AMD Opteron 850 HE

The AMD Opteron 850 HE is a server/workstation processor in the Opteron (Athens (E4)) generation. It uses the K8 architecture with the Athens codename, fits AMD Socket 940, and is built on a 90 nm process with 106 million transistors. The record lists 1 core and 1 thread, a base clock of 2.40, a TDP of 55, 128 KB of L1 cache, and 1 MB of L2 cache. The production status is end-of-life, and the market segment is server/workstation.

Platform and Compatibility

The platform is anchored by AMD Socket 940, which is the socket listed for this processor. The underlying design is K8, with the Athens core and the Opteron (Athens (E4)) generation label. The chip is manufactured on a 90 nm process, and the transistor count is 106 million. These details define the silicon generation and the physical platform expectations.

Cache organization is modest and consistent with a single-core design: 128 KB of L1 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache are present, while L3 cache is not specified in the data. With only 1 core and 1 thread, the cache hierarchy is not serving multiple cores or simultaneous threads. The 1 MB L2 cache is likely to matter more for per-thread locality than for any parallel sharing, since no second thread exists.

Memory support is described only partially. The record specifies a dual-channel memory bus. No specific memory type list is present in the fact pack, and ECC memory is marked false. That places the platform in a specific compatibility envelope: dual-channel operation is defined, but the usual memory-level enterprise validation details are absent from this listing. The absence of a memory support list means no exact memory configurations can be derived from the data.

Expansion is listed as PCIe Gen 2. No integrated graphics unit is specified, so the platform would rely on a discrete graphics solution if visual output is needed. The multiplier is not unlocked, which means no unlocked-clock adjustment path is described in the data. The part number for this SKU is OSK850FAA5BM.

Because the production status is end-of-life, the platform is not an active or forward-looking socket. The data does not define an upgrade path to another processor family. The compatibility picture is therefore a fixed one: Socket 940, K8/Athens generation, dual-channel memory bus, PCIe Gen 2, and no integrated graphics. Users would be working within an existing installed platform rather than building into a current roadmap.

Power and Thermals

The TDP is 55, which is the only power-class figure in the record. This cooling class is modest for a server/workstation part. A processor with a 55 TDP does not require an extreme or liquid-cooling setup; the implied cooling tier is a standard server-style heatsink or a capable air cooler.

The 90 nm process is part of the thermal picture. A 90 nm manufacturing process with a 55 TDP means the thermal density is controlled by a relatively low power envelope. The base clock is 2.40, and no boost clock is listed, so there is no higher turbo state in the data to create additional thermal headroom demands. The processor operates without an unlocked multiplier, so no user-controlled frequency increase is indicated. That removes one avenue for raising power draw above the stock TDP.

The end-of-life status also shapes thermal expectations: these are old-platform cooling constraints, not a modern high-core-count power profile. The 55 TDP places the chip in a lower-power tier than typical multi-core server processors, which matters for racks or chassis where heat density is a concern. In short, the data implies a straightforward cooling solution. The thermal challenge is not high wattage, but rather the platform's age and the cooling hardware available for Socket 940.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

This processor is strictly single-thread in the data: 1 core and 1 thread. There is no second thread to schedule, no simultaneous multi-threading behavior, and therefore no multi-thread scaling. Any workload that benefits from parallel execution will not see scaling from this part. The performance profile is entirely defined by single-thread execution.

The base clock is 2.40, and there is no boost clock in the record. That means the data does not provide a higher frequency state for short bursts. In practical terms, single-thread workloads will run against a fixed clock ceiling of 2.40. The 1 MB L2 cache can help keep frequently accessed data close to the core, which is useful for single-thread code that exhibits locality. However, the L2 size alone does not change the fundamental limitation: only one instruction stream can make progress at a time.

The lack of an L3 cache reinforces the single-thread orientation. Without an L3 cache, there is no shared pool of cache for other cores, because there are no other cores. The cache design is therefore simple: one core, one L1 cache path, one L2 cache block. This is appropriate for a single-core server/workstation part, but it means the chip is not competitive for throughput-oriented tasks that expect multiple threads.

Because the benchmark array in the fact pack is empty, there are no observed single-thread or multi-thread scores to compare. Still, the structural data is clear. Any workload recommendation must treat this as a single-thread machine. Multi-threaded operating system activity, background services, or parallel computation would all compete for the same single thread. The processor can handle one task at a time, and the performance behavior will be governed by that single task's ability to use the 2.40 clock and the 1 MB L2 cache.

Who Should Consider It

The intended market segment is server/workstation, not consumer desktop or mainstream mobile. The end-of-life production status narrows the audience further. This is not a processor for new system builds, based on the data. It is a part for existing Socket 940 platforms, legacy server maintenance, or compatibility testing where the exact socket and generation matter.

Workloads that fit this processor are single-threaded and non-parallel. A server task that runs one primary process, or a workstation task that is serial in nature, would align with the 1-core, 1-thread design. The 55 TDP makes it suitable for environments where low power draw is a priority over throughput. The dual-channel memory bus allows a reasonable memory path for one thread, while the 1 MB L2 cache provides a moderate amount of on-die storage for working data.

The data does not support recommending this processor for parallel creation workloads, modern gaming, or any task that expects multiple cores. There is no integrated graphics listed, so a discrete GPU would be required for any graphical output. The locked multiplier means users cannot push frequency beyond the listed 2.40 base clock. The empty benchmark list removes any measured performance evidence that could justify a workload for which speed is critical.

In short, the likely adopter is someone maintaining a legacy Socket 940 machine that must keep running with a low-power, single-thread server/workstation CPU. The processor is not a general-purpose modern compute part. It is a niche, end-of-life component whose suitability comes from socket compatibility and the server/workstation segment rather than from demonstrated performance.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark data for this processor is sparse. The benchmark array is empty, and the nearestRivals list is also empty. Consequently, no exact percentage deltas can be computed from the fact pack, and no rival names or rival scores are available for comparison. The performance section cannot rely on measured workload scores because none are recorded.

The average benchmark score in the record is 0. That zero is not a performance result in a meaningful sense; it is consistent with an empty benchmark array. There are no entries feeding into the average, so the 0 represents an absence of database benchmark observations rather than a measured level of speed. The record does not state that the processor ran slower than anything else; it simply contains no benchmark runs.

The percentile field is 50, which places the processor at the midpoint of all CPUs in the database distribution. This is an interesting data point because the benchmark array is empty. The 50th percentile rank is present in the record, but it is not accompanied by any benchmark observations that would explain how that rank was reached. Without nearestRivals entries, the percentile cannot be tied to a specific set of competing products or percentage gaps.

The absence of nearestRivals data is itself the key result for this section. There are no rival names, no rival scores, and no deltaPct values to analyze. The hardware database has not assigned this processor any comparable SKUs. Therefore, any claim about being ahead of or behind another processor would have to be invented, and the fact pack gives no support for such a claim.

What can be said from the data is structural: a 1-core, 1-thread, 90 nm K8/Athens part with a 2.40 base clock, a 55 TDP, 128 KB L1, 1 MB L2, no L3, dual-channel memory, PCIe Gen 2, and end-of-life status. Performance comparisons that require benchmark scores or nearest-rival deltas are simply not present in this record. The available numeric benchmark information is limited to an average score of 0 and a 50th percentile placement, and with an empty benchmark list and empty rival list, those figures cannot be expanded into a comparative performance review.