Core i7-950
VS
Opteron 4386

Core i7-950 vs Opteron 4386

Intel

Core i7-950

4 Cores8 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.33 GHz2009
VS
AMD

Opteron 4386

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.8 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 i7-950 is positioned at rank 1067 and the Opteron 4386 is on rank 945, so the Opteron 4386 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 i7-950

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
53930%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
50958%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
37000%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
11147%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
8829%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
7724%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
4424%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
4366%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
3975%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
3975%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
3931%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
3825%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
3771%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
3756%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
3722%
#1067
Core i7-950
MSRP: $562|Avg: $15
100%
#1068
Sempron 3100+
MSRP: $65|Avg: $15
99%
#1069
Athlon II X4 635
MSRP: $400|Avg: $250
97%
#1070
Core 2 Duo E6750
MSRP: $183|Avg: $15
97%
#1071
Core i7-940
MSRP: $562|Avg: $90
93%
#1072
Celeron 2.40
MSRP: $69|Avg: $13
87%
#1073
Sempron 2800+
MSRP: $65|Avg: $29
85%
#1074
Athlon 64 3100+
MSRP: $100|Avg: $15
82%
#1075
Sempron 3600+
MSRP: $105|Avg: $20
80%
#1076
Celeron 2.80
MSRP: $100|Avg: $15
74%
#1077
Athlon 64 X2 6000+
MSRP: $450|Avg: $20
70%
#1078
Athlon 64 3600+
MSRP: $149|Avg: $15
69%
#1079
Core 2 Quad Q6700
MSRP: $530|Avg: $50
68%
#1080
Athlon 64 2600+
MSRP: $100|Avg: $5
68%
#1081
Celeron 2.20
MSRP: $79|Avg: $15
67%
#1082
Athlon 64 X2 5200+
MSRP: $420|Avg: $15
62%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Opteron 4386

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
29148%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
5503%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
4889%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
3777%
#528
Xeon E5-2687W v3
MSRP: $2141|Avg: $749
95%
#529
Xeon Max 9480
MSRP: $12980|Avg: $12980
90%
#530
Xeon E5-2689 v4
MSRP: $2723|Avg: $100
88%
#945
Opteron 4386
MSRP: $459|Avg: $459
100%
#946
Xeon E5-2640
MSRP: $885|Avg: N/A
100%
#947
Xeon E5-2643 v4
MSRP: $1552|Avg: $555
100%
#949
Xeon E5-2630 v2
MSRP: $1069|Avg: $1224
98%
#953
Xeon E5-1620
MSRP: $885|Avg: $70
93%
#955
Xeon E5462
MSRP: $342|Avg: $45
91%
#958
Xeon E5-4650 v2
MSRP: $1723|Avg: $48
89%
#959
Xeon E5-1620 v4
MSRP: $1166|Avg: $160
88%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Opteron 4386 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i7-950 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.7% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightCore i7-950Opteron 4386
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($15)
⚠️ Higher cost ($459)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Bloomfield (2008−2010) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Seoul (2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Core i7-950 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $15 (vs $459), it costs 97% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 2938% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Opteron 4386.
InsightCore i7-950Opteron 4386
Cost Efficiency
Better overall value (+2938%)
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($15)
⚠️ Higher cost ($459)

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 i7-950 and Opteron 4386

Intel

Core i7-950

The Core i7-950 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 June 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.06 GHz, with boost up to 3.33 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,250 points. Launch price was $290.

AMD

Opteron 4386

The Opteron 4386 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Seoul (2012) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total). L2 cache: 8192 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: C32. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,273 points. Launch price was $800.

Processing Power

The Core i7-950 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Opteron 4386 offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the Opteron 4386 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.33 GHz on the Core i7-950 versus 3.8 GHz on the Opteron 4386 — a 13.2% clock advantage for the Opteron 4386 (base: 3.06 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core i7-950 uses the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Opteron 4386 uses Seoul (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-950 scores 3,250 against the Opteron 4386's 3,273 — a 0.7% lead for the Opteron 4386. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-950 vs 8192 kB (total) on the Opteron 4386.

FeatureCore i7-950Opteron 4386
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
8 / 8+100%
Boost Clock
3.33 GHz
3.8 GHz+14%
Base Clock
3.06 GHz
3.1 GHz+1%
L3 Cache
8 MB (total)
8192 kB (total)
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
8192 kB+3100%
Process
45 nm
32 nm-29%
Architecture
Bloomfield (2008−2010)
Seoul (2012)
PassMark
3,250
3,273
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-950 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Opteron 4386 uses C32 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i7-950Opteron 4386
Socket
LGA1366
C32
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1866
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
42
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-950) / AMD-V (Opteron 4386). Primary use case: Opteron 4386 targets Server.

FeatureCore i7-950Opteron 4386
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
Target Use
Server
💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-950 launched at $562 MSRP, while the Opteron 4386 debuted at $459. At current prices ($15 vs $459), the Core i7-950 is $444 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-950 delivers 216.7 pts/$ vs 7.1 pts/$ for the Opteron 4386 — making the Core i7-950 the 187.3% better value option.

FeatureCore i7-950Opteron 4386
MSRP
$562
$459-18%
Avg Price (30d)
$15-97%
$459
Performance per Dollar
216.7+2952%
7.1
Release Date
2009
2012