The Intel Xeon X5687 was a server/workstation processor with 4 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 8 threads. To further increase overall system performance, up to two Xeon X5687 CPUs can work together in a multi-processor (SMP) configuration. Xeon X5687 has 12 MB of L3 cache and operates at 3.6 GHz by default, but can boost up to 3.866 GHz, depending on the workload. Intel is making the Xeon X5687 on a 32 nm production node using 1,170 million transistors. The multiplier is locked on Xeon X5687, which limits its overclocking potential.
With a TDP of 130 W, the Xeon X5687 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 system, Xeon X5687 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 X5687, which greatly improves virtual machine performance.