AMD Opteron 6262 HE socket: Socket G34

What the Opteron 6262 HE is

AMD Opteron 6262 HE is a 16 core Interlagos server part that AMD released in November 2011 for efficient two and four socket servers. It uses the Bulldozer core design on a 32 nm process, running at 1.6 GHz base with Turbo Core to 2.9 GHz through a 2.1 GHz all core step. The multi chip module carries two eight thread dies with eight modules, 16 MB of L2 with 2 MB per module, and 16 MB of L3 with 8 MB per die. Power is 85 W. The HE suffix marks highly efficient tuning, with 85 W standing apart from 65 W C32 HE parts.

The cores have no Hyper-Threading, so threads equal cores at 16. Low base clocks with a tall turbo range suit dense virtualization hosts that idle efficiently and burst for foreground tasks. The package integrates HyperTransport 3.1 links between dies and sockets plus a quad channel ECC memory controller.

At 85 W the Opteron 6262 HE belongs to the efficient high core group. The clocks suit scale out racks with directed airflow. Boards are vendor qualified designs with ECC RDIMM slots. The How to find your CPU socket type guide shows how to confirm the socket before ordering parts.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Opteron 6262 HE fits Socket G34 in LGA form with 1,944 lands. Interlagos parts boot on G34 boards that list them, after a BIOS update on boards bought for Magny-Cours. Boards are two and four socket server designs from system vendors, qualified per model.

Power delivery at 85 W suits dense chassis with shared cooling and vendor heatsinks. Memory support decides more builds than power: the board must accept ECC RDIMMs. The CPU cooler compatibility by socket guide notes server sockets use board specific heatsinks.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory support is DDR3 up to 1600 MT/s, four channels (two per die), ECC. ECC RDIMMs are the server choice for long running guests. Balance DIMMs across channels and sockets for NUMA fairness.

PCI Express comes from the chipset, not from the Opteron dies. HyperTransport links tie dies and sockets together and feed the chipset, while PCIe Gen 2 slots hang off the board.

Cooling uses dense server heatsinks with directed airflow. The 85 W envelope sizes the heatsink and fan wall.

Upgrade paths

Within Socket G34 the Opteron 6262 HE sits in the efficient 16 core group. A same socket move adds clocks or cores where the board BIOS lists the target, including Abu Dhabi Piledriver parts on updated boards.

A real upgrade means a new platform. AMD moved servers to EPYC on SP3 and beyond with DDR4 memory and many more cores. That move needs a new board, new memory and often a new chassis. Keep the node for secondary duty or retire it whole.