Prices of Intel Xeon E3-1200 v2 CPUs

Current Intel Xeon lineup consists of E7 family for multi-processor servers, Xeon 5500/5600 series for two-way systems, and E3-1200 series for single-processor workstations. First generation of Xeon E3-1200 microprocessors was launched a year ago, and it was built on 32nm Sandy Bridge micro-microarchitecture. Second generation of E3-1200 series, dubbed E3-1200 v2, is coming in the second quarter 2012. These chips will be based on unreleased at this time Ivy Bridge micro-architecture, and they expect to improve performance and power consumption over the first generation of E3 CPUs. We previously published detailed specifications of individual E3-1200v2 SKUs, and now we have information on their prices.

Two entry-level models, E3-1220 v2 and ultra low voltage E3-1220L v2, will be offered for $189. Standard-power 1220v2 is a quad-core processor with 8MB L3 and disabled HyperThreading, whereas Xeon E3-1220Lv2 has two Hyper-Threaded cores, smaller 3MB L3 cache, and only 17 Watt TDP. Xeon E3-1220Lv2 with its ultra-low power consumption, ability to execute 4 threads at once, socket 1155 compatibility, and very high 3.5 GHz Turbo Boost frequency, seems like a perfect candidate for HTPC and home micro-servers. However, we're not sure whether Intel will release retail version of this CPU or not.

Seven SKUs, starting from Xeon E3-1225 v2 and up to E3-1275 v2, will be priced in the $200 - $350 range. These Xeons will have 4 CPU cores and 8 MB L3 cache. Xeon E3-1225v2 is 100 MHz faster than model 1220v2, and it also has on-chip GPU. Remaining 6 microprocessors come with Hyper-Threading technology, and 3.3 GHz and higher core frequencies. Xeon E3-1230v2 and E3-1240v2, both capable of executing 8 threads at once, will be positioned against soon to be released AMD Opteron 3280 HE. AMD chip is clocked at 2.4 GHz, and even though it may have 3+ GHz Turbo Core frequency and 8 (almost) full cores, it may not be able to match performance of E3-1230v2 and E3-1240v2 models.

Two most expensive processors from the family are E3-1280 v2 and E3-1290 v2. These parts will run at 3.6 GHz and 3.7 GHz, i.e. faster than upcoming desktop i7-3770K, and the Xeons will be priced accordingly. Official price for E3-1280v2 will be $612 in 1K quantities, and E3-1290v2 is going to cost $884.

If we compare prices for the first and second generation of E3-1200 processors, we will see that they didn't change for all but two SKUs - Xeon E3-1245v2 and E3-1225v2, which will be $4 and $14 more expensive than E3-1245 and E3-1225. Overall, in addition to a bit more efficient micro-architecture, faster graphics on E3-12x5 parts, and lower power requirements, all but one Xeon v2 CPUs should also offer 100 MHz higher clock speeds at identical price point. The E3-1200v2 CPUs will be released in the second quarter 2012. Exact launch date for this family is not known yet.

Specifications and prices of all second-generation Xeon E3 parts are provided below:

Model	Cores	Threads	Frequency	Turbo Frequency	L3 cache	TDP	Price
Xeon E3-1220 v2	4	4	3.1 GHz	3.5 GHz	8 MB	69 Watt	$189
Xeon E3-1220L v2	2	4	2.3 GHz	3.5 GHz	3 MB	17 Watt	$189
Xeon E3-1225 v2	4	4	3.2 GHz	3.6 GHz	8 MB	77 Watt	$209
Xeon E3-1230 v2	4	8	3.3 GHz	3.7 GHz	8 MB	69 Watt	$215
Xeon E3-1240 v2	4	8	3.4 GHz	3.8 GHz	8 MB	69 Watt	$250
Xeon E3-1245 v2	4	8	3.4 GHz	3.8 GHz	8 MB	77 Watt	$266
Xeon E3-1265L v2	4	8	2.5 GHz	3.5 GHz	8 MB	45 Watt	$294
Xeon E3-1270 v2	4	8	3.5 GHz	3.9 GHz	8 MB	69 Watt	$328
Xeon E3-1275 v2	4	8	3.5 GHz	3.9 GHz	8 MB	77 Watt	$339
Xeon E3-1280 v2	4	8	3.6 GHz	4 GHz	8 MB	69 Watt	$612
Xeon E3-1290 v2	4	8	3.7 GHz	4.1 GHz	8 MB	87 Watt	$884