LGA 2011, also called Socket R, is a CPU socket by Intel released on November 14, 2011. It launched along with LGA 1356 to replace its predecessor, LGA 1366 (Socket B) and LGA 1567. While LGA 1356 was designed for dual-processor or low-end servers, LGA 2011 was designed for high-end desktops and high-performance servers. The socket has 2011 protruding pins that touch contact points on the underside of the processor. This socket has an unusually long life span, lasting 7 years (2 years than consumer-grade LGA 1150) until the last processors supporting it ceased production in early 2019.
The LGA 2011 socket uses QPI to connect the CPU to additional CPUs. DMI 2.0 is used to connect the processor to the PCH. The memory controller and 40 PCI Express (PCIe) lanes are integrated into the CPU. On a secondary processor an extra ×4 PCIe interface replaces the DMI interface. As with its predecessor LGA 1366, there is no provisioning for integrated graphics. This socket supports four DDR3 or DDR4 SDRAM memory channels with up to three unbuffered or registered DIMMs per channel, as well as up to 40 PCI Express 2.0 or 3.0 lanes. LGA 2011 also has to ensure platform scalability beyond eight cores and 20 MB of cache.
The LGA 2011 socket is used by Sandy Bridge-E/EP and Ivy Bridge-E/EP processors with the corresponding X79 (E enthusiast class) and C600-series (EP Xeon class) chipsets.
LGA 2011-1 (Socket R2), an updated generation of the socket and the successor of LGA 1567, is used for Ivy Bridge-EX (Xeon E7 v2), Haswell-EX (Xeon E7 v3) and Broadwell-EX (Xeon E7 v4) CPUs, which were released in February 2014, May 2015 and July 2016, respectively.
LGA 2011-v3 (Socket R3, also referred to as LGA 2011-3) is another updated generation of the socket, used for Haswell-E and Haswell-EP CPUs and Broadwell-E, which were released in August and September 2014, respectively. Updated socket generations are physically similar to LGA 2011. Different electrical signals, keying of the Independent Loading Mechanism (ILM) and integrating DDR4 memory controller rather than DDR3, prevent backward compatibility with older CPUs.
In the server market, it was succeeded by LGA 3647, while in high-end desktop and workstation markets its successor is LGA 2066. Alongside LGA 1155, it is the last Intel socket to support versions below Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 for the original and 2011-1 releases only, as LGA 2011-3 required both operating systems. The Xeon E3 family of processors, later renamed Xeon E, uses consumer-grade sockets.
__TOC__ Physical design and socket generations
Intel CPU sockets use the so-called Independent Loading Mechanism (ILM) retention device to apply the specific amount of uniform pressure required to correctly hold the CPU against the socket interface. As part of their design, ILMs have differently placed protrusions which are intended to mate with cutouts in CPU packagings. These protrusions, also known as ILM keying, have the purpose of preventing installation of incompatible CPUs into otherwise physically compatible sockets, and preventing ILMs to be mounted with a 180-degree rotation relative to the CPU socket.
Different variants (or generations) of the LGA 2011 socket and associated CPUs come with different ILM keying, which makes it possible to install CPUs only into generation-matching sockets. CPUs that are intended to be mounted into LGA 2011-0 (R), LGA 2011-1 (R2) or LGA 2011-v3 (R3) sockets are all mechanically compatible regarding their dimensions and ball pattern pitches, but the designations of contacts are different between generations of the LGA 2011 socket and CPUs, which makes them electrically and logically incompatible. Original LGA 2011 socket is used for Sandy Bridge-E/EP and Ivy Bridge-E/EP processors, while LGA 2011-1 is used for Ivy Bridge-EX (Xeon E7 v2), Haswell-EX (Xeon E7 V3) and Broadwell-EX (Xeon E7 v4) CPUs, which were released in February 2014, May 2015 and July 2016, respectively. LGA 2011-v3 socket is used for Haswell-E and Haswell-EP CPUs, which were released in August and September 2014, respectively.
Two types of ILM exist, with different shapes and heatsink mounting hole patterns, both with M4 x 0.7 threads: square ILM (80×80 mm mounting pattern), and narrow ILM (56×94 mm mounting pattern). Square ILM is the standard type, while the narrow one is alternatively available for space-constrained applications. A matching heatsink is required for each ILM type.
Chipsets Information for the Intel X79 (for desktop) and C600 series (for workstations and servers, codenamed Romley) chipsets is in the table below. The Romley (EP) platform was delayed approximately one quarter, allegedly due to a SAS controller bug.
The X79 appears to contain the same silicon as the C600 series, with ECS having enabled the SAS controller for one of their boards, even though SAS is not officially supported by Intel for X79. Name X79 X99 C602J C602 C604 C606 C608 C612 CPU Support Sandy Bridge-E, Ivy Bridge-E Haswell-E, Broadwell-E Sandy Bridge-EP, Ivy Bridge-EPHaswell-EP, Broadwell-EP Memory standard and maximum slots Quad-channel DDR3 up to two DIMMs per channel Quad-channel DDR4 up to two DIMMs per channelQuad-channel DDR3 up to three DIMMs per channel Quad-channel DDR4 up to three DIMMs per channel Overclocking colspan="2" colspan="6" Embedded GPU colspan="8" RAID 0/1/5/10 colspan="8" Maximum USB ports (USB 3.0) 14 (0) 14 (6) 14 (0) 14 (6) Maximum SATA ports (SATA 3.0, 6 Gbit/s) 6 (2) 10 (10) 6 (2) 6 (2) + 4 SCU SATA 6 (2) + 4 SCU SAS/SATA 6 (2) + 8 SCU SAS/SATA10 (10) CPU-provided PCIe configuration 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes 40 PCIe lanes per CPU Chipset-provided PCIe configuration 8 PCIe 2.0 lanes 8 PCIe 2.0 lanes PCI colspan="5" Intel Rapid Storage Technology colspan="5" Smart Response Technology colspan="5" Intel vPro colspan="2" colspan="6" Chipset TDP 7.8 W 6.5 W 8 W 12 W6.5 W Chipset lithography 65 nm 32 nm 65 nm32 nm Release date 2011-11-14 2014-08-29 Q1 2012 2014-09-08
Compatible processors Desktop processors Desktop processors compatible with LGA 2011, 2011–3 socket are Sandy Bridge-E, Ivy Bridge-E, Haswell-E and Broadwell-E. Sandy Bridge-E and Ivy Bridge-E processors are compatible with the Intel X79 chipset. Haswell-E and Broadwell-E processors are compatible with the Intel X99 chipset. All models support: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX, Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST), Intel 64, XD bit (an NX bit implementation), TXT, Intel VT-x, Intel VT-d, Turbo Boost, AES-NI, Smart Cache, Hyper-threading, except the C1 stepping models, which lack VT-d. Sandy Bridge-E, Ivy Bridge-E and Haswell-E processors are not bundled with standard air-cooled CPU coolers. Intel is offering a standard CPU cooler, and a liquid-cooled CPU cooler, which are both sold separately.
SocketCodename Processor model Cores (threads) CPU clock rate Multiplier L2 cache L3 cache PCIe lanes TDP Release date Price (US)BaseTurbo LGA 2011 Sandy Bridge-ECore i7-3970X Extreme Edition 6 (12) 3.5 GHz 4.0 GHzUnlocked 6 × 256 KB15MB40× PCIe2.0150W2012 Q4$999 Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition 3.3 GHz 3.9 GHz 6 × 256 KB 130W 2011-11-14 $990 Core i7-3930K 3.2 GHz 3.8 GHz 6 × 256 KB 12MB 130W $555 Core i7-38204 (8) 3.6 GHz Partially Unlocked4 × 256 KB 10MB 130W2012-02-14 $305Ivy Bridge-E Core i7-4960X Extreme Edition 6 (12) 3.6 GHz 4.0 GHz Unlocked6 × 256 KB15MB40× PCIe 3.0130W 2013 Q3 $999 Core i7-4930K 3.4 GHz 3.9 GHz 12MB $583 Core i7-4820K 4 (8) 3.7 GHz 4 × 256 KB 10MB $323LGA 2011-3Haswell-E Core i7-5960X Extreme Edition8 (16) 3.0 GHz 3.5 GHz 8 × 256 KB 20MB 140W2014-08-29 $999 Core i7-5930K 6 (12) 3.5 GHz 3.7 GHz 6 x 256 KB 15MB $550 Core i7-5820K 3.3 GHz 3.6 GHz 28× PCIe3.0 $396Broadwell-E Core i7-6950X Extreme Edition 10 (20) 3.0 GHz 3.5 GHz 10 x 256 KB 25MB 40× PCIe3.02016-05-30 $1723Core i7-6900K8 (16)3.2 GHz3.7 GHz8 x 256 KB20MB$1089Core i7-6850K6 (12)3.6 GHz3.8 GHz6 x 256 KB15MB$617Core i7-6800K3.4 GHz3.6 GHz15MB28× PCIe3.0$434 1 The X79 chipset allows for increasing the base clock (BCLK), Intel calls it CPU Strap, by 1.00×, 1.25×, 1.66× or 2.50×. The CPU frequency is derived by the BCLK times the CPU multiplier.
Server processors
Server processors compatible with LGA 2011 socket are Sandy Bridge-EP, Ivy Bridge-E, Haswell-E and Broadwell-E. All models support: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX, Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST), Intel 64, XD bit (an NX bit implementation), TXT, Intel VT-x, Intel VT-d, AES-NI, Smart Cache. Not all support Hyper-threading and Turbo Boost.
Sandy Bridge-EP (Xeon E5)
SocketModelCores (threads)L3 CacheCPU clock rateInterfaceSupported memoryTDPRelease datePrice (USD)BaseTurboUp to 4× LGA 2011Xeon E546508 (16)20 MB2.7 GHz3.3 GHz2× QPI DMI 2.0
40× PCI-E 3.0Up to Quad-channel
DDR3-1600130W2012-05-14$36164650L2.6 GHz3.1 GHz115W46402.4 GHz2.8 GHz95W$2725462016 MB2.2 GHz2.6 GHz4× DDR3-1333$161146176 (6)15 MB2.9 GHz3.4 GHz4× DDR3-1600130W46106 (12)2.4 GHz2.9 GHz4× DDR3-133395W$1219460712 MB2.2 GHzN/A4× DDR3-1066$88546034 (8)10 MB2.0 GHz$551Up to 2× LGA 2011Xeon E52687W8 (16)20 MB3.1 GHz3.8 GHz4× DDR3-1600150W2012-03-06$188526902.9 GHz135W$205726802.7 GHz3.5 GHz130W$172326892.6 GHz3.6 GHz115WOEM26703.3 GHz$155226652.4 GHz3.1 GHz$144026602.2 GHz3.0 GHz95W$132926582.1 GHz2.4 GHz$118626502.0 GHz2.8 GHz$11072650L1.8 GHz2.3 GHz70W2648L2.1 GHz$118626676 (12)15 MB2.9 GHz3.5 GHz130W$155226402.5 GHz3.0 GHz4× DDR3-133395W$88426302.3 GHz2.8 GHz$61226202.0 GHz2.5 GHz$4062630L60W$6622628L1.8 GHzN/AOEM26434 (8)10 MB3.3 GHz3.5 GHz4× DDR3-1600130W$8842618L1.8 GHzN/A4× DDR3-106650WOEM26094 (4)2.4 GHz80W$24626031.8 GHz$20226372 (4)5 MB3.0 GHz3.5 GHz4× DDR3-1600$884LGA 2011Xeon E516606 (12)15 MB3.3 GHz3.9 GHz130W$1080165012 MB3.2 GHz3.8 GHz$58316204 (8)10 MB3.6 GHz$29416074 (4)3.0 GHzN/A4× DDR3-1066$24416032.8 GHz$198
Ivy Bridge-EP (Xeon E5 v2)
SocketModelCores (threads)L3 CacheCPU clock rateInterfaceSupported memoryTDPRelease datePrice (USD)BaseTurboUp to 2 × LGA 2011Xeon E52697 v212 (24)30MB2.7 GHz3.5 GHz2× 8.0GT/s QPI DMI 2.0
40× PCIe 3.04× DDR3-1866130W2013-09-10$26142696 v22.5 GHz3.5 GHz120WOEM2695 v22.4 GHz3.2 GHz115W$23362692 v22.2 GHz3.0 GHz2013-06Tianhe-2 OEM2651 v21.8 GHz2.2 GHz4× DDR3-1600105W2013 Q4OEM2690 v210 (20)25MB3.0 GHz3.6 GHz4× DDR3-1866130W2013-09-10$20572680 v22.8 GHz3.6 GHz115W$17232670 v22.5 GHz3.3 GHz$15522660 v22.2 GHz3.0 GHz95W$13892658 v22.4 GHz3.0 GHz$14402650L v21.7 GHz2.1 GHz70W$12192648L v21.9 GHz2.5 GHz4× DDR3-1866$12182687W v28 (16)3.4 GHz4.0 GHz4× DDR3-1866150W$21082673 v23.3 GHz4.0 GHz110W2013-12N/A2667 v2130W2013-09-10$20572650 v220MB2.6 GHz3.4 GHz95W$11662640 v22.0 GHz2.5 GHz2× 7.2GT/s QPI4× DDR3-1600$8852628L v21.9 GHz2.4 GHz70W$10002643 v26 (12)25MB3.5 GHz3.8 GHz2× 8.0GT/s QPI4× DDR3-1866130W$15522630 v215MB2.6 GHz3.1 GHz2× 7.2GT/s QPI4× DDR3-160080W$6122620 v22.1 GHz2.6 GHz$4062630L v22.4 GHz2.8 GHz60W$6122618L v22.0 GHzN/A2× 6.4GT/s QPI4× DDR3-133350W$5202637 v24 (8)3.5 GHz3.8 GHz2× 8.0GT/s QPI4× DDR3-1866130W$9962609 v24 (4)10MB2.5 GHzN/A2× 6.4GT/s QPI4× DDR3-133380W$2942603 v21.8 GHz$202LGA 2011Xeon E51680 v28 (16)25MB3.0 GHz3.9 GHzDMI 2.0 40× PCI-E 3.04× DDR3-1866130W$17231660 v26 (12)15MB3.7 GHz4.0 GHz$10831650 v212MB3.5 GHz3.9 GHz$5831620 v24 (8)10MB3.7 GHz3.9 GHz$2941607 v24 (4)3.0 GHzN/A4× DDR3-1600$244
Ivy Bridge-EX (Xeon E7 v2) All processors are released on February 18, 2014, unless noted otherwise. SocketModelCores (threads)CPU clock rateL3 CacheInterfaceSupported memoryTDPPrice (USD)BaseTurboUp to 8 × LGA 2011-1Xeon E78895 v215 (30)2.8 GHz3.6 GHz37.5MB3× 8.0GT/s QPI 32× PCIe 3.04× DDR3-1600155WOracle OEM8890 v23.4 GHz$68418880 v22.5 GHz3.1 GHz130W$57298870 v22.3 GHz2.9 GHz$46168880L v22.2 GHz2.8 GHz30MB105W$57298857 v212 (24)3.0 GHz3.6 GHz130W$38388850 v212 (12)2.3 GHz2.8 GHz24MB105W$30598891 v210 (20)3.2 GHz3.7 GHz37.5MB155W$68418893 v26 (12)3.4 GHz3.7 GHzUp to 4× LGA 2011-1Xeon