AMD Processor with 16 Cores - are they physical cores?

diytrainee

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Oct 18, 2013
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Shneiky

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AMD Opterons are server class CPUs. They feature 8 modules which is equal to 16 integer cores (real ones). This is double the ones you can find on a FX-8000 series CPU.

Intel does 12 core Xeons which with Hyperthreading result in 24 threads or 24 "cores" seen by the OS. This is double what you can find on I7-3900 and 4900 series CPUs.

So double top enthusiast chips and get the top server chips.
 

Kamen_BG

Distinguished
AMD CPU's don't use Hyperthreading.
It's an Intel exclusive feature.

These CPU's really do have 16 physical cores.
If you can call them that.

They have 8 modules.
Each modules makes up two cores with shared resources.
This means that if Core A works alone it will work at 100% speed.
If Core B works at the same time, they will have to share resources so they will both be a bit slower.

You can't compare these cores to say Core i5 or Phenom cores.