AMD Opteron 6380 vs Intel Core i3-9100E Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clean sweep for the AMD Opteron 6380 across all six Cinebench tests, though the margins are consistently narrow. The largest single-core advantage appears in Cinebench R15, where the Opteron scores 80 against the Core i3-9100E’s 78, a 2.6% lead. The same test in multicore shows 572 versus 559, a 2.3% gap. Every other benchmark, from R20 to R23, settles at a 2.4% delta in favor of the Opteron: 2386 versus 2330 in R20 multicore, 336 versus 328 in R20 single-core, 5683 versus 5549 in R23 multicore, and 802 versus 783 in R23 single-core.

These numbers tell a clear story: the Opteron 6380 wins every head-to-head encounter, but none of its victories are decisive. The average benchmark score for the Opteron is 1643, placing it at the 40th percentile of all CPUs in the database. The Core i3-9100E averages 1605, sitting at the 39th percentile. That 38-point gap in average score is meaningful but modest, roughly equivalent to the difference between the Opteron’s nearest rivals, the Intel Core i7-5700HQ (1645, -0.1%) and the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2200G (1640, +0.2%). The Core i3’s closest competitors, the Intel Xeon E3-1240L v5 (1609, -0.2%) and the Core i7-10610U (1611, -0.3%), bracket its performance similarly.

What stands out is that the Opteron’s wins are consistent across every workload version. Whether the test stresses a single thread or all cores, the delta stays between 2.3% and 2.6%. This suggests the Opteron’s advantage is structural, not workload-specific. The Core i3 never manages a single win, but its losses are small enough that in real-world use, the difference would often be imperceptible outside synthetic benchmarks.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different eras and design philosophies. The AMD Opteron 6380 uses the Piledriver architecture under the Abu Dhabi codename, built on a 32 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It packs 16 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 3.40 GHz. The die is split into two 315 mm² pieces, totaling 2,400 million transistors. Cache is distributed as 768 KB of L1, 2 MB per module of L2, and 8 MB per die of L3. Memory support is DDR3 over a quad-channel bus, delivering 59.7 GB/s of bandwidth. The socket is AMD’s G34, a server platform, and the chip carries a 115 W TDP. It is a server and workstation part, now end-of-life, launched in late 2012 with a launch MSRP of $1088.

The Intel Core i3-9100E is a Coffee Lake desktop part from the 2018 refresh, built on Intel’s 14 nm process. It has 4 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 3.10 GHz and a boost clock of 3.70 GHz. The single die measures 126 mm², and the cache layout is 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3. Memory support is DDR4 over a dual-channel bus, providing 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth. It uses Intel Socket 1151, has a 65 W TDP, and includes integrated UHD Graphics 630. It also supports ECC memory, which is unusual for a desktop part. The Core i3 is end-of-life as well, launched in late 2018 with a launch MSRP of $122.

The most glaring difference is core count: 16 versus 4. Yet the Opteron’s Piledriver cores are far less efficient per thread than the Coffee Lake cores. The Opteron compensates with raw parallelism, but its 2.4% multicore advantage over a 4-core chip shows how much architectural ground Intel had gained by 2018. The Opteron’s quad-channel DDR3 memory bandwidth is 55% higher than the Core i3’s dual-channel DDR4, but the Intel part’s newer memory technology and higher clocks keep it competitive. PCIe also differs: the Opteron uses Gen 2, while the Core i3 uses Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU.

The Verdict

The data does not support a dramatic recommendation either way. The AMD Opteron 6380 wins every benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, which makes it the technically faster processor in this specific matchup. Its 16 cores and 16 threads provide a real, if modest, edge in Cinebench workloads, and the 2.4% to 2.6% delta is consistent across all tests. If the choice is purely about peak benchmark numbers, the Opteron is the winner.

However, the Core i3-9100E is not far behind at all. Its 4 cores and 4 threads deliver 93% to 97% of the Opteron’s performance, depending on the test, while drawing 50 W less power (65 W versus 115 W). It also offers a more modern platform: DDR4 memory, PCIe Gen 3, integrated graphics, and a much smaller die. The Opteron’s server heritage brings quad-channel memory bandwidth and ECC support, but the Core i3 also supports ECC, which narrows that gap.

The percentile ranking confirms the closeness: 40th versus 39th percentile among all CPUs. The Opteron’s average score of 1643 is just 2.4% above the Core i3’s 1605. In practical terms, any application that is not heavily multithreaded will see near-identical performance. The Opteron’s wins are real but narrow, and they come with a much older platform and higher power draw. For a system builder, the Core i3 offers the better balance of performance, efficiency, and platform longevity. The Opteron only makes sense if the workload specifically demands 16 physical cores and the server platform’s memory bandwidth.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has a higher single-core score in Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD Opteron 6380 scores 802 in Cinebench R23 single-core, while the Intel Core i3-9100E scores 783. The Opteron leads by 2.4%.

Q: How many cores and threads does each processor have?

A: The AMD Opteron 6380 has 16 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core i3-9100E has 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: What memory types do the two CPUs support?

A: The Opteron 6380 supports DDR3 with a quad-channel memory bus and 59.7 GB/s bandwidth. The Core i3-9100E supports DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and 38.4 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Does the Intel Core i3-9100E have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, it includes Intel UHD Graphics 630. The AMD Opteron 6380 has no integrated graphics.

Q: What are the TDP values for both CPUs?

A: The AMD Opteron 6380 has a 115 W TDP. The Intel Core i3-9100E has a 65 W TDP.

Q: Which CPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Opteron 6380 averages 1643, compared to the Intel Core i3-9100E’s 1605, a difference of 38 points.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Opteron 6380 wins every benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, so its case rests entirely on those numbers. The 2.4% to 2.6% advantage across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 applies to both single-core and multicore tests. This makes the Opteron the choice for anyone who prioritizes raw benchmark scores, even if the margins are small. Its 16 cores also provide headroom for heavily threaded workloads that can scale beyond 4 threads, though the recorded data does not include such tests. The quad-channel memory bus with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth is another point in its favor for memory-intensive server tasks.

The Intel Core i3-9100E wins on platform efficiency and modern features, even though it loses every benchmark. Its 65 W TDP is 50 W lower than the Opteron’s 115 W, which translates to less heat and potentially smaller cooling requirements. It supports DDR4 memory, which is faster per clock than DDR3, and its PCIe Gen 3 interface offers double the bandwidth of the Opteron’s PCIe Gen 2. The integrated UHD Graphics 630 eliminates the need for a discrete GPU in basic display output, which the Opteron cannot do. The Core i3 also has a much smaller die (126 mm² versus 2x 315 mm²) and a later release date, meaning a more modern platform overall.

For a practical builder, the Core i3-9100E is the easier recommendation: it delivers near-identical performance with half the power draw, newer memory, and integrated graphics. The Opteron 6380 is only preferable if the specific workload requires 16 physical cores and the server socket’s memory bandwidth, and even then, the benchmark deltas are too small to justify the platform age.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Opteron 6380 | Intel Core i3-9100E |

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

| Cores | 16 | 4 |

| Threads | 16 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 2.50 GHz | 3.10 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.40 GHz | 3.70 GHz |

| TDP | 115 W | 65 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket G34 | Intel Socket 1151 |

| Architecture | Piledriver | Coffee Lake |

| Process Node | 32 nm | 14 nm |

| Die Size | 2x 315 mm² | 126 mm² |

| Transistors | 2,400 million | Not listed |

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

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

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

| Memory Support | DDR3 | DDR4 |

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

| Memory Bandwidth | 59.7 GB/s | 38.4 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | Yes | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 2 | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | None | UHD Graphics 630 |

| Market Segment | Server/Workstation | Desktop |

| Release Date | 2012-11-04 | 2018-08-31 |

| Launch MSRP | $1088 | $122 |

The specification table highlights the generational gap. The Opteron leads in core count, cache size, memory bandwidth, and transistor count. The Core i3 leads in clock speeds, process node, PCIe generation, and power efficiency. The Core i3’s 4 cores at 3.10 GHz base and 3.70 GHz boost nearly match the Opteron’s 16 cores at 2.50 GHz and 3.40 GHz in Cinebench, which confirms how much single-thread performance improved between 2012 and 2018. The Opteron’s 2x 315 mm² die size versus the Core i3’s 126 mm² also shows the physical cost of the older process. Both CPUs support ECC memory, which is a rare commonality. The Core i3’s integrated graphics is the only feature the Opteron lacks entirely, and the 19-month release gap explains the platform improvements.