AMD Opteron 6380 vs Intel Core i7-4770HQ Comparison

Intel Core i7-4770HQ and AMD Opteron 6380 are both end-of-life processors occupying the same 40th percentile of all CPUs, yet they represent opposite ends of the hardware spectrum. The i7-4770HQ is a 47W mobile part with integrated graphics, while the Opteron 6380 is a 115W server chip with 16 physical cores. Despite the Opteron’s core-count advantage, benchmark data shows it leads the i7-4770HQ by roughly 10% across every Cinebench test, making this comparison less about raw speed and more about platform purpose and efficiency.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more physical cores?

A: The AMD Opteron 6380 has 16 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Core i7-4770HQ has 4 cores and 8 threads. The Opteron’s thread count equals its core count, whereas the Intel part uses Hyper-Threading to double its thread count.

Q: How much faster is the Opteron 6380 in multi-core workloads?

A: The Opteron 6380 wins every multi-core benchmark by 10.1% to 10.2%. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 5683 versus the i7-4770HQ’s 5106, a delta of -10.2% for the Intel chip.

Q: Does the Intel chip have any benchmark wins?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows the Opteron 6380 winning all 6 benchmark tests, covering both single-core and multi-core workloads across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The Opteron 6380 uses quad-channel DDR3 with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth, while the i7-4770HQ uses dual-channel DDR3 with 25.6 GB/s. The Opteron offers more than double the memory bandwidth.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: Only the Intel Core i7-4770HQ has integrated graphics, specifically Intel HD 5200. The AMD Opteron 6380 has no integrated GPU, requiring a discrete graphics card for display output.

Q: What are the launch MSRP values?

A: The AMD Opteron 6380 has a launch MSRP of $1088. The Intel Core i7-4770HQ has no launch MSRP listed in the data.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The Intel Core i7-4770HQ uses the Haswell architecture with the Crystalwell codename, built on Intel’s 22 nm process with 1,400 million transistors on a 264 mm² die. It features 4 cores and 8 threads per core, with a 64 KB L1 cache per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The chip is designed for mobile platforms, fitting the Intel BGA 1364 socket.

The AMD Opteron 6380 uses the Piledriver architecture with the Abu Dhabi codename, manufactured by GlobalFoundries on a 32 nm process. It packs 2,400 million transistors across a dual-die design, with each die measuring 315 mm² for a total of 2x 315 mm². This server/workstation part has 16 cores and 16 threads, with a larger cache hierarchy: 768 KB L1 total, 2 MB L2 per module, and 8 MB L3 per die. It uses the AMD Socket G34 and supports ECC memory, a feature absent from the Intel mobile chip.

Process node differences are significant: Intel’s 22 nm is denser than AMD’s 32 nm, allowing the i7-4770HQ to pack more transistors per area despite having fewer total transistors. The Intel chip also supports PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Opteron 6380 only supports PCIe Gen 2. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is not officially supported on either.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Opteron 6380 wins every benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, making it the clear performance leader in this matchup. Its advantage holds across both single-core and multi-core tests, with delta percentages consistently around -10%. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Opteron scores 5683 versus 5106 for the Intel chip, a difference of 577 points. The same pattern appears in single-core: 802 versus 720, giving the Opteron a 10.2% lead.

The Intel Core i7-4770HQ’s strengths lie outside raw benchmark numbers. Its 47W TDP makes it suitable for mobile systems, whereas the Opteron 6380 demands 115W. The Intel chip includes integrated Intel HD 5200 graphics, eliminating the need for a separate GPU in basic systems. Its smaller die size and transistor count also suggest lower manufacturing complexity, though both parts are end-of-life.

For use cases, the Opteron 6380 targets server and workstation workloads where multi-threaded performance and ECC memory support matter. The i7-4770HQ is a mobile processor for laptops or compact systems where power efficiency and integrated graphics take priority. The data shows the Opteron dominating in computational throughput, but the Intel chip offers platform flexibility that the AMD part cannot match.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i7-4770HQ | AMD Opteron 6380 |

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

| Cores | 4 | 16 |

| Threads | 8 | 16 |

| Base Clock | 2.20 GHz | 2.50 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.40 GHz | 3.40 GHz |

| TDP | 47 W | 115 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 1364 | AMD Socket G34 |

| Architecture | Haswell | Piledriver |

| Codename | Crystalwell | Abu Dhabi |

| Process Node | 22 nm | 32 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | GlobalFoundries |

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

| Die Size | 264 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 Support | DDR3 | DDR3 |

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

| Memory Bandwidth | 25.6 GB/s | 59.7 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 16 Lanes | Gen 2 |

| Integrated Graphics | Intel HD 5200 | None |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Server/Workstation |

| Release Date | 2014-06-30 | 2012-11-04 |

| Part Number | SR1ZW | OS6380WKTGGHK |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results are one-sided, with the AMD Opteron 6380 winning all six tests. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Opteron scores 572 against the i7-4770HQ’s 514, a 10.1% advantage. The single-core R15 test shows a similar gap: 80 versus 72, also 10%. These early results establish a pattern that persists throughout the benchmark suite.

Cinebench R20 continues the trend. The multi-core test gives the Opteron 2386 points versus 2144 for the Intel chip, another 10.1% lead. Single-core R20 shows 336 against 302, matching the 10.1% delta. The consistency of these margins suggests the performance difference is structural rather than workload-specific, likely stemming from the Opteron’s higher base clock of 2.50 GHz versus 2.20 GHz, combined with its superior memory bandwidth.

The largest absolute differences appear in Cinebench R23. Multi-core results show the Opteron scoring 5683, which is 577 points higher than the i7-4770HQ’s 5106, a 10.2% delta. Single-core R23 gives the Opteron 802 versus 720, again a 10.2% gap. Across all three Cinebench versions, the percentage difference never deviates beyond 0.2%, indicating that the Opteron’s advantage scales uniformly regardless of workload intensity.

The i7-4770HQ does have additional Geekbench scores not present for the Opteron: 3407 multi-core and 1013 single-core. However, since the Opteron lacks corresponding Geekbench results, these cannot be compared directly. The Opteron’s average benchmark score of 1643 is slightly lower than the i7-4770HQ’s 1660, but this average includes different test distributions. In the head-to-head tests that matter, the Opteron 6380 is consistently 10% ahead, making it the stronger performer in this direct comparison despite its older release date and larger process node.