The Intel Xeon X5690 was a server/workstation processor with 6 cores, launched in February 2011. It is part of the Xeon lineup, using the Westmere-EP architecture with Socket 1366. Thanks to Intel Hyper-Threading the core-count is effectively doubled, to 12 threads. To further increase overall system performance, up to two Xeon X5690 CPUs can link up in a multi-processor (SMP) configuration. Xeon X5690 has 12 MB of L3 cache and operates at 3.466 GHz by default, but can boost up to 3.733 GHz, depending on the workload. Intel is building the Xeon X5690 on a 32 nm production process using 1,170 million transistors. The multiplier is locked on Xeon X5690, which limits its overclocking capabilities.
With a TDP of 130 W, the Xeon X5690 consumes a lot of power, so good cooling is definitely needed. Intel's processor supports DDR3 memory with a triple-channel interface. 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 X5690 uses a PCI-Express Gen 2 connection. This processor lacks integrated graphics, you might need a graphics card.
Hardware virtualization is available on the Xeon X5690, which greatly improves virtual machine performance.