HaswellE

Haswell-E is Intel's codename for the high-end desktop (HEDT) extension of the Haswell microarchitecture, released in 2014. It represents the move to DDR4 memory and a platform designed for enthusiasts, using the LGA 2011-v3 socket and the Intel X99 chipset. The family includes three processors: the Core i7-5960X Extreme Edition, the Core i7-5930K, and the Core i7-5820K. The 5960X is an eight-core, sixteen-thread part; the 5930K is six-core, twelve-thread; the 5820K is six-core, twelve-thread. All three are unlocked for overclocking and intended for high-end desktop workloads.

Haswell-E introduces a quad-channel DDR4 memory controller, enabling higher memory bandwidth than previous generations. Official memory speeds start at DDR4-2133, with many boards supporting higher speeds through overclocking.

From the processor, Haswell-E provides a substantial PCIe footprint: the 5930K and 5960X offer 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes for GPUs and other devices, while the 5820K provides 28 PCIe 3.0 lanes. The X99 chipset supplements with additional connectivity and I/O, but the CPUs themselves generally do not include an integrated graphics processor, requiring a discrete graphics card for display output.

Haswell-E sits in Intel's high-end desktop segment and was followed by Broadwell-E in 2016, which expanded core counts and added new features on the same X99 platform.