AMD Opteron 2360 SE (B3)

How It Compares

The AMD Opteron 2360 SE (B3) holds a median position in the broader CPU landscape, sitting at the 50th percentile against all processors in the database. This places it exactly in the middle of the pack, neither a standout performer nor a laggard, which is consistent with its role as a server/workstation part from the Barcelona generation.

There are no nearest rivals listed in the benchmark data for this processor, which means direct comparative analysis against specific competing models is not possible from the available facts. The absence of rival entries in the data set indicates that this Opteron's benchmark profile is isolated in the current database, though its percentile ranking still provides a meaningful reference point for its overall standing.

The lack of rival scores does not diminish the utility of the percentile data. A 50th percentile rank against all CPUs suggests that in synthetic workloads, this processor delivers performance that is typical for the era and market segment it occupies. For a quad-core, quad-thread server part from 2008, this median placement reflects a design that was competitive at launch but has since been surpassed by subsequent generations.

Power and Thermals

The Opteron 2360 SE carries a TDP of 119 watts, placing it in a power class that requires serious thermal management. This is not a chip that can be cooled by a minimalist heatsink; the thermal design point demands a robust cooling solution capable of dissipating nearly 120 watts of heat under sustained load.

Given the 119W TDP, a capable air cooler with a substantial heatsink and a high-static-pressure fan would be the minimum viable option for most server chassis. In a workstation or server environment, this typically translates to either a tower-style cooler with multiple heat pipes or a high-end downdraft cooler designed for socket FR2 compatibility. Data center deployments would likely employ chassis-level forced airflow to keep this processor within operating temperatures.

The 65 nm process node and 463 million transistors on a 285 mm² die contribute to this thermal profile. The relatively large die area for the era spreads heat across a wider surface, which can be advantageous for thermal transfer, but the 119W envelope remains the dominant factor in cooling selection. The end-of-life production status means that system builders today would need to source cooling solutions based on socket compatibility rather than current retail availability.

Benchmark Performance

The Opteron 2360 SE has an average benchmark score of zero, which is a placeholder indicating that no direct benchmark results are stored in the database for this processor. The percentile vs all CPUs of 50, however, provides a meaningful signal: this chip performs at the median level across the entire spectrum of tested processors.

Without specific benchmark scores or rival deltas, the quantitative analysis must rely on the architectural facts. The processor runs at a base clock of 2.50 GHz with no boost clock, meaning its operating frequency is fixed. Four cores and four threads indicate no hyper-threading or SMT, so each core handles exactly one thread. This configuration is typical for server workloads of the 2008 era, where multi-threaded throughput was prioritized over single-thread responsiveness.

The cache hierarchy shows 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 2 MB L3 cache. This 2 MB shared pool is modest by modern standards but was competitive for the Barcelona architecture. The dual-channel memory bus with 10.7 GB/s of bandwidth and DDR2 support completes the memory subsystem picture. For server workloads that are memory-bandwidth sensitive, the 10.7 GB/s figure represents the ceiling for data movement between RAM and CPU.

Given that the percentile rank is exactly 50, the data implies that half of the tested CPUs outperform this Opteron and half underperform it. This is a useful anchor point: in a mixed workload suite, the 2360 SE would land in the middle of the distribution, which is a reasonable outcome for a quad-core server part from its generation.

FAQ

Q: What is the processor's production status?

A: The AMD Opteron 2360 SE (B3) is marked as end-of-life, meaning AMD has discontinued production and it is no longer an active product line.

Q: Does this processor support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the Opteron 2360 SE supports ECC memory, which is a critical feature for server and workstation reliability requirements.

Q: What is the socket type for this processor?

A: The processor uses AMD Socket Fr2, which is the socket associated with the Barcelona generation of Opteron processors.

Q: How much L3 cache does the processor have?

A: The processor has 2 MB of shared L3 cache, which is accessible to all four cores.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of this processor?

A: The dual-channel memory bus provides 10.7 GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is the maximum theoretical throughput for DDR2 memory on this platform.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked for overclocking?

A: No, the multiplier is locked, meaning the processor does not support multiplier-based overclocking.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The Opteron 2360 SE presents a clear division between single-thread and multi-thread performance characteristics, driven by its fixed 2.50 GHz clock and lack of boost capability. Without a boost clock, the processor cannot dynamically increase frequency on lightly-threaded workloads, which means single-thread performance is strictly a function of the architecture at that clock speed. The Barcelona architecture, with its 65 nm process and 463 million transistors, was designed for throughput rather than latency-sensitive single-thread response.

For multi-threaded workloads, the four physical cores provide genuine parallel execution across four threads. Since there is no SMT, each core handles exactly one thread, which can be advantageous for predictable performance in virtualized or database environments where thread isolation matters. The shared 2 MB L3 cache helps reduce memory latency for frequently accessed data across cores, but the modest cache size relative to modern processors means that working sets larger than 2 MB will spill to system memory over the 10.7 GB/s DDR2 bus.

The 50th percentile ranking suggests that in mixed workloads, the processor's single-thread performance is adequate but not exceptional, while its multi-thread capability with four cores can hold its own against similarly-positioned parts. The fixed 2.50 GHz clock is a double-edged sword: it provides consistent, predictable performance without thermal or power spikes, but it also means there is no headroom for burst workloads that benefit from temporary frequency boosts.

In real-world server applications, this split implies that the processor is better suited for multi-threaded batch processing, such as compilation jobs, database queries with parallel execution plans, or virtualization hosts running multiple modestly-threaded VMs. For single-threaded latency-critical tasks, such as interactive user sessions or low-latency trading applications, the fixed clock and lack of boost will be a limiting factor. The 119W TDP and server market segment reinforce this interpretation: this is a processor designed to churn through parallel workloads steadily, not to spike on single-threaded requests.