AMD Opteron 6380 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3550H Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 3550H and AMD Opteron 6380 represent two vastly different eras and purposes in AMD's lineup. The Ryzen 5 3550H is a modern, power-efficient mobile processor built on the 12nm Zen+ architecture, while the Opteron 6380 is a legacy server/workstation chip from the Piledriver era on a 32nm process. Benchmark data shows they land at the same overall performance percentile (40th), with average benchmark scores of 1653 and 1643 respectively, making this a surprisingly close contest despite their architectural chasms. The real story lies in how their strengths are distributed across different workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most dramatic divergence appears in Cinebench R15 multi-core testing, where the Ryzen 5 3550H delivers a score of 742 against the Opteron's 572, a 29.7% advantage. This is a notable win for a 4-core, 8-thread mobile chip over a 16-core server processor, and it highlights just how far single-thread efficiency has come. The single-core gap is even more pronounced in the same benchmark generation: the 3550H scores 144 versus the Opteron's 80, an 80% lead. That is an enormous margin and reflects the architectural gulf between Zen+ and Piledriver, where the newer design extracts far more work per clock.

The picture flips in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the Opteron 6380 takes a commanding lead with a score of 5683 against the 3550H's 3929.5, a 30.9% difference. This reversal makes sense: the R23 workload scales aggressively with core count, and the Opteron's 16 physical cores outnumber the 3550H's 8 threads. However, in R23 single-core, the Ryzen 5 3550H strikes back with 886 versus 802, a 10.5% margin. Across the four head-to-head benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 3550H wins three, but the Opteron takes the one that matters most for heavily threaded, long-running render workloads.

The average benchmark scores confirm the overall parity: the 3550H sits at 1653, while the Opteron is at 1643. Both processors land in the 40th percentile of all CPUs tracked, and their nearest rivals reinforce this midpoint positioning. The 3550H's closest competitor is the Intel Core i7-4810MQ at 1651, while the Opteron's nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-5700HQ at 1645. The delta percentages between these rivals are minuscule, ranging from -0.5% to 0.3%, indicating that neither AMD chip dramatically outclasses or falls behind its direct competition.

Architecture Differences

The Ryzen 5 3550H is built on the Zen+ architecture, codenamed Picasso, using a 12nm process from GlobalFoundries. It packs 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 3.70 GHz. The cache layout is per-core: 96 KB L1, 512 KB L2, and a shared 4 MB L3. The chip integrates Radeon Vega 8 graphics, supports DDR4 memory on a dual-channel bus, and uses PCIe Gen 3. It is a mobile part on the AMD Socket FP5, with a 35W TDP and a transistor count of 4,940 million on a 210 mm² die.

The Opteron 6380, by contrast, is a server/workstation processor from the Opteron 6000 series, codenamed Abu Dhabi, based on the Piledriver architecture. It uses a 32nm process, also from GlobalFoundries, and features 16 cores with 16 threads (no SMT). Its base clock is 2.50 GHz with a boost clock of 3.40 GHz. The cache is organized differently: 768 KB L1, 2 MB L2 per module, and 8 MB L3 per die. The chip is a dual-die design with a combined die size of 2x 315 mm², but it uses fewer total transistors at 2,400 million. It supports DDR3 memory on a quad-channel bus with a rated memory bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s, and it includes ECC memory support — a key server feature. It uses PCIe Gen 2, has no integrated graphics, and runs on the AMD Socket G34 with a 115W TDP.

The most striking differences are the process node (12nm versus 32nm), the core/thread counts (4/8 versus 16/16), and the memory ecosystems (DDR4 dual-channel versus DDR3 quad-channel with ECC). The Opteron also has a much larger physical footprint with its dual-die design, while the Ryzen 5 is a single, compact die. The production statuses differ too: the 3550H is still active, while the Opteron 6380 is end-of-life.

Where Each One Wins

The Ryzen 5 3550H wins decisively in single-threaded performance and in older multi-core benchmarks like Cinebench R15. Its 80% lead in R15 single-core and 29.7% lead in R15 multi-core suggest that for everyday desktop tasks, office productivity, light content creation, or any workload that relies on responsive single-core behavior, the 3550H is the clear choice. The 10.5% advantage in R23 single-core further cements this, meaning even in modern single-threaded applications, the newer architecture holds a meaningful edge. The integrated Radeon Vega 8 graphics also give it a functional advantage for systems that need display output without a discrete GPU, which the Opteron simply cannot offer.

The Opteron 6380 wins in modern heavily threaded multi-core workloads, as shown by its 30.9% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core. This benchmark is representative of rendering, video encoding, scientific computing, or any parallel task that can saturate 16 physical cores. Its quad-channel DDR3 memory with 59.7 GB/s of bandwidth and ECC support make it suitable for server-style workloads where data integrity and memory throughput are paramount. The Opteron also has a higher base clock (2.50 GHz versus 2.10 GHz), which can help in sustained multi-threaded loads that don't hit boost frequencies.

The data suggests a clear split: the 3550H is for interactive, latency-sensitive, and single-threaded tasks, while the Opteron is for throughput-oriented, parallel, and server-class workloads. Neither chip is a general-purpose winner; each dominates in its respective domain.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has better single-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3550H wins in every single-core benchmark recorded. It leads by 80% in Cinebench R15 single-core (144 versus 80) and by 10.5% in Cinebench R23 single-core (886 versus 802).

Q: Does the Opteron 6380 ever beat the Ryzen 5 3550H?

A: Yes, in Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Opteron 6380 scores 5683 against the 3550H's 3929.5, a 30.9% advantage. This is the only head-to-head benchmark the Opteron wins.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each chip?

A: The Ryzen 5 3550H has 4 cores and 8 threads. The Opteron 6380 has 16 cores and 16 threads, meaning it lacks simultaneous multithreading.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The Opteron 6380 supports ECC memory, while the Ryzen 5 3550H does not.

Q: Which chip has integrated graphics?

A: Only the Ryzen 5 3550H includes integrated graphics, with Radeon Vega 8. The Opteron 6380 has no integrated graphics at all.

Q: How do their overall benchmark averages compare?

A: They are nearly identical. The Ryzen 5 3550H has an average benchmark score of 1653, and the Opteron 6380 averages 1643, a difference of just 10 points. Both sit in the 40th percentile of all CPUs.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear recommendation based on workload. If your priority is responsiveness, single-threaded performance, or running modern applications on a mobile platform, the AMD Ryzen 5 3550H is the superior choice. It wins three out of four head-to-head benchmarks, offers a massive 80% lead in R15 single-core, and does so at a 35W TDP, making it suitable for laptops and compact systems. Its integrated graphics and active production status add to its practical appeal.

If your workload is heavily parallel, such as rendering, scientific simulation, or server-side processing that demands many physical cores, the AMD Opteron 6380 is the better option. Its 30.9% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core, combined with 16 cores, quad-channel DDR3 memory, ECC support, and 59.7 GB/s of memory bandwidth, makes it a capable server/workstation processor. However, it is end-of-life, consumes 115W, and loses badly in single-core tests.

The average benchmark scores show these chips are peers in aggregate, but the distribution of wins means the right choice depends entirely on your specific usage. The 3550H is for interactive and general-purpose computing; the Opteron is for throughput and parallel processing. Choose based on what you will run, not on the overall average.

Specification Differences

• Series: 3000 series versus Opteron 6000 series
• Cores: 4 versus 16
• Threads: 8 versus 16
• Base Clock: 2.10 GHz versus 2.50 GHz
• Boost Clock: 3.70 GHz versus 3.40 GHz
• TDP: 35W versus 115W
• Socket: AMD Socket FP5 versus AMD Socket G34
• Architecture: Zen+ versus Piledriver
• Codename: Picasso versus Abu Dhabi
• Process Node: 12 nm versus 32 nm
• Transistors: 4,940 million versus 2,400 million
• Die Size: 210 mm² versus 2x 315 mm²
• L1 Cache: 96 KB per core versus 768 KB total
• L2 Cache: 512 KB per core versus 2 MB per module
• L3 Cache: 4 MB shared versus 8 MB per die
• Memory Support: DDR4 versus DDR3
• Memory Bus: Dual-channel versus Quad-channel
• Memory Bandwidth: Not specified versus 59.7 GB/s
• ECC Memory: No versus Yes
• PCIe: Gen 3 versus Gen 2
• Integrated Graphics: Radeon Vega 8 versus None
• Market Segment: Mobile versus Server/Workstation
• Production Status: Active versus End-of-life
• Release Date: 2019-01-05 versus 2012-11-04
• Launch MSRP: Not specified versus $1088
• Part Number: YM3500C4T4MFG versus OS6380WKTGGHK