Intel Xeon E3-1220L v2 socket: LGA 1155

What the Xeon E3-1220L v2 is

Intel Xeon E3-1220L v2 is a dual core Ivy Bridge server processor that Intel released in May 2012 for low power single socket servers. It runs at 2.3 GHz base with turbo to 3.5 GHz, with 3 MB Intel Smart Cache and Hyper-Threading for 4 threads. Power is rated at only 17 W on a 22 nm process. The L suffix marks the lowest power tune of the E3-1200 v2 line.

No integrated graphics are present, so server boards provide display through a management controller. Memory is DDR3 at 1333 or 1600 MT/s in two channels with ECC unbuffered DIMMs, and the chip gives 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes. Tall turbo with a tiny budget suits bursty edge services that idle most of the time.

Boards pair it with unbuffered ECC UDIMMs and a small boot drive in short depth chassis. Note that E3 parts take unbuffered ECC, not registered RDIMMs, and non-ECC UDIMMs also work where the board allows. The How to find your CPU socket type guide shows how to confirm the socket before ordering.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Xeon E3-1220L v2 fits LGA 1155 in FCLGA1155 form. The validated home is the C200 series server chipsets, principally C202, C204, C206 and C216, with ECC support that desktop chipsets lack. Many desktop 7 series boards boot E3-1200 v2 parts with a current Ivy Bridge BIOS where the maker CPU support list names the SKU; use non-ECC UDIMMs there since ECC needs a C-series board.

At 17 W almost any LGA 1155 board covers power and cooling, but the board must list the exact E3-1220L v2 string. A discrete card or management graphics covers displays. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide explains why the support list outranks the chipset name.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory support is DDR3-1333 and 1600, two channels, up to 32 GB, with ECC unbuffered DIMMs on C-series boards. Two matched UDIMMs give the rated bandwidth. Registered DIMMs do not fit this platform.

PCI Express is 16 lanes from the CPU at PCIe 3.0 for network and storage controllers. Low power edge servers spend lanes on dual Ethernet and a boot SSD rather than graphics.

Cooling follows the 17 W rating with a small heatsink and chassis airflow. There is no retail mount with tray parts, so heatsink choice follows the board vendor.

Upgrade paths

Within LGA 1155 the Xeon E3-1220L v2 can move to quad E3-1200 v2 parts on the same board, where power and cooling allow. Memory and storage carry over, though faster SKUs may want 1600 MT/s DIMMs. A quad comparison without graphics is Intel Xeon E3-1230 v2 on the same socket.

A platform move means a DDR4 server generation. Keep the node for always on edge duty where two fast Ivy threads with ECC still serve.