Intel Xeon E3-1125C socket: BGA 1284

What the Xeon E3-1125C is

Intel Xeon E3-1125C is a quad core Gladden embedded processor that Intel released in May 2012 for communications carriers. It runs at a fixed 2.0 GHz with no turbo, with 8 MB Intel Smart Cache and Hyper-Threading for 8 threads per ARK. Power is rated at 40 W on a 32 nm process. Double the clocks and 2 MB more cache separate it from the E3-1105C at the cost of 15 W.

No processor graphics are present, so boards include a dedicated chipset where displays are needed. Memory is DDR3 at 1066, 1333 or 1600 MT/s in two channels for up to 32 GB, with ECC for always on loads. Twenty PCIe 2.0 lanes serve network and storage I/O.

Fixed 2.0 GHz clocks with eight threads suit packet processing and control planes that value determinism over bursts. Carriers pair it with fixed firmware and enclosure airflow for years of service. The LGA, PGA and BGA: CPU package types explained guide contrasts this soldered BGA part with socketed server Xeons.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Xeon E3-1125C solders to BGA 1284 with 1,284 balls in a 37.5 × 37.5 mm footprint and cannot be moved. ARK names it FCBGA1284 while some databases write BGA 1283 for the same class. Carriers qualify each model with a fixed board and BIOS, so another part is not a field swap.

The BIOS must list the exact Xeon E3-1125C string with ECC wiring. The 40 W heatsink is sized by the carrier. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers Intel pairing basics.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory support is DDR3 at 1066, 1333 or 1600 MT/s, two channels, up to 32 GB, with ECC. Matched pairs feed eight threads at 25.6 GB/s. Carrier limits can sit below the CPU maximum.

PCI Express is 20 lanes from the CPU at PCIe 2.0 in 1x16 plus 1x4, 2x8 plus 1x4 or 1x8 plus 3x4 splits. Carriers use lanes for Ethernet, SATA controllers and SSDs.

Cooling uses the carrier heatsink for 40 W. Higher clocks than the 1105C need stronger enclosure airflow. Cleaning intakes preserves sustained throughput.

Upgrade paths

There is no CPU upgrade path on soldered BGA 1284. The Xeon E3-1125C cannot be removed, so a faster carrier means a new board or a new box. A slower Gladden comparison on the same package is the E3-1105C, though carriers rarely exchange models.

A platform move means a new embedded box on a current BGA package. Recycle the old unit through a proper e waste path once data is wiped.