LGA 2011 socket: CPUs, chipsets and cooler fit
LGA 2011, also called Socket R, is the Intel socket for Sandy Bridge-E and Ivy Bridge-E high end desktop processors. It carries 2,011 contacts in a load plate socket for land grid array chips. Intel launched it in November 2011 with Sandy Bridge-E and the X79 chipset, followed by Ivy Bridge-E in September 2013. The processor package measures 52.5 by 45 mm.
Quick facts
| Maker | Intel |
|---|---|
| Package type | LGA |
| Contacts | 2,011 |
| Package size | 52.5 × 45 mm |
| Introduced | November 2011 |
| Status | Legacy |
| Memory | DDR3 quad channel, up to 1866 MT/s, up to 64 GB on desktop boards |
| PCIe from the CPU | 40 PCIe lanes from the CPU (2.0 certified on Sandy Bridge-E, native 3.0 on Ivy Bridge-E), plus 8 PCIe 2.0 lanes from X79 |
| Cooler mounting holes | 80 × 80 mm |
| Replaces | LGA 1366 |
| Replaced by | LGA 2011-v3 |
Overview
The socket serves unlocked K parts with four to six cores, Hyper-Threading, large shared caches and 40 PCIe lanes direct from the CPU. Memory runs in four DDR3 channels, which suits editing rigs and home servers with many DIMMs. There are no integrated graphics on these dies, so a separate card is required.
LGA 2011 was superseded by LGA 2011-v3 for Haswell-E with DDR4 memory. Because the sockets are physically incompatible, coolers carry over on the shared 80 by 80 mm pattern while boards, chips and memory do not. X79 boards are used or old stock.
Processor generations
| Codename | Marketing name | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Bridge-E | 2nd Gen Core X (i7-3000 series) | 2011 to 2012 | Quad and six core HEDT processors with up to 15 MB cache, launched in November 2011 on LGA 2011 with quad DDR3-1600. |
| Ivy Bridge-E | 3rd Gen Core X (i7-4000 series) | 2013 | Quad and six core HEDT processors on 22 nm with up to 15 MB cache, launched in September 2013 on LGA 2011 with quad DDR3-1866, including the i7-4820K and i7-4930K. |
| Sandy Bridge-EP | Xeon E5 series | 2012 | Single, dual and quad socket server processors with up to 8 cores, launched in March 2012 on LGA 2011 with quad DDR3-1600 and ECC. Board level support follows the server maker list. |
| Ivy Bridge-EP | Xeon E5 v2 (Ivy Town) | 2013 | Dual socket server processors with up to 12 cores, launched in September 2013 on LGA 2011 with quad DDR3-1866 and ECC. Board level support follows the server maker list. |
Chipsets for LGA 2011
X79 enthusiast
The chipset launched with Sandy Bridge-E in November 2011 for single socket HEDT boards.
| Chipset | Segment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| X79 | Enthusiast | Enthusiast HEDT chipset for single socket builds with overclocking on K parts. |
C600 series
Server boards for Sandy Bridge-EP and Ivy Bridge-EP on the Romley platform.
| Chipset | Segment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| C602 | Server | Romley platform controller for single, dual and quad socket LGA 2011 server boards. |
Socketed HEDT package
LGA 2011 uses a 2,011-contact load plate socket with a lever and a separate retention bracket. The processor has flat lands instead of pins and drops into the socket before the plate closes. This differs from mainstream LGA 1155, where the package is smaller and the power envelope lower.
In practice compatibility depends on the chipset stepping and the BIOS age. Sandy Bridge-E boots on any X79 board, while Ivy Bridge-E needs a BIOS with 2013 microcode. Server Xeon E5 parts need Romley-EP boards rather than desktop X79. A board that lists the exact model is the safe choice.
Memory and I/O
LGA 2011 designs use DDR3 memory in four channels, commonly DDR3-1600 on Sandy Bridge-E and DDR3-1866 on Ivy Bridge-E. Desktop X79 boards offer eight DIMM slots for up to 64 GB. Four matched modules give the rated bandwidth, with the remaining slots filled in matched sets.
PCI Express is 40 lanes direct from the CPU for graphics and fast storage, plus 8 chipset lanes for the rest. Sandy Bridge-E lanes are PCIe 2.0 certified while Ivy Bridge-E lanes are native PCIe 3.0. Several graphics cards fit without the lane sharing limits of mainstream sockets. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers Intel pairing rules.
Platform lifecycle
LGA 2011 covers Sandy Bridge-E from November 2011 and Ivy Bridge-E from September 2013. Intel moved HEDT to LGA 2011-v3 for Haswell-E in 2014 with DDR4 memory. No new LGA 2011 parts followed, so boards and chips are used or old stock.
For a working LGA 2011 system the practical path is maintenance: fresh thermal paste, clean fans, an SSD where the board allows, and a memory population that matches. A platform move means a new socket with DDR4 or DDR5. The How to find your CPU socket type guide explains how to confirm the socket before ordering parts.
CPUs on LGA 2011
63 processor pages in the database, newest first.
| Processor | Cores / threads | Base / boost | TDP | Launched |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i7-4820K | 4 / 8 | 3.7 / 3.9 GHz | 130 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Core i7-4930K | 6 / 12 | 3.4 / 3.9 GHz | 130 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Core i7-4960X | 6 / 12 | 3.6 / 4.0 GHz | 130 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-1607 v2 | 4 / 4 | 3.0 GHz | 130 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-1620 v2 | 4 / 8 | 3.7 / 3.9 GHz | 130 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-1650 v2 | 6 / 12 | 3.5 / 3.9 GHz | 130 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-1660 v2 | 6 / 12 | 3.7 / 4.0 GHz | 130 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-1680 v2 | 8 / 16 | 3.0 / 3.9 GHz | 130 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2603 v2 | 4 / 4 | 1.8 GHz | 80 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2609 v2 | 4 / 4 | 2.5 GHz | 80 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2620 v2 | 6 / 12 | 2.1 / 2.6 GHz | 80 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2630 v2 | 6 / 12 | 2.6 / 3.1 GHz | 80 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2630L v2 | 6 / 12 | 2.4 / 2.8 GHz | 60 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2637 v2 | 4 / 8 | 3.5 / 3.8 GHz | 130 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2640 v2 | 8 / 16 | 2.0 / 2.5 GHz | 95 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2643 v2 | 6 / 12 | 3.5 / 3.8 GHz | 130 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2650 v2 | 8 / 16 | 2.6 / 3.4 GHz | 95 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2650L v2 | 10 / 20 | 1.7 / 2.1 GHz | 70 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2660 v2 | 10 / 20 | 2.2 / 3.0 GHz | 95 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2667 v2 | 8 / 16 | 3.3 / 4.0 GHz | 130 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2670 v2 | 10 / 20 | 2.5 / 3.3 GHz | 115 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2680 v2 | 10 / 20 | 2.8 / 3.6 GHz | 115 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2687W v2 | 8 / 16 | 3.4 / 4.0 GHz | 150 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2690 v2 | 10 / 20 | 3.0 / 3.6 GHz | 130 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2692 v2 | 12 / 24 | 2.2 / 3.0 GHz | 100 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2695 v2 | 12 / 24 | 2.4 / 3.2 GHz | 115 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2697 v2 | 12 / 24 | 2.7 / 3.5 GHz | 130 W | Sep 2013 |
| Intel Core i7-3910K | 6 / 12 | 3.0 / 3.6 GHz | 130 W | Jul 2013 |
| Intel Core i7-3970X | 6 / 12 | 3.5 / 4.0 GHz | 150 W | Nov 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-4603 | 4 / 8 | 2.0 GHz | 95 W | May 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-4607 | 6 / 12 | 2.2 GHz | 95 W | May 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-4610 | 6 / 12 | 2.4 / 2.9 GHz | 95 W | May 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-4617 | 6 / 6 | 2.9 / 3.4 GHz | 130 W | May 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-4620 | 8 / 16 | 2.2 / 2.6 GHz | 95 W | May 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-4640 | 8 / 16 | 2.4 / 2.8 GHz | 95 W | May 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-4650 | 8 / 16 | 2.7 / 3.3 GHz | 130 W | May 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-4650L | 8 / 16 | 2.6 / 3.1 GHz | 115 W | May 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-1620 | 4 / 8 | 3.6 / 3.8 GHz | 130 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-1650 | 6 / 12 | 3.2 / 3.8 GHz | 130 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-1660 | 6 / 12 | 3.3 / 3.9 GHz | 130 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2603 | 4 / 4 | 1.8 GHz | 80 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2609 | 4 / 4 | 2.4 GHz | 80 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2620 | 6 / 12 | 2.0 / 2.5 GHz | 95 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2630 | 6 / 12 | 2.3 / 2.8 GHz | 95 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2630L | 6 / 12 | 2.0 / 2.5 GHz | 60 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2637 | 2 / 4 | 3.0 / 3.5 GHz | 80 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2640 | 6 / 12 | 2.5 / 3.0 GHz | 95 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2643 | 4 / 8 | 3.3 / 3.5 GHz | 130 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2648L | 8 / 16 | 1.8 / 2.1 GHz | 70 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2650 | 8 / 16 | 2.0 / 2.8 GHz | 95 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2650L | 8 / 16 | 1.8 / 2.3 GHz | 70 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2658 | 8 / 16 | 2.1 / 2.4 GHz | 95 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2660 | 8 / 16 | 2.2 / 3.0 GHz | 95 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2665 | 8 / 16 | 2.4 / 3.1 GHz | 115 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2667 | 6 / 12 | 2.9 / 3.5 GHz | 130 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2670 | 8 / 16 | 2.6 / 3.3 GHz | 115 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2680 | 8 / 16 | 2.7 / 3.5 GHz | 130 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2687W | 8 / 16 | 3.1 / 3.8 GHz | 150 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2689 | 8 / 16 | 2.6 / 3.6 GHz | 115 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2690 | 8 / 16 | 2.9 / 3.8 GHz | 135 W | Mar 2012 |
| Intel Core i7-3820 | 4 / 8 | 3.6 / 3.8 GHz | 130 W | Feb 2012 |
| Intel Core i7-3930K | 6 / 12 | 3.2 / 3.8 GHz | 130 W | Nov 2011 |
| Intel Core i7-3960X | 6 / 12 | 3.3 / 3.9 GHz | 130 W | Nov 2011 |
Frequently asked questions
Which processors fit LGA 2011?
Sandy Bridge-E parts such as the i7-3960X and Ivy Bridge-E parts such as the i7-4820K and i7-4930K. Xeon E5 parts for the Romley-EP platform use server boards on the same socket.
Is LGA 2011 the same as LGA 2011-v3?
No. LGA 2011 carries Sandy Bridge-E and Ivy Bridge-E. LGA 2011-v3 on LGA 2011-v3 carries Haswell-E and Broadwell-E with DDR4. The sockets are physically incompatible.
What memory does LGA 2011 use?
Quad channel DDR3 up to 1866 MT/s on Ivy Bridge-E and up to 1600 MT/s on Sandy Bridge-E, up to 64 GB on desktop boards with 8 DIMM slots. Server boards take registered DIMMs instead.
How many PCIe lanes does LGA 2011 provide?
40 lanes direct from the CPU, PCIe 2.0 certified on Sandy Bridge-E and native PCIe 3.0 on Ivy Bridge-E, plus 8 PCIe 2.0 lanes from the X79 chipset. Lane count suits several graphics cards and fast storage.
Does Ivy Bridge-E need a BIOS update?
Often yes for Ivy Bridge-E. Most X79 boards shipped before 2013 and need a BIOS update with Ivy Bridge-E microcode before the new chip will start.
Sources and verification
- LGA 2011 on Wikipedia (2011 contacts, Sandy and Ivy Bridge-E, X79)
- Intel Core i7 LGA-2011 Design Guide (2011-contact socket, 80x80 ILM)
- Ivy Bridge-E review: native PCIe 3.0 and DDR3-1866 (TechSpot)
Facts last checked against these sources on . Page last edited on .