Opteron 3280 vs Athlon X4 845
Opteron 3280
Athlon X4 845
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 Opteron 3280 is positioned at rank 93 and the Athlon X4 845 is on rank 393, so the Opteron 3280 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Opteron 3280
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 845
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Opteron 3280 | Athlon X4 845 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Zurich (2012) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Carrizo (2015−2018) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Opteron 3280 | Athlon X4 845 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
Performance Check
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 Opteron 3280 and Athlon X4 845
Opteron 3280
The Opteron 3280 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 March 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Zurich (2012) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,783 points. Launch price was $229.
Athlon X4 845
The Athlon X4 845 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Carrizo (2015−2018) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 3,768 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Opteron 3280 packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Athlon X4 845 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Opteron 3280 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Opteron 3280 versus 3.8 GHz on the Athlon X4 845 — a 8.2% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 845 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Opteron 3280 uses the Zurich (2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon X4 845 uses Carrizo (2015−2018) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Opteron 3280 scores 3,783 against the Athlon X4 845's 3,768 — a 0.4% lead for the Opteron 3280.
| Feature | Opteron 3280 | Athlon X4 845 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 8 / 8+100% | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.5 GHz | 3.8 GHz+9% |
| Base Clock | 2.5 GHz | 3.5 GHz+40% |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total) | — |
| L2 Cache | 8 MB+300% | 2 MB |
| Process | 32 nm | 28 nm-13% |
| Architecture | Zurich (2012) | Carrizo (2015−2018) |
| PassMark | 3,783 | 3,768 |
Memory & Platform
The Opteron 3280 uses the AM3+ socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon X4 845 uses FM2+ (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Opteron 3280 | Athlon X4 845 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM3+ | FM2+ |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-2133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 8 |
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