC support, and server-grade connectivity. The Intel chip's advantages are purely performance-level, as evidenced by its sweep of all six head-to-head Cinebench tests. The launch MSRP for the Opteron was $703, while the Intel part has no listed launch price.