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AMD Opteron vs Intel Xeon: Which is Best for You?

by John Muller February 17, 2022 1422 Views

Is your current processor not able to transfer heavy loads? Are you looking to switch to a dual processing workstation, instead? Well, then you have come to the right place.

Stores will overwhelm you with choices on what they think is the best dual processor. But I will make this choice easy for you. Ahead will be a comprehensive comparison between the two processors. That way you will be able to narrow it down to the processor that best suits your needs.

I will not only walk you through the performance differences between AMD Opteron vs Intel Xeon processors but I will also let you know which processor is best suited for the kind of job you need it to do. That way you won’t have to waste your money buying an advanced processor for performing simple tasks or vice versa, even.

The differences between AMD Opteron and Intel Xeon processors are as follows:

AMD Opteron	Intel Xeon
Less expensive	More expensive
Generally stays cooler	Tends to heat up more quickly with use
Less efficient	More efficient
iGPU only in the AMD APU series	iGPU in almost all the Core i series
Clock speed may reach 5.0 GHz	Clock speed can reach and surpass 5.0 GHz
Possesses symmetric multiprocessing capabilities of up to 128 cores	Possesses symmetric multiprocessing capabilities of up to 28 cores

Table 1: Differences between AMD Opteron vs Intel Xeon Processors

AMD Opteron Processor:

In the dual-processor market, AMD has several models of the Opteron CPU for dual-processor systems. They range from 2376, with a clock speed of 2.3GHz, to 2384, with a clock speed of 2.7GHz. All third-generation Opteron has an average CPU power of 75 watts and offers a 4x512KB L2 cache and 6 MB L3 cache.

Opteron dual processors have the following pros:

They support XOP instructions
Include Radeon Rx series GPU
Consume significantly lower power
Have approximately 79% more energy efficiency
Their system enjoys a longer battery life
They are cheaper and won’t put a dent in your wallet

On the other hand, Opteron has the following cons:

They run at a lower frequency, making them less efficient
Once bought, it is not possible to replace or upgrade it
They execute fewer threads

Intel Xeon Processor:

In the dual-processor market, Intel’s 5400 series of Xeon CPUs are considered to be the most popular processor by customers. Xeon 5400 series processors are available in different models. They range from the Quad Core E5405 model, which runs at 2 GHz speed and has a thermal design power of 80 watts, to the X5492 model, which runs at 3.4 GHz and has a thermal design power rating of 150 watts.

Intel Xeon processors have the following pros:

They have a speed advantage over other processors in the market
They provide maximum performance
Their microprocessor has a higher frequency
The CPU can easily be removed from the socket for any upgrade or replacement
They are clocked higher

It is also important to note that Intel Xeon processors have the following cons:

They lack certain instructions
They do not have on-chip graphics
They need considerably higher power
They consume greater battery life
They are not energy efficient

Popular Comparisons:

AMD Opteron 6272 vs. Intel Xeon E5-2620

AMD Opteron 6272 model is better than Intel Xeon E5-2620 because of the following:

4 more CPU threads
Its CPU speed is 2.8 GHz times faster
L3 cache is 1 MB bigger
0.5 GHz faster turbo clock speed
384KB bigger L1 cache
14.5MB bigger L2 cache
0.75MB/core more L2 cache per core
267MHz higher ram speed

Intel Xeon E5-2620 model is better than AMD Opteron 6272 because of the following:

20 W lower thermal design power rating
8.4°C higher maximum operating temperature
1.5MB/core more L3 cache per core
Uses multithreading
Has AVX

It is clear from the specification comparison above that AMD Opteron’s model 6272 ranks superior to the Intel Xeon E5-2620 model.

AMD Opteron 6272 vs. Intel Xeon E5-2650

AMD Opteron 6272 model is better than Intel Xeon E5-2650 because of the following:

2.1x faster CPU speed
0.2GHz faster turbo clock speed
256KB bigger L1 cache
14MB bigger L2 cache
0.75MB/core more L2 cache per core
FMA4

Intel Xeon E5-2650 model is better than AMD Opteron 6272 because of the following:

20W lower thermal design power
a 4MB bigger L3 cache
5MB/core more L3 cache per core
It uses multithreading
AVX

Here, both processors rank equal to each other. So the choice depends entirely on you. You must choose the processor that would work best with your needs and your budget.

AMD Opteron 6272 vs. Intel Xeon E5-2670

AMD Opteron 6272 model is better than Intel Xeon E5-2650 because of the following:

1.62x faster CPU speed
256KB bigger L1 cache
14MB bigger L2 cache
I0.75MB/core more L2 cache per core
FMA4

Intel Xeon E5-2670 model is better than AMD Opteron 6272 because of the following:

4MB bigger L3 cache
0.3GHz faster turbo clock speed
1.5MB/core more L3 cache per core
It uses multithreading
AVX

It is clear that Intel Xeon E5-2670 ranks higher than AMD Opteron 6272, making it the better choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tasks are best suited for Opteron-based systems?

The dual-Opteron is generally faster in less demanding environments, so it would be a good choice for single-task, high-performance-requiring processes like CAD.

What tasks are best suited for Intel Xeon-based systems?

Xeon’s speed would be ideal for financial services companies that require long used workstations for delivering massive computing power to drive their trading operations.