AMD Opteron 1385

Platform and Compatibility

The AMD Opteron 1385 is built on the K10 architecture under the codename "Suzuka," manufactured on GlobalFoundries' 45 nm process. It uses the AMD Socket AM3, which places it in a platform that bridges the DDR2 and DDR3 memory generations. Memory support is explicitly dependent on the motherboard, meaning the platform's memory type is not a fixed property of the CPU itself but rather a function of the board chosen. The memory bus is dual-channel, with a peak memory bandwidth of 21.3 GB/s, and ECC memory is supported—a critical feature for the server and workstation market segment this processor targets.

The CPU package contains 758 million transistors on a die size of 258 mm². PCIe support is Gen 2, which was contemporary for its 2009 release timeframe. Integrated graphics are not part of the CPU die; instead, graphics output is available "on certain motherboards" as a chipset feature, meaning the Opteron 1385 itself lacks any onboard GPU. This is typical for server-class parts, where discrete graphics or no graphics at all is the norm.

For upgrade path considerations, the AM3 socket historically supported a range of AMD processors, but the Opteron 1385 itself is end-of-life. The multiplier is locked, so overclocking headroom is not available through multiplier adjustment. The part number is OS1385WK4DGI, and the launch MSRP was $229. Market positioning is firmly in the Server/Workstation segment, which explains the ECC support, the 115 W TDP class, and the absence of integrated graphics on the CPU. The release date was June 2009, placing this part in the early DDR3 adoption period where boards commonly offered either DDR2 or DDR3 slots, hence the motherboard-dependent memory support.

Power and Thermals

The Opteron 1385 carries a 115 W TDP, which places it in the upper-mid range for desktop and workstation processors of its era. This TDP class implies the need for a capable air cooler—not a low-profile or stock-style slim cooler, but a tower-style heatsink or a high-quality downdraft cooler with a larger surface area. The 45 nm process node helps manage thermal density, but 115 W is still a substantial thermal load for a 4-core, 4-thread part.

For a server or workstation chassis, this TDP means the cooling solution must move air effectively through the socket area, particularly in rack-mounted systems where airflow is often front-to-back and constrained. The locked multiplier means there is no enthusiast overclocking path to consider, so the thermal requirement is fixed at the stock specification. The absence of a boost clock—the FACT PACK lists base clock at 2.70 GHz with no boost—means the CPU operates at a constant frequency, which simplifies thermal design: the cooling solution only needs to handle a steady-state load, not transient boost spikes.

Compared to the rival parts listed, the 115 W TDP is notable because several of those rivals are low-power or mobile parts. For example, the Intel Core i3-3220T is a 35 W-class part, and the Intel Core i5-3337U is a 17 W ultra-low-voltage mobile processor. The Opteron 1385 draws significantly more power, which is consistent with its server/workstation heritage and its older 45 nm manufacturing process. The AMD Phenom II X4 820, a desktop quad-core, would be in a similar TDP class, but that rival is not specified with a TDP in the FACT PACK, so no direct comparison is made here.

How It Compares

vs. Intel Core i3-3220T: The benchmark data shows these two processors are statistically tied, with an average score of 611 for both. The deltaPct is 0%, meaning the Opteron 1385 and the Core i3-3220T deliver identical average benchmark performance. This is striking because the i3-3220T is a much lower-power dual-core part with Hyper-Threading, while the Opteron is a 115 W quad-core. The Opteron's extra physical cores are offset by the i3-3220T's newer architecture and higher IPC, resulting in a dead heat.

vs. AMD Phenom II X4 820: The Phenom II X4 820 scores 612 on average, which is 0.2% higher than the Opteron 1385's 611. This delta is within margin of error, so the two AMD quad-cores perform essentially identically. Both are K10-based, 45 nm parts with 4 cores and 4 threads, so the near-identical scores make architectural sense. The Opteron's ECC support and server validation are the differentiators, not raw performance.

vs. Intel Core i5-3337U: The i5-3337U scores 609, which is 0.3% lower than the Opteron's 611. Again, this is a negligible difference. The i5-3337U is a dual-core ultra-low-voltage mobile processor with a 17 W TDP, yet it matches a 115 W server quad-core from an older generation. This highlights how much efficiency improved between 2009 and 2012-era silicon.

vs. Intel Core i3-2125: The i3-2125 scores 608, which is 0.4% lower than the Opteron's 611. This is the largest delta among the four rivals, but 0.4% is still effectively a tie. The i3-2125 is a dual-core desktop part with a higher clock speed than the i3-3220T, yet it still cannot outperform the Opteron 1385 by any meaningful margin. The Opteron's quad-core configuration gives it a slight edge in this matchup, though the difference is far too small to be perceptible in real-world use.

FAQ

Q: Does the AMD Opteron 1385 support ECC memory?

A: Yes, ECC memory support is listed as true, which is a key feature for its Server/Workstation market segment.

Q: What is the base clock speed of the Opteron 1385?

A: The base clock is 2.70 GHz. There is no boost clock listed, so the processor runs at a fixed frequency.

Q: Does this processor have integrated graphics?

A: No, not on the CPU die itself. Integrated graphics are available only "on certain motherboards" as a chipset feature.

Q: What memory types does the Opteron 1385 support?

A: It supports both DDR2 and DDR3, but the specific type depends on the motherboard. The memory bus is dual-channel with 21.3 GB/s peak bandwidth.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked for overclocking?

A: No, the multiplier is locked, so overclocking via multiplier adjustment is not possible.

Q: What is the production status of this processor?

A: The production status is end-of-life. It was released on June 1, 2009.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark results for the AMD Opteron 1385 show a processor that is thoroughly mid-pack in the modern CPU landscape. The percentile vs. all CPUs is 14, meaning this part performs better than only 14% of all processors in the benchmark database. The average benchmark score is 611, which places it in a cluster of four closely matched rivals, none of which deviate from the Opteron's score by more than 0.4%.

Looking at Cinebench results specifically, the multi-core scores scale predictably with the benchmark's increasing workload demands. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Opteron 1385 scores 178. Moving to Cinebench R20 multi-core, the score jumps to 745—a 4.19x increase that reflects the heavier workload of R20. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the score is 1775, which is 2.38x higher than the R20 score. This scaling pattern is normal for Cinebench versions, as each iteration introduces more demanding rendering tasks.

Single-core performance tells a different story. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Opteron scores 105. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 250, a 2.38x increase that mirrors the multi-core scaling between those two versions. The single-core scores are modest, which is consistent with a 2.70 GHz K10 core from 2009. Modern processors often score several times higher in single-core tests, which explains the low 14th percentile ranking.

The nearest rival comparisons are remarkably tight. The Intel Core i3-3220T matches the Opteron 1385 exactly at 611 average score with a 0% delta. The AMD Phenom II X4 820 is 0.2% faster at 612. The Intel Core i5-3337U is 0.3% slower at 609. The Intel Core i3-2125 is 0.4% slower at 608. These deltas are all within noise—no rival is meaningfully faster or slower. The Opteron 1385 sits in a performance dead zone where architectural differences and core counts cancel out, leaving a cluster of processors from different vendors and generations at essentially identical performance levels.

What this means in practice is that the Opteron 1385, despite being a server-class part with ECC support and a 115 W TDP, delivers performance equivalent to low-power dual-core Intel parts from a few years later. The 45 nm process and K10 architecture are simply outclassed in efficiency, though not dramatically in raw throughput for these specific workloads. The 14th percentile ranking across all CPUs confirms that this processor is not competitive with modern mid-range or even entry-level parts, but within its own generation and immediate successors, it holds its own among quad-core and dual-core contemporaries.