AMD Opteron 4234

The AMD Opteron 4234 is a server/workstation processor from the Opteron (Valencia) generation, released on 2011-11-13 in the Bulldozer architecture. It is manufactured by AMD at GlobalFoundries on a 32 nm process, integrating 1,200 million transistors on a 315 mm² die. The chip uses AMD Socket C32 and is listed with part number OS4234WLU6KGU. Its launch MSRP was $174. The CPU contains six cores and six threads, with a base clock of 3.10 GHz and a boost clock of 3.50 GHz. Cache is 288 KB L1, 6 MB L2, and 8 MB shared L3. Memory support is dual-channel DDR3 with 25.6 GB/s bandwidth and ECC support. The production status is end-of-life.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior — what the split means for real workloads

Six cores and six threads means no hardware multithreading is recorded. A single-threaded workload has a single core available to reach the 3.50 GHz boost clock; the base rating is 3.10 GHz. Multi-threaded workloads can use all six cores, but the configured thread ceiling is six. The 8 MB L3 is shared across the processor, while the 6 MB L2 and 288 KB L1 are the other cache layers. The dual-channel DDR3 interface provides 25.6 GB/s, a shared resource for all active threads. The 50th percentile position in the database gives a broad ranking, yet there are no per-thread benchmark entries in this record to show the single-thread versus multi-thread performance split. For real workloads, this split means lightly threaded control, management, or latency-sensitive server tasks can lean on the 3.50 GHz boost rating; work that parallelizes into six threads has six physical cores but no extra logical threads beyond that.

Power and Thermals — TDP class, what cooling tier it implies

The TDP is 95 W. The FACT PACK records no cooling solution, so the 95 W figure is the thermal planning class. The 32 nm GlobalFoundries process, 1,200 million transistors, and 315 mm² die area are the manufacturing characteristics that accompany that TDP. Because the record lists no integrated graphics, the package does not carry a graphics block that would add to the thermal load. With six cores and six threads at 3.10 GHz base and 3.50 GHz boost, the 95 W TDP class is the figure a heatsink or chassis must accommodate. The cooling tier implied by the data is a 95 W-class solution; the FACT PACK does not specify a particular cooler model. The data does not list idle power or measured thermals.

Benchmark Performance — analyze scores vs rivals with exact % deltas

The benchmark section of the FACT PACK is empty. The avgBenchmarkScore is 0, and the percentileVsAllCpus is 50. nearestRivals is empty. As a result, there are no named rivals, no scores, and no deltaPct values in this record. The 0 score is the only numeric benchmark field, but without benchmark entries it cannot be read as a measured workload result. The 50th percentile places the part at the middle of the database distribution, but because the benchmark array is empty, that placement is not backed by per-test scores. What can be used for performance reasoning is the architecture: six cores and six threads, 3.10 GHz base, 3.50 GHz boost, 288 KB L1, 6 MB L2, 8 MB shared L3, and 25.6 GB/s dual-channel DDR3 memory. These are the parameters that determine how a compiled workload would use the processor. The empty nearestRivals field also prevents percentage comparisons such as “ahead of X” or “behind Y”. No such statement can be made from this data.

Who Should Consider It — workload-based recommendations (gaming, creation, office) grounded in the scores

The intended market segment is server/workstation, so this is not a client gaming processor. Workloads that need six physical threads and ECC memory are the natural fit. The dual-channel DDR3 support with 25.6 GB/s bandwidth gives a defined memory path for server workloads. The 8 MB shared L3 and 6 MB L2 provide cache capacity that heavily threaded server tasks can use, though exact hit rates depend on the workload. For gaming, no integrated graphics is listed, so a system that needs display output must use a separate graphics solution; the PCIe Gen 2 interface is the expansion path. For creation, tasks that scale to six threads can use every core, and the 3.50 GHz boost helps lightly threaded parts of a creation workload. For office or general server duty, the six-thread ceiling bounds concurrent heavy threads at six; workloads that need more than six hardware threads would saturate the CPU. ECC memory support makes the chip suitable for memory-reliability-sensitive environments. The empty benchmark record means no performance score is available to compare workloads; selection should be based on the socket, memory support, TDP class, and thread count.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the AMD Opteron 4234 use?

A: AMD Socket C32.

Q: Does it support ECC memory?

A: Yes. The FACT PACK lists ECC memory support as true.

Q: What memory type and bus does it support?

A: DDR3 memory on a dual-channel memory bus, with 25.6 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: How many cores and threads does it have?

A: Six cores and six threads.

Q: What are the base and boost clocks?

A: The base clock is 3.10 GHz and the boost clock is 3.50 GHz.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked?

A: No. The FACT PACK lists multiplierUnlocked as false.

Platform and Compatibility — socket, memory support, PCIe, upgrade path

The Opteron 4234 is designed for AMD Socket C32, with the Bulldozer architecture and Valencia codename. Its generation is Opteron (Valencia). The chip is built on the 32 nm process from GlobalFoundries. It supports DDR3 memory through a dual-channel memory bus, with 25.6 GB/s bandwidth and ECC enabled. Expansion is PCIe Gen 2. The record lists no integrated graphics, so display output requires a separate graphics solution. The memory support in the FACT PACK includes DDR3 only. The part number is OS4234WLU6KGU. The production status is end-of-life, and the release date is 2011-11-13. The multiplier is not unlocked, so the processor is not equipped with an unlocked multiplier. The upgrade path is tied to the C32 socket and DDR3 memory standard; the FACT PACK does not list any other processor options for this socket, so no specific drop-in upgrades can be named from this data.

How It Compares — position vs each nearest rival, one short paragraph per rival

The nearestRivals field is empty. There are no rival names, no rival benchmark scores, and no rival deltaPct values in the record. The only comparative field in the FACT PACK is percentileVsAllCpus, which is 50. This places the Opteron 4234 in the middle of the database’s CPU distribution, but without nearest rivals the comparison cannot be expressed as a percentage distance to another named chip. The record contains no rivals.