AMD Opteron 6376 vs Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 Comparison

The AMD Opteron 6376 and Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 are both server-class processors from different eras and design philosophies. The recorded benchmark data shows a surprisingly consistent result: the Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 wins every single head-to-head test, despite having only a quarter of the physical cores and a much lower power envelope. The Opteron 6376, a 16-core Piledriver part from the Opteron 6000 series, loses to the 4-core Haswell-based Xeon by a small but uniform margin across all Cinebench workloads. The data indicates that architectural efficiency outweighs raw core counts in these specific tests.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark suite consists of six Cinebench tests, and the Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 is the winner in all six. The margins are narrow but consistent. The largest single-core gap appears in Cinebench R20, where the Intel scores 286 against the AMD's 280, a difference of 2.1 percent. The smallest single-core margin is in Cinebench R15, where Intel scores 68 against AMD’s 67, a 1.5 percent difference. In every other test, the margin sits at 1.9 percent.

For multicore results, the pattern holds. In Cinebench R15, the Xeon E3-1240L v3 scores 486, while the Opteron 6376 scores 477, a 1.9 percent gap. In Cinebench R20, the scores are 2027 versus 1989, again a 1.9 percent difference. In Cinebench R23, the Intel scores 4827, and the AMD scores 4736, another 1.9 percent gap. The single-core results are similar: Cinebench R15 shows 68 versus 67, Cinebench R20 shows 286 versus 280, and Cinebench R23 shows 681 versus 668.

The average benchmark score reflects this overall trend. The Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 has an average score of 1396, while the AMD Opteron 6376 has an average of 1370. That puts the Intel part roughly 1.9 percent ahead in overall average performance, which matches the individual test margins. The Opteron’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-2600 with an identical average score of 1370, and the Intel Xeon E5-1410 v2 at 1368, a 0.1 percent difference. The Xeon E3-1240L v3’s nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-6500TE at 1399, which is 0.2 percent ahead of it, and the Xeon E3-1220 v5 at 1401, which is 0.4 percent ahead.

These numbers tell a clear story. The Opteron 6376, despite having four times the physical cores (16 versus 4), cannot outperform the Xeon in any Cinebench test. The Xeon’s per-thread efficiency is so high that it compensates for the core deficit. The fact that the Xeon wins both multicore and single-core tests by the same approximate margin suggests that the gap is not about thread scaling but about the fundamental per-core performance advantage of the Haswell architecture.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from very different architectural designs. The AMD Opteron 6376 is based on the Piledriver architecture, codenamed Abu Dhabi, and is manufactured on a 32 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It has 16 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.30 GHz and a boost clock of 3.20 GHz. The Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 uses the Haswell architecture, codenamed Haswell-WS, built on a 22 nm process at Intel. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 2000.00 MHz and a boost clock of 3.00 GHz.

The transistor count and die size also differ substantially. The Opteron 6376 has 2,400 million transistors spread across a die size of 2x 315 mm², while the Xeon E3-1240L v3 has 1,400 million transistors on a 160 mm² die. The AMD part uses a dual-die design with two separate physical dies, each with its own cache allocation, while the Intel uses a single monolithic die.

Cache structures are also fundamentally different. The Opteron 6376 has a Level 1 cache of 768 KB, a Level 2 cache of 2 MB per module, and a Level 3 cache of 8 MB per die. The Xeon E3-1240L v3 has a Level 1 cache of 64 KB per core, a Level 2 cache of 256 KB per core, and a shared Level 3 cache of 8 MB total.

Memory support is another major difference. The Opteron uses DDR3 memory with a quad-channel memory bus, providing a maximum memory bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s. The Xeon also supports DDR3 but through a dual-channel memory bus, with a maximum bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Both support ECC memory. The Opteron has PCIe Gen 2, while the Xeon has PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only).

The power characteristics are dramatic. The Opteron 6376 has a TDP of 115 watts, while the Xeon E3-1240L v3 has a TDP of 25 watts. This means the Intel chip uses less than a quarter of the power budget for better benchmark results. The release dates also differ: the Opteron was released in November 2012, while the Xeon was released in May 2014.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 is the superior processor for all tested workloads. It wins every head-to-head comparison, from Cinebench R15 single-core (68 versus 67) to Cinebench R23 multicore (4827 versus 4736). The data shows no scenario where the AMD Opteron 6376 outperforms its rival.

The Xeon also holds a higher percentile rank among all CPUs. It ranks in the 37th percentile, while the Opteron ranks in the 36th percentile. This is a small difference, but it is consistent with the head-to-head results.

For a user choosing between these two end-of-life processors, the data points clearly to the Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3. It achieves higher scores with a fraction of the power draw, carries a smaller die and fewer transistors, and still manages to deliver better performance. The Opteron 6376 does offer a larger memory bandwidth (59.7 GB/s versus 25.6 GB/s) and more raw cores, which might matter in specific memory-bandwidth-limited or multi-threaded workloads not covered by Cinebench, but within the measured benchmarks, it loses every time.

The Intel chip is also the more recent release, the lower release date in 2014 versus 2012, and it uses a more advanced 22 nm process. The AMD part also uses a larger die and more power, yet still falls short. The verdict is clear: pick the Xeon.

Specification Differences

The key specification differences between the two processors are as follows:

• Cores and Threads: The AMD Opteron 6376 has 16 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 has 4 cores and 8 threads.
• Clock Speeds: The Opteron has a base clock of 2.30 GHz and a boost clock of 3.20 GHz. The Xeon has a base clock of 2000.00 MHz (which is 2.00 GHz) and a boost clock of 3.00 GHz.
• TDP: The Opteron has a TDP of 115 watts. The Xeon has a TDP of 25 watts.
• Socket: The Opteron uses AMD Socket G34. The Xeon uses Intel Socket 1150.
• Process Node: The Opteron is on a 32 nm process. The Xeon is on a 22 nm process.
• Foundry: The Opter is made by GlobalFoundries. The Xeon is made by Intel.
• Transistors: The Opter has 2,400 million transistors. The Xeon has 1,400 million.
• Die Size: The Opter has a die size of 2x 315 mm². The Xeon has a die size of 160 mm².
• Level 1 Cache: The Opter has 768 KB total. The Xeon has 64 KB per core.
• Level 2 Cache: The Opter has 2 MB per module. The Xeon has 256 KB per core.
• Level 3 Cache: The Opter has 8 MB per die. The Xeon has 8 MB shared.
• Memory Bus: The Opter is quad-channel. The Xeon is dual-channel.
• Memory Bandwidth: The Opter has 59.7 GB/s. The Xeon has 25.6 GB/s.
• PCIe Generation: The Opter has Gen 2. The Xeon has Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only).
• Release Date: The Opter was released in November 2012. The Xeon was released in May 2014.
• Launch MSRP: The Opter had a launch MSRP of $703. The Xeon had a launch MSRP of $278.

FAQ

Q: What are the head-to-head Cinebench R23 multicore scores?

A: The Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 scores 4827, and the AMD Opteron 6376 scores 4736. The Intel wins by 1.9 percent.

Q: Does the AMD Opteron 6376 win any benchmark in this comparison?

A: No. The Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 wins all six head-to-head tests: Cinebench R15 single-core and multicore, Cinebench R20 single-core and multicore, and Cinebench R23 single-core and multicore.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two processors?

A: The AMD Opteron 6376 has a TDP of 115 watts. The Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 has a TDP of 25 watts.

Q: Which processor has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Opteron 6376 has a memory bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s with a quad-channel memory bus. The Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 has 25.6 GB/s with a dual-channel bus.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 has an average benchmark score of 1396. The AMD Opteron 6376 has an average of 1370. The Intel is about 1.9 percent higher.

Q: What are their percentiles among all CPUs?

A: The Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 is in the 37th percentile. The AMD Opteron 6376 is in the 36th percentile.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded data, the Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 wins all six benchmark tests. There is no test where the AMD Opteron 6376 comes out ahead. The Intel wins in both single-core and multicore workloads, with margins ranging from 1.5 percent to 2.1 percent.

The AMD Opteron 6376, however, holds advantages in specific hardware specifications that are not measured in Cinebench. It has a quad-channel memory bus with 59.7 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than double the Xeon’s 25.6 GB/s. This could benefit certain memory-intensive applications, although the recorded data does not include any such tests. The Opteron also has 16 cores versus 8 threads on the Intel, which could theoretically help in high-thread-count parallel workloads, but again, the Cinebench multicore tests show the Intel performing better despite the core disadvantage.

The Xeon wins in power efficiency: with a 25-watt TDP versus 115 watts, the Intel chip uses less power while still producing higher scores. It also has the more modern PCIe Gen 3 interface, while the Opteron is limited to Gen 2. The Xeon is the better choice for any workload represented in the Cinebench suite.

For applications that rely heavily on memory bandwidth or scale beyond the threads tested, the Opteron’s hardware profile could theoretically provide benefits, but the data does not demonstrate this. In every measured benchmark, the Intel Xeon E3-1240L v3 is the winner.