The Intel Xeon E5-2686 v4 was a server/workstation processor with 18 cores, launched in Q1 2016. It is part of the Xeon E5 lineup, using the Broadwell-EP architecture with Socket LGA2011-3. Thanks to Intel Hyper-Threading the core-count is effectively doubled, to 36 threads. To further increase overall system performance, up to two Xeon E5-2686 v4 CPUs can work together in a multi-processor (SMP) configuration. Xeon E5-2686 v4 has 45 MB of L3 cache and operates at 2.3 GHz base frequency, with Turbo Boost technology allowing higher clock speeds depending on workload. Intel is building the Xeon E5-2686 v4 on a 14 nm production process using 7.2 billion transistors. The multiplier is locked on Xeon E5-2686 v4, which limits its overclocking capabilities. With a TDP of 145 W, the Xeon E5-2686 v4 requires robust cooling solutions. Intel's processor supports DDR4 memory with a quad-channel interface running at 2400 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 system, Xeon E5-2686 v4 uses PCI-Express 3.0 connections. This processor lacks integrated graphics, so a discrete graphics card is required. Hardware virtualization (VT-x) is available on the Xeon E5-2686 v4, which greatly improves virtual machine performance. The processor also supports advanced instruction sets including AVX 2.0 and TSX-NI for enhanced computational performance.