AMD Opteron 6272

The AMD Opteron 6272 is a 16-core, 16-thread server processor built on the Bulldozer architecture and codenamed Interlagos. Released in November 2011 for the AMD Socket G34 platform, this 32 nm part from GlobalFoundries integrates 2,400 million transistors across a dual-die package with a 2x 315 mm² footprint. Benchmark data places it in the 36th percentile of all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 1288, positioning it as a mid-pack legacy server chip whose performance profile is best understood through its specific workload characteristics.

Benchmark Performance

The Opteron 6272's aggregate benchmark score of 1288 places it in a tight cluster of competitors, with its nearest rivals separated by less than one percent. The data shows a delta of just 0.1% against the Intel Core i5-4670R, which scores 1286, making the two processors statistically equivalent in overall throughput. Similarly, the Opteron edges out the Intel Xeon D-1527 (1281) by 0.5%, the Intel Core i3-10110U (1279) by 0.7%, and the Intel Core i7-3610QE (1279) by 0.7%. These margins are negligible in real-world terms, indicating that the Opteron 6272 holds its own against a range of desktop and server parts from different eras, despite its age and server-oriented design.

Looking at modern rendering workloads, the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 4454 reveals the processor's raw parallel capability. This figure, when compared against the single-core score of 628, shows a multi-threaded scaling ratio of roughly 7.1x across its 16 physical cores — a modest efficiency that reflects the Bulldozer architecture's shared module resources. In Cinebench R20, the multi-core score of 1870 and single-core score of 263 follow the same pattern, while the older Cinebench R15 results show 448 multi-core and 63 single-core. These numbers indicate that while the Opteron 6272 can marshall its many cores for heavily parallel tasks, each individual core delivers limited per-thread performance, a characteristic that becomes more pronounced in lightly threaded applications.

The overall average score of 1288, sitting at the 36th percentile, suggests that this processor outperforms roughly a third of all CPUs in the benchmark database. However, this aggregate figure masks the wide variance between its strong multi-core showing and weak single-core results. The nearest rival comparisons confirm this: the 0.1% delta against the Core i5-4670R, a quad-core desktop part, implies that the Opteron's 16 cores are required to match a chip with far fewer but faster cores. The data does not support any claim of outright superiority — rather, the Opteron 6272 competes through core count rather than architectural efficiency.

Power and Thermals

The Opteron 6272 carries a TDP of 115 watts, a figure that places it in a moderate power class for a 16-core server processor of its generation. This TDP, combined with the dual-die design (2x 315 mm²), implies that the chip requires a capable air cooler or a basic server-grade thermal solution to maintain stable operation under sustained load. The 32 nm process node from GlobalFoundries is relatively mature for the era, and the 115-watt envelope suggests that the two dies share power delivery efficiently, though the Bulldozer architecture's known tendency toward higher power draw under multi-threaded loads means that cooling should not be undersized.

For system integrators, the 115-watt TDP class dictates the cooling tier: a tower-style air cooler with a 120 mm fan or a compact server heatsink designed for Socket G34 would be appropriate. The lack of an unlocked multiplier (multiplierUnlocked: false) means that users cannot adjust clock speeds to trade performance for lower power consumption, so thermal management relies entirely on the cooling solution and chassis airflow. The base clock of 2.10 GHz and boost clock of 3.00 GHz provide a 0.90 GHz headroom, but this boost behavior is controlled by the processor's firmware, not user intervention.

The memory subsystem adds to the thermal picture: quad-channel DDR3 with 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth and ECC support means the system will include multiple memory modules, each contributing to overall system heat. The PCIe Gen 2 interface, while not a direct thermal factor, indicates the platform's age and its compatibility with older expansion cards that may also run warmer than modern equivalents. The data does not provide specific thermal measurements, but the 115-watt TDP, combined with the dual-die layout, suggests that the Opteron 6272 runs cooler than higher-TDP server parts of its era while still requiring deliberate cooling design.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The split between single-thread and multi-thread performance is stark and defines the Opteron 6272's usability. In Cinebench R23, the single-core score of 628 against a multi-core score of 4454 yields a ratio of 7.1x for 16 cores, meaning each core contributes less than half of its single-thread performance when all cores are active. This is a hallmark of the Bulldozer architecture, where pairs of cores share floating-point units and other resources within a module, reducing the efficiency of concurrent execution. The L2 cache of 2 MB per module and L3 cache of 8 MB per die reflect this shared design, which prioritizes die area efficiency over per-thread responsiveness.

For real workloads, this behavior means the Opteron 6272 excels in tasks that can utilize all 16 threads simultaneously, such as video encoding, 3D rendering, or scientific simulations that scale linearly. The Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 448, compared to the single-core score of 63, shows a 7.1x scaling in that older benchmark as well, confirming consistent behavior across generations of the test. However, in single-threaded applications — legacy software, many game engines, or spreadsheet macros — the processor falls behind dramatically. The single-core scores of 628 (R23) and 263 (R20) are typical of low-end dual-core processors from the same era, meaning that any workload with a serial component will bottleneck on the Opteron's weak per-thread performance.

The 16-thread count matches the 16-core count, with no hyper-threading or SMT equivalent, so the operating system sees exactly 16 logical processors. This simplifies thread scheduling but provides no headroom for latency hiding in single-threaded tasks. The boost clock of 3.00 GHz, while 0.90 GHz above the base clock, applies only to lightly loaded cores; under full 16-thread load, the processor likely settles near the base 2.10 GHz, further widening the gap between single-thread burst performance and sustained multi-thread throughput. The data indicates that the Opteron 6272 is a specialist part: it is not a general-purpose processor but a parallel workhorse that trades per-thread speed for aggregate core count.

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Opteron 6272 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-4670R?

A: The Opteron 6272 scores 1288 on average, which is 0.1% higher than the Core i5-4670R's 1286. This makes them effectively tied in overall benchmark performance, despite the Opteron having 16 cores versus the Core i5's quad-core design.

Q: What is the processor's TDP and what cooling does it require?

A: The TDP is 115 watts. This implies a capable air cooler or a basic server-grade heatsink is sufficient, given the dual-die design. The processor is not multiplier-unlocked, so cooling cannot be compensated by reducing clock speeds.

Q: What memory configuration does the Opteron 6272 support?

A: It supports DDR3 memory in a quad-channel configuration, providing 51.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth. ECC memory is supported, which is typical for server/workstation segments.

Q: What are the single-core and multi-core Cinebench R23 scores?

A: The multi-core score is 4454, and the single-core score is 628. This represents a 7.1x scaling across 16 cores, indicating that each core contributes less than half its single-thread performance in multi-threaded loads.

Q: Is the Opteron 6272 still in production?

A: No, it is end-of-life. It was released on November 13, 2011, and its production status is listed as end-of-life, meaning it is no longer manufactured.

Q: What is the process node and foundry for this chip?

A: The Opteron 6272 is built on a 32 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It uses the Bulldozer architecture with the Interlagos codename and contains 2,400 million transistors across a 2x 315 mm² die size.

Who Should Consider It

The Opteron 6272 is a processor for specific, parallel-heavy workloads rather than general-purpose computing. For 3D rendering and video encoding, the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 4454 demonstrates that the 16 cores can deliver competitive throughput when the software scales across all threads. Users running batch rendering jobs, scientific simulations, or database queries that are fully parallelized will find the Opteron 6272's performance acceptable, as it matches the Intel Xeon D-1527 (1281 average, 0.5% delta) and Intel Core i7-3610QE (1279, 0.7% delta) in overall output.

Gaming is not a recommended use case. The single-core Cinebench R23 score of 628 places the Opteron 6272 well below typical desktop processors from the same era, and most game engines rely heavily on single-thread performance. The 0.7% aggregate delta against the Core i3-10110U, a dual-core mobile part, underscores this mismatch — the Opteron only matches that chip through core count, not through per-core speed. For office productivity, the single-thread behavior also hurts: spreadsheet recalculation, document rendering, and web browsing are largely single-threaded, so the Opteron 6272 would feel sluggish despite its 16 cores.

The ideal buyer is someone maintaining legacy Socket G34 server platforms who needs to replace a failed processor or build a low-cost rendering node using existing DDR3 memory and PCIe Gen 2 hardware. The quad-channel memory bus with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth and ECC support makes it suitable for memory-intensive server tasks, while the 115-watt TDP keeps power and cooling requirements manageable. The processor's percentile ranking at 36% of all CPUs means it outperforms a minority of the database, so it is not a high-performance choice — but for workloads that exploit all 16 threads, the Opteron 6272 remains a functional, if dated, option. Users requiring strong single-thread performance should look elsewhere, as the data clearly shows this chip's strengths lie entirely in parallel throughput.