AMD Opteron 3350 HE

The AMD Opteron 3350 HE is a 4-core, 4-thread K10 server/workstation processor built for AMD Socket AM3+. It runs at a 2.80 GHz base clock and a 3.80 GHz boost clock, with a 45W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB L1, 4 MB L2, and 8 MB shared L3. Its launch MSRP was $125. In aggregate benchmarking, the Opteron 3350 HE scores 789, which places it in the 20th percentile of all CPUs and within a very narrow band of its nearest rivals.

Platform and Compatibility

The Opteron 3350 HE is a Socket AM3+ part, placing it in the DDR3 era of AMD platforms. It supports DDR3 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with memory bandwidth rated at 29.9 GB/s. The memory controller does not support ECC, according to the data, which is worth noting for a processor aimed at the server/workstation segment. PCIe connectivity is Gen 2, so expansion and storage devices will operate on that generation of the interface.

The processor has no integrated graphics block of its own. Graphics output is available only on certain motherboards as a chipset feature, meaning the motherboard choice determines whether video output exists at all. This is consistent with a server/workstation part where a discrete GPU or a chipset-provided framebuffer is expected. The product was released in December 2012 and is now listed as end-of-life, so the practical upgrade path is confined to the AM3+ ecosystem. Any platform-level move to a different memory type or newer PCIe generation would require a different motherboard and CPU. The locked multiplier further limits the kind of tweaking an owner can do, as the part number OS3350HOW4KHK identifies a fixed-clock SKU.

Power and Thermals

The 45W TDP is the defining thermal figure for this processor. It places the Opteron 3350 HE in a low-power class, which is notable for a server/workstation chip. The underlying silicon is a 32 nm GlobalFoundries design with 1,200 million transistors on a 315 mm² die. That physical configuration, paired with a 45W envelope, means cooling requirements are modest compared to higher-power workstation processors. A capable standard server-style cooler should be sufficient; the data does not indicate a need for exotic cooling hardware.

The low TDP also has system-level consequences. A motherboard in a dense chassis can allocate less thermal budget to the CPU and more to surrounding components. Because the multiplier is locked, there is no unlocked-clock adjustment path implied by the data. The thermal behavior should therefore be predictable: the processor draws up to its 45W class under load and idles at whatever the motherboard and power management allow. For users prioritizing power efficiency in a server context, the 45W figure is a strong signal.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The benchmark data shows a clear split between single-thread and multi-thread performance. In Cinebench R20, the single-core score is 135, while the multi-core score is 963. In Cinebench R23, the single-core score is 323, and the multi-core score is 2294. The older Cinebench R15 result is a multi-core score of 231. The pattern is consistent: multi-threaded performance is much higher than single-threaded performance, which is expected for a 4-core, 4-thread processor.

For real workloads, the split means that lightly threaded tasks are limited by the single-core speed of the K10 architecture and the 3.80 GHz boost clock. These tasks will feel the modest single-thread score. Workloads that can use all four threads will extract substantially more throughput, as the multi-core scores show. However, the processor has exactly 4 threads, so any workload with more than four concurrent hardware threads will need to schedule around that limit. The data therefore points to a part best used in environments where the workload is parallel but fits within four threads, rather than high-concurrency or high-single-thread-demand scenarios.

How It Compares

The Opteron 3350 HE sits in a tight cluster of rivals. Its average benchmark score of 789 is 0.3% above the Intel Core i5-3340M, which scores 787. This is effectively a statistical tie. The two processors will trade places depending on the benchmark set and workload characteristics.

Against the AMD A10-5800B, the Opteron trails by 0.6%. The A10-5800B has an average score of 794, so the Opteron is just a few points behind in aggregate. The margin is small enough that individual Cinebench tests can favor either part.

The AMD A6-9400 also scores 794, and the Opteron is 0.7% behind it. This is another near-tie, with the same 789-to-794 aggregate gap. The Opteron is neither meaningfully faster nor slower in this comparison.

The Intel Celeron G5900 scores 783, and the Opteron leads it by 0.8%. This is the largest delta in either direction among the nearest rivals, but it is still a narrow margin. Overall, the data shows the Opteron 3350 HE competing in a performance band where no rival has a decisive advantage.

Benchmark Performance

The average benchmark score of 789 is the central reference point for the Opteron 3350 HE. The 20th percentile standing indicates that the majority of CPUs in the database score higher, so this is a low-to-mid-range result in absolute terms. The nearest-rival deltas confirm that the Opteron is not an outlier: it is separated from the Intel Core i5-3340M by 0.3%, from the AMD A10-5800B by 0.6%, from the AMD A6-9400 by 0.7%, and from the Intel Celeron G5900 by 0.8%.

Looking at the Cinebench scores, the multi-core results dominate. Cinebench R20 multi-core is 963, and Cinebench R23 multi-core is 2294. The single-core scores are much lower: 135 in R20 and 323 in R23. This gap is the key performance characteristic. The processor clearly favors workloads that use all four threads, while single-threaded performance is not its strength. The Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 231 is the only older-generation result available, and it follows the same trend.

The aggregate 789 score is the number used for ranking and rival comparisons. Because the deltaPct values are all under 1%, the benchmark results indicate that the Opteron 3350 HE is not dramatically better or worse than any of its closest competitors. Instead, it sits inside a dense cluster of similarly performing CPUs.

Who Should Consider It

The Opteron 3350 HE is appropriate for server or workstation installations where the 45W TDP and 4-thread execution are sufficient for the workload. It is not a high-end compute part; the 20th percentile aggregate score makes that clear. For workloads that consistently use all 4 threads, the multi-core Cinebench results show useful throughput. For creation workflows that can split across four threads, the R23 multi-core score of 2294 is the relevant figure, but adding more threads is not possible on this CPU.

Gaming use cases are more limited. The single-core scores in R20 and R23 are 135 and 323, respectively, which indicate modest single-thread performance. Games that are heavily reliant on one thread will likely be constrained by that figure. Additionally, there is no integrated graphics on the processor itself, so a chipset-provided display output or a separate graphics card is required for any visual output.

Office-style and light server workloads that are not single-thread-dominated may fit the Opteron fine, especially if the motherboard already supports the required DDR3 memory and PCIe Gen 2 devices. However, the lack of ECC support is a potential concern for server environments where error-correcting memory is expected. The data lists ECC as false, so this is not a feature of the part. Overall, the Opteron 3350 HE is best suited to fixed AM3+ platforms with modest power budgets and workloads that fit within four threads.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the AMD Opteron 3350 HE use?

A: It uses AMD Socket AM3+.

Q: What is the TDP of the AMD Opteron 3350 HE?

A: The TDP is 45W.

Q: Does the AMD Opteron 3350 HE support ECC memory?

A: No, the data lists ECC support as false.

Q: Does the AMD Opteron 3350 HE have integrated graphics?

A: No. Graphics are available only on certain motherboards as a chipset feature, not on the processor itself.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked on the AMD Opteron 3350 HE?

A: No, the multiplierUnlocked field is false.

Q: What memory configuration does the AMD Opteron 3350 HE support?

A: It supports DDR3 memory in dual-channel mode, with 29.9 GB/s of memory bandwidth.