Opteron or Athlon??

iggy101

New Member
what is the difference between opteron processors and athalon processors?
I mean does one get considerably better performance over the other, or what are some of the advantages of having one over the other??? :confused:
 
i'm going to take it you mean athlon 64 (such as venice, san diego cores) vs. opteron single core series (opteron 146, 154, etc.) or amd x2 (3800+, 4400+, etc.) vs. opteron dual cores (opteron 165, 170, etc.).


I dont know a whole lot about the single cores, so i'll say what i know about the dual cores...but i'm sure the difference is the same with the singles as with dual cores. amd athlon processors are made more for consumer use, while opterons are made more for servers or workstations. They both perform quite similarly, but the opterons have a slight edge because they usually have a larger L2 cache. The opterons are made and tested to be able to withhold constant cpu-intensive loads (since they are for workstations), and are therefore built a little bit more 'hefty'. for instance, the memory controller is of a slightly better make on the opterons, and the silicon used in opterons is better than the silicon used in x2's. the performance difference isn't that noticeable though, they both perform great. the opterons are known to overclock slightly better without complications, so if you are looking to overclock, opterons are some of the best.
 
I hear of many people getting Opterons... I don't quite know why because they are server/workstation processors as mentioned above. I suppose if you plan to play games, it'd probably be best to go with the Athlon. For most anything else, the Opteron might be the better choice. However, I don't know too much about the Opterons...

Also, don't forget about the new processors coming out soon from both AMD and Intel. Prices will probably drop when they do come out, or you could invest in the new ones.
 
The_Other_One said:
I hear of many people getting Opterons... I don't quite know why because they are server/workstation processors as mentioned above. I suppose if you plan to play games, it'd probably be best to go with the Athlon. For most anything else, the Opteron might be the better choice. However, I don't know too much about the Opterons...

Also, don't forget about the new processors coming out soon from both AMD and Intel. Prices will probably drop when they do come out, or you could invest in the new ones.

the opterons perform pretty much identically (sometimes better) than athlons in pretty much everything (gaming as well). like I said, they're both great. i'm guessing by new amd proc you're meaning the AM2?
 
Opterons are sent through a more rigorous testing routine, as they tend to be used for more important tasks (workstations, servers).

What this means for the enthusiast, is that they can usually OC better, since they are more of "cream of the crop" chips.
 
athlons vs opteron is a very vague question...

opteron has 2 big different types, socket 940, and socket 939...
socket 939 opterons are almost the same as x2 series from amd dual core...
and socket 940 are usually used as server computer, non home desktops,
they can have many cpus on one motherboard, more than 1,

it is true that opteron dual cores are good, and are good overclockers,
i have opteron 165 myself.

anyway, athlons are single core cpus,
so if you ask which one is better, opteron is better
 
So from what i understand opterons are pretty much better all around.
But i am still unclear on the issue of gaming. Opteron or Athalon 64 or x2
 
well not really, opterons are normally better for o/cing... but look at my overclock. it really all depends on the individual processor, and the cooling that you put on it.
of course, athlon's perform about the exact same as opterons. for the price though, athlon's are normally sold faster, and opterons are normally sold more stable. but, if you're overclocking opterons are normally better.
either are good for overclocking though, i mean if you know what you're doing.
(2.54ghz = win lol... i know of opterons that could only hit 2.5ghz, that started at higher frequency's than mine)
 
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