SR19Z Intel Xeon E5-2640 V2 8-Core 2.0GHz 20MB 7.2GTs CPU Processor

Intel Xeon E5-2600 v2 Series Memory

The Intel SR19Z Xeon E5-2600 v2 processor family, codenamed Ivy Bridge-EP, represents a significant evolution in enterprise and server computing technology. Building upon the success of the Sandy Bridge-EP architecture, these processors deliver enhanced performance, improved energy efficiency, and advanced feature sets tailored for demanding server environments. The E5-2640 v2 stands as a balanced offering within this product line, providing exceptional multi-threading capability and reliability for a wide range of business-critical applications.

Enhanced Intel Turbo Boost Technology

The SR19Z E5-2640 v2 leverages Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, which dynamically increases processor frequency beyond the base operating frequency to accelerate performance. This intelligent performance scaling occurs based on workload demands, available thermal headroom, and electrical specifications. For the E5-2640 v2 specifically, this technology enables the processor to automatically increase clock speeds when operating conditions permit, providing temporary performance boosts for demanding tasks without exceeding thermal design power limitations.

Advanced Vector Extensions

One of the most significant architectural enhancements in the Ivy Bridge-EP processors is the inclusion of Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX). This instruction set extension doubles the floating-point performance for demanding computational tasks compared to previous generations. Applications benefiting from AVX include scientific simulations, financial analytics, media processing, and high-performance computing workloads. The E5-2640 v2's implementation of AVX ensures compatibility with optimized software that leverages these advanced instructions for accelerated processing.

Intel Smart Cache 

The 20MB L3 cache implements Intel's Smart Cache architecture, which dynamically allocates cache resources based on core utilization patterns. This intelligent cache management ensures that active cores receive the cache resources they need while maintaining data coherence across all cores. The inclusive cache design improves efficiency by reducing unnecessary memory controller traffic and optimizing snoop filter operations in multi-socket configurations.

Capabilities

Integrated within the E5-2640 v2 is a quad-channel DDR3 memory controller supporting speeds up to 1866MHz. This memory architecture delivers substantial memory bandwidth critical for data-intensive applications. The controller supports up to 768GB of DDR3 memory using Load Reduced DIMMs (LRDIMMs) or 256GB using Registered DIMMs (RDIMMs). Advanced memory features include memory mirroring, sparing, and demand and patrol scrubbing for enhanced reliability.

PCI Express

With 40 PCI Express 3.0 lanes integrated directly into the processor, the SR19Z E5-2640 v2 delivers high-speed I/O connectivity for storage controllers, network interfaces, and accelerator cards. PCIe 3.0 doubles the bandwidth per lane compared to PCIe 2.0, enabling support for the latest high-performance storage and networking technologies. The direct processor attachment of these lanes reduces latency and eliminates potential chipset bottlenecks for I/O-intensive workloads.

Form Factors

This processor is compatible with a wide range of server form factors, including rack-mounted servers (1U, 2U, 4U), tower servers, and blade systems. The 95W TDP makes it particularly well-suited for space-constrained 1U deployments where thermal management is challenging. Major server manufacturers including Dell, HP, IBM, and Supermicro have validated the E5-2640 v2 in their respective platforms, ensuring broad compatibility and vendor support.

Capacity

The E5-2640 v2 requires a motherboard with an LGA 2011 socket and Intel C602 chipset (or compatible C600-series variant). These platforms typically offer extensive enterprise features including multiple Gigabit Ethernet ports, SAS/SATA controllers, remote management capabilities (such as IPMI or vendor-specific implementations like iDRAC, iLO, or IMM), and redundant BIOS protection. When deploying the E5-2640 v2, it's essential to verify that the system BIOS is updated to a revision that supports Ivy Bridge-EP processors to ensure proper functionality and access to all features.

Thermal Management 

Proper thermal management is critical for maintaining processor longevity and performance. The E5-2640 v2 requires an appropriate heatsink designed for LGA 2011 sockets with a thermal solution capable of dissipating 95W. Active heatsinks with optimized fan profiles are recommended for environments with elevated ambient temperatures or high computational loads. Most server vendors provide validated thermal solutions specifically engineered for their chassis airflow characteristics.

Database and Transaction

Database workloads benefit significantly from the SR19Z E5-2640 v2's large 20MB L3 cache, which reduces memory latency for frequently accessed data. The processor's balance of core count and memory bandwidth provides responsive performance for online transaction processing (OLTP) and mixed database workloads. Advanced reliability features including Machine Check Architecture and enhanced RAS capabilities ensure data integrity for business-critical database applications.

Storage and Networking Applications

With 40 PCI Express 3.0 lanes, the SR19Z E5-2640 v2 can support multiple high-speed storage controllers and network interfaces without contention. This makes it suitable for storage server applications, including NAS and SAN implementations, where I/O bandwidth is critical. The processor's reliability features ensure data integrity for storage applications, while the computational capability provides ample resources for storage management, data deduplication, and compression operations.

Reliability

Within the processor itself, the SR19Z E5-2640 v2 includes Machine Check Architecture with recovery capabilities for certain types of internal errors. This enables the system to recover from otherwise fatal errors without requiring a reboot. The thermal monitoring and protection features prevent processor damage from cooling system failures by automatically throttling performance or shutting down the system if safe operating temperatures are exceeded.

Security Enhancements

The SR19Z E5-2640 v2 includes hardware-assisted security features including AES-NI (Advanced Encryption Standard New Instructions) for accelerated encryption and decryption operations. This capability significantly improves performance for encrypted storage, encrypted network communications, and other security-sensitive workloads. The hardware-based random number generator provides high-quality entropy for cryptographic operations, enhancing the security foundation of applications running on the platform.

Trusted Execution Technology

Intel Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) provides hardware-based security capabilities that help protect against software-based attacks. TXT creates a measured launch environment that ensures system integrity at startup and provides a foundation for more secure virtualization environments. This technology is particularly valuable for multi-tenant environments, cloud infrastructure, and any deployment where verifying platform integrity is essential.

Firmware

Regular updates of system firmware (BIOS/UEFI) and device drivers ensure access to the latest performance optimizations, security enhancements, and compatibility improvements. Server manufacturers typically release periodic updates that address specific issues or improve system stability. A structured maintenance schedule should include verification of firmware currency before deployment and periodic reviews for updates throughout the system lifecycle.

Compatibility

The Intel SR19Z Xeon E5-2640 v2 processor is designed for compatibility with server platforms based on the Intel C600 series chipset, specifically the C602 variant. Understanding platform requirements and configuration options is essential for optimal deployment and performance.