Intel Xeon E5-2698 v3 socket: LGA 2011-v3

What the Xeon E5-2698 v3 is

The Xeon E5-2698 v3 is a high core Haswell-EP part for dense dual socket servers on LGA 2011-v3. Intel set sixteen cores and 32 threads at 2.3 GHz base with turbo to 3.6 GHz. Forty megabytes of Smart Cache cover very large guest counts. Power is 135 W on 22 nm from September 2014. It balances core count with wide turbo for clouds that mix parallel and single thread work.

Sixteen cores consolidate virtual machines per socket at strong ratios. Modest base clocks hold power while turbo to 3.6 GHz lifts control tasks. Huge cache trims memory waits across tenants. ECC DDR4 guards data through long runs. No integrated graphics exist. Fabric bandwidth and storage shape node throughput alongside cores. Buyers pick the 2698 v3 where 18 core OEM parts lack retail board support but 16 cores must be retail.

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 high retail core counts with data protection at 135 W.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The E5-2698 v3 fits LGA 2011-v3 on C612 Grantley boards for single and dual socket use. Firmware must list the v3 stepping. 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 guest 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.

An eighteen core OEM on the same socket adds threads where vendor locks allow. Confirm stepping support before chasing core counts.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

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

Forty PCIe 3.0 lanes per socket feed fabric HBAs and NVMe for cloud storage. NUMA aware placement across QPI links matters at sixteen cores. Board manuals guide controller slot choices.

Vendor 135 W cooling handles sustained all core work with cool inlets. No retail cooler exists. Turbo to 3.6 GHz needs per core headroom and inlet air.

Upgrade paths

Within the socket the Intel Xeon E5-2680 v3 with twelve cores is a lower density retail step on similar boards. The Intel Core i7-5960X with eight cores is an HEDT chip without ECC for single socket creation. Both need platform checks.

Newer sockets replace Grantley. The E5-2698 v3 covers dense retail hosts where sixteen cores at 135 W are wanted.