Intel Xeon E5-2690 v3 socket: LGA 2011-v3

What the Xeon E5-2690 v3 is

The Xeon E5-2690 v3 is a flagship retail Haswell-EP twelve core for dual socket servers on LGA 2011-v3. Intel set twelve cores and 24 threads at 2.6 GHz base with turbo to 3.5 GHz. Thirty megabytes of Smart Cache cover large guest counts. Power is 135 W on 22 nm from September 2014. Retail distribution means broad C612 board support with standard firmware matrices.

Twelve fast threads per socket consolidate databases and virtual machines at strong ratios. Base clocks hold all core work while wide turbo to 3.5 GHz lifts single thread steps. Large cache trims memory waits across tenants. ECC DDR4 guards data through long runs. No integrated graphics exist. Fabric bandwidth and NVMe storage shape node throughput alongside cores. Buyers pick the 2690 v3 where twelve cores must stay fast without moving to fourteen and sixteen core premiums.

DDR4 ECC over four channels feeds each socket with two QPI links between dual nodes. The mix is a server socket for operators who want proven retail twelve core density with protection at 135 W.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The E5-2690 v3 fits LGA 2011-v3 on C612 Grantley boards for single and dual socket use. Retail stepping validates across vendors with standard microcode. Check the vendor matrix for the minimum BIOS. X99 desktop boards never suit this server chip.

ECC RDIMMs over four channels carry memory to large counts. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide is desktop focused, so use server manuals for NUMA maps. Cooling is vendor 135 W heatsinks with rack airflow.

A fourteen core on the same socket adds threads where density grows. Confirm power and memory ceilings before moving upward.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

DDR4 ECC quad channel per socket suits virtual hosts. Even populations protect NUMA fairness. Large RDIMMs reach high guest counts. Speed follows DIMM count per manual.

Forty PCIe lanes per socket feed NICs, HBAs and NVMe for datacenter fabric. NUMA aware placement across QPI links matters at twelve cores. Board manuals guide controller slot choices.

Vendor 135 W cooling sustains all core loads with front to back air. No retail cooler exists. Inlet temperature and per core states decide turbo residency.

Upgrade paths

Within the socket the Intel Xeon E5-2680 v3 with twelve cores is a slightly slower retail twin on identical boards. The Intel Xeon E5-2698 v3 with sixteen cores is a higher density retail step. Both share C612 mounting.

Newer server sockets replace Grantley. The E5-2690 v3 covers flagship retail hosts where fast twelve cores at 135 W are wanted.