The Intel Xeon E5-2658 was a server/workstation processor with 8 cores, launched in March 2012. It is part of the Xeon lineup, using the Sandy Bridge-EP architecture with Socket LGA2011. Thanks to Intel Hyper-Threading the core-count is effectively doubled, to 16 threads. To further increase overall system performance, up to two Xeon E5-2658 CPUs can work together in a multi-processor (SMP) configuration. Xeon E5-2658 has 20 MB of L3 cache and operates at 2.1 GHz. Intel is making the Xeon E5-2658 on a 32 nm production node using 2,270 million transistors. The multiplier is locked on Xeon E5-2658, which limits its overclocking potential. With a TDP of 95 W, the Xeon E5-2658 is relatively power-efficient for its class, though proper cooling is still recommended. Intel's processor supports DDR3 memory with a quad-channel interface, running at speeds up to 1600 MHz. ECC memory is supported, too, which is an important capability for mission-critical systems, to avoid data corruption. For communication with other components in the computer, Xeon E5-2658 uses a PCI-Express Gen 3 connection. This processor lacks integrated graphics, so a dedicated graphics card is required. Hardware virtualization is available on the Xeon E5-2658, which greatly improves virtual machine performance. The processor also supports Intel's Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX), enhancing performance for floating-point intensive applications.