Opteron 6386 SE vs Xeon E5-2628 V3

Opteron 6386 SE vs Xeon E5-2628 V3 Performance Spectrum

Opteron 6386 SE

16 / 16

8,291

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Xeon E5-2628 V3

8 / 16

8,447

+1.9%

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.

Opteron 6386 SE vs Xeon E5-2628 V3 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Opteron 6386 SE vs Xeon E5-2628 V3: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Opteron 6386 SE

2012

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2628 V3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,291 vs 8,447).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,392 MSRP, while Xeon E5-2628 V3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌64.7% higher power demand at 140W vs 85W.

Xeon E5-2628 V3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+150% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 85W instead of 140W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E5-2628 V3 better than Opteron 6386 SE?

Yes. Xeon E5-2628 V3 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 6.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.9% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon E5-2628 V3 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 6.2% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2628 V3 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.9% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 150% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 8 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Xeon E5-2628 V3 is still the faster CPU overall, but Opteron 6386 SE is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Xeon E5-2628 V3 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,392 MSRP, and it still gives you a 6.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Opteron 6386 SE is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (6.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Xeon E5-2628 V3 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2014 vs 2012), 150% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 8 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 16/16. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Opteron 6386 SE vs Xeon E5-2628 V3 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Opteron 6386 SE

The Opteron 6386 SE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Abu Dhabi (2012) architecture. It features 16 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 16 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: G34. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 8,291 points. Launch price was $2,408.

Xeon E5-2628 V3

The Xeon E5-2628 V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 8,447 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Opteron 6386 SE packs 16 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E5-2628 V3 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Opteron 6386 SE has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Opteron 6386 SE versus 3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2628 V3 — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Opteron 6386 SE (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Opteron 6386 SE uses the Abu Dhabi (2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E5-2628 V3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Opteron 6386 SE scores 8,291 against the Xeon E5-2628 V3's 8,447 — a 1.9% lead for the Xeon E5-2628 V3. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Opteron 6386 SE vs 20 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2628 V3.

Feature	Opteron 6386 SE	Xeon E5-2628 V3
Cores / Threads	16 / 16+100%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz+17%	3 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+12%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	20 MB (total)+150%
L2 Cache	16 MB	256K (per core)+1500%
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Abu Dhabi (2012)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	8,291	8,447+2%

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Memory & Platform

The Opteron 6386 SE uses the G34 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5-2628 V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.