Core i7-610E
VS
Opteron 3250 HE

Core i7-610E vs Opteron 3250 HE

Intel

Core i7-610E

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2010
VS
AMD

Opteron 3250 HE

4 Cores4 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i7-610E is positioned at rank 1125 and the Opteron 3250 HE is on rank 253, so the Opteron 3250 HE offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-610E

#1113
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
3543%
#1114
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
3492%
#1115
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
3205%
#1116
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
3191%
#1117
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
3162%
#1119
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
3053%
#1120
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
2928%
#1121
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
2923%
#1122
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
2844%
#1125
Core i7-610E
MSRP: $250|Avg: $40
100%
#1126
Core i5-5350U
MSRP: $315|Avg: N/A
99%
#1127
Pentium Dual Core T4300
MSRP: $150|Avg: $99
99%
#1128
Core i7-3520M
MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A
99%
#1129
Core i3-4100E
MSRP: $225|Avg: $30
99%
#1130
Core i3-2310E
MSRP: $225|Avg: $20
99%
#1131
Core i5-2510E
MSRP: $230|Avg: $30
99%
#1132
Core m5-6Y54
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
99%
#1133
Core i3-2330E
MSRP: $225|Avg: $10
98%
#1135
Core i5-4288U
MSRP: $342|Avg: N/A
94%
#1136
Core m3-6Y30
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
94%
#1137
Core i3-2340UE
MSRP: $200|Avg: $200
93%
#1138
Core i7-2820QM
MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A
93%
#1139
Core i5-520M
MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A
93%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Opteron 3250 HE

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
4033%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
761%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
677%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
523%
#218
Xeon Gold 5512U
MSRP: $1230|Avg: N/A
98%
#219
Xeon D-1733NT
MSRP: $300|Avg: $300
96%
#253
Opteron 3250 HE
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#255
Ryzen 3 PRO 1200
MSRP: $109|Avg: $80
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Opteron 3250 HE leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i7-610E is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.5% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightCore i7-610EOpteron 3250 HE
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($40)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Zurich (2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCore i7-610EOpteron 3250 HE
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($40)
More affordable ($0)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-610E and Opteron 3250 HE

Intel

Core i7-610E

The Core i7-610E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.53 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1288. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 2,071 points. Launch price was $332.

AMD

Opteron 3250 HE

The Opteron 3250 HE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 March 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Zurich (2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,061 points. Launch price was $99.

Processing Power

The Core i7-610E packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Opteron 3250 HE offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Opteron 3250 HE has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Core i7-610E versus 3.5 GHz on the Opteron 3250 HE — a 9% clock advantage for the Opteron 3250 HE (base: 2.53 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i7-610E uses the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Opteron 3250 HE uses Zurich (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-610E scores 2,071 against the Opteron 3250 HE's 2,061 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i7-610E. Both processors carry 4 MB (total) of L3 cache.

FeatureCore i7-610EOpteron 3250 HE
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock
3.2 GHz
3.5 GHz+9%
Base Clock
2.53 GHz+1%
2.5 GHz
L3 Cache
4 MB (total)
4 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
4 MB+1500%
Process
32 nm
32 nm
Architecture
Arrandale (2010−2011)
Zurich (2012)
PassMark
2,071
2,061
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-610E uses the BGA1288 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Opteron 3250 HE uses AM3+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i7-610EOpteron 3250 HE
Socket
BGA1288
AM3+
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 2.0