AMD Opteron 4240

AMD Opteron 4240 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor built on the Bulldozer architecture and codenamed Valencia. It runs at a 3.40 GHz base clock and a 3.80 GHz boost clock, and it is packaged for AMD Socket C32. The listing records dual-channel DDR3 memory support with 25.6 GB/s bandwidth, ECC memory support, and PCIe Gen 2. Built by GlobalFoundries on a 32 nm process, the die contains 1,200 million transistors across 315 mm². It carries a 95 W TDP and a launch MSRP of $316.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

Six cores with six threads means the processor does not expose any additional logical threads. Every running thread occupies one of six physical cores. The performance split in the data is therefore defined by clock speed and core count rather than by any extra thread-parallel capacity. The 3.40 GHz base clock is the sustained reference for normal operation, and the 3.80 GHz boost clock is the ceiling for lightly threaded bursts.

Real workloads sit along a spectrum. A single-thread-bound process is governed by the 3.80 GHz boost ceiling. A process that can use six or fewer parallel threads can occupy all six cores, but the fact pack does not state how long all-core operation can sustain boost. Workloads with more than six threads will be time-sliced across the six physical cores, so throughput cannot scale beyond six simultaneous threads.

The memory subsystem also shapes the single-thread versus multi-thread split. The dual-channel DDR3 interface delivers 25.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth. A single worker thread is unlikely to saturate that channel, while a multi-threaded data-streaming workload may come closer to the platform’s bandwidth limit. Between the cores and memory, the cache hierarchy provides 288 KB of L1 cache, 6 MB of L2 cache, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. That shared L3 is a common pool for all six cores, so it can help workloads whose working sets are shared across threads.

The practical result is a processor that is balanced between a modest single-thread ceiling and a moderate six-thread capacity. The equal core and thread counts make the multi-thread behavior straightforward: there are exactly six threads available, and no more. The boost clock is the key number for latency-sensitive tasks, while the six-core arrangement is the key number for throughput-oriented tasks.

Platform and Compatibility

The Opteron 4240 mounts in AMD Socket C32, and the generation field identifies the product family as Opteron (Valencia). The architecture is Bulldozer. GlobalFoundries produces the chip on a 32 nm process, with 1,200 million transistors on a 315 mm² die. The part number is OS4240WLU6KGU, and the production status is end-of-life. The release date is June 3, 2012.

Memory support is DDR3 in a dual-channel configuration. The listed memory bandwidth is 25.6 GB/s. ECC memory support is present, which is an important feature for server and workstation environments where memory corruption is unacceptable. The PCIe interface is Gen 2; the fact pack does not list a lane count. For platform builds, this means expansion devices and storage controllers will be limited to the Gen 2 generation.

There is no integrated graphics in the listing, so a separate graphics adapter is required for any display output. The multiplier is not unlocked, so the processor’s internal clock ratios are fixed by the part rather than exposed for direct frequency multiplication. The C32 socket and the DDR3 memory controller are the fixed compatibility boundaries. Because the part is end-of-life, the useful platform life is tied to existing C32 motherboards; the fact pack does not document any additional compatible processors.

The combination of Socket C32, dual-channel DDR3, and PCIe Gen 2 defines a legacy server platform. Anyone planning a new system around this processor must work within those constraints. The memory bandwidth is 25.6 GB/s, the interface generation is Gen 2, and there is no integrated graphics path. These are the platform limits that matter for compatibility.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark section of the fact pack contains no individual test scores and no nearest-rival entries. The average benchmark score is listed as 0, which should be read as an absent measurement rather than a literal result. The percentile rank against all CPUs is 50, placing the processor at the midpoint of the database’s comparison distribution. Without nearest-rival deltas, this page cannot cite exact percentage advantages or disadvantages; the nearestRivals field is empty, so there are no deltaPct values to reference.

Given that absence, the most defensible performance statements come from the structural data. At 3.40 GHz base and 3.80 GHz boost, the Opteron 4240 is a mid-frequency six-thread server part. The 50th percentile rank supports the characterization of a middle-of-the-pack CPU, but the lack of scores means no per-application ranking is available. This is an important caveat for any comparison to later processors.

The meaningful performance envelope is defined by six threads, a 3.80 GHz single-thread ceiling, 6 MB of L2 cache, 8 MB of shared L3 cache, and 25.6 GB/s of DDR3 memory bandwidth. Those values describe what the processor can do better than an empty benchmark list can. The data does not support statements such as “30% ahead” or “20% behind” any rival, because no rival entries are present. The only exact comparative signal in the entire benchmark section is the 50th percentile position.

For anyone reading the database, the practical conclusion is that the Opteron 4240 is a moderate six-thread server chip. Clock rates are mid-range, thread count is moderate, and memory bandwidth is typical of dual-channel DDR3. The average benchmark score of 0 is a data placeholder, not a measure of zero performance.

Who Should Consider It

The processor is listed for the server/workstation market segment. It fits workloads that can be partitioned into up to six threads and that benefit from ECC memory support. A server running several light virtual machines or a workstation handling parallel compilation could use all six cores, although the fact pack does not list application-specific benchmarks to confirm any particular software result.

Single-thread-sensitive workloads, including many office productivity tasks, will be driven by the 3.80 GHz boost clock rather than by the core count. Because the CPU has no integrated graphics, any such system still needs a separate graphics adapter. Gaming is possible only with an add-in graphics card, and the fact pack contains no gaming-specific scores, so direct gaming performance statements are not supported.

Multithreaded content-creation workloads, such as rendering or encoding tasks that split into multiple threads, can use all six cores. Their memory access will be constrained by the dual-channel DDR3 interface at 25.6 GB/s and the shared 8 MB L3 cache. The 6 MB L2 provides additional on-die storage for working sets. Workloads that require more than six concurrent threads will be time-sliced, because the processor exposes exactly six threads.

Workloads that depend on a newer PCIe generation than Gen 2 would also hit a platform limit. The locked multiplier removes direct frequency tuning as an option. The end-of-life production status means the processor is not a forward-looking choice for new platforms. It is instead a candidate for maintaining or populating existing C32 systems where the socket, memory type, and PCIe generation are already fixed.

Power and Thermals

The listed TDP is 95 W. That is the thermal design power class for the part, and cooling should be selected to handle a 95 W processor. The underlying process is GlobalFoundries’ 32 nm node, and the die is 315 mm² with 1,200 million transistors. This combination of six cores, shared L3 cache, and an integrated memory interface contributes to the 95 W envelope.

The fact pack does not include cooler specifications, so the data supports only a general cooling statement: the Opteron 4240 belongs in the 95 W TDP class. A capable air cooler designed for that class should be suitable, though the database does not contain the measurements needed to verify thermal performance under load. The 32 nm process is part of the power picture, as is the 315 mm² die size. No measured power draw or thermal test results are provided, so the 95 W TDP remains the only quantification available.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the AMD Opteron 4240 use?

A: It uses AMD Socket C32.

Q: Does the Opteron 4240 support ECC memory?

A: Yes. The fact pack lists ECC memory support as true, with DDR3 in a dual-channel configuration.

Q: How many cores and threads does it have?

A: Six cores and six threads, meaning there is one thread per core and no additional logical threads.

Q: What are the base and boost clocks?

A: The base clock is 3.40 GHz and the boost clock is 3.80 GHz.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked?

A: No. The multiplierUnlocked field is false.

Q: When was the Opteron 4240 released?

A: The release date is June 3, 2012.