Is ECC RAM really necessary?

Is ECC RAM really necessary?

You need high-end, battery-backed fully hardware RAID with onboard RAM to ensure that you don’t lose data due to a power outage, disk failure, or whatever. So no, you don’t really need ECC RAM in your workstation. The benefit simply will not justify the price.

Does ECC RAM use more power?

Seriously, that’s not going to happen, but it is interesting that ECC can be used to reduce refresh rates, and therefore power consumption. The stronger the ECC, the slower the refresh rate can be. The slower the refresh rate is, the lower the lower consumption will be. That’s pretty amazing!

Does ECC RAM prevent crashes?

ECC RAM doesn’t prevent crashes. It’s only function is to guarantee the bits in RAM are as they’re supposed to be.

What is the point of ECC RAM?

Answering the question “what is ECC memory?”, ECC RAM, or error-correcting code RAM, is a specialised type of memory that identifies and fixes the most common errors which could otherwise lead to data corruption or system crashes. These are known as single-bit errors, and require some explanation themselves.

Does ECC matter?

ECC, or Error-Correcting Code, protects your system from potential crashes and inadvertent changes in data by automatically correcting data errors. While marginally more expensive than non-ECC RAM, the added protection it provides is critical as applications become more dependent on large amounts of data.

Who needs ECC memory?

Error-correcting code memory (ECC memory) is a type of computer data storage that can detect and correct the most common kinds of internal data corruption. ECC memory is used in most computers where data corruption cannot be tolerated under any circumstances, such as for scientific or financial computing.

Is ECC memory good for gaming?

Even Crucial, the popular RAM and SSD manufacturer, states that ECC RAM runs around 2% slower than comparable non-ECC RAM. So, in terms of gaming, ECC RAM might stop an error, but you’re losing out on absolute performance.

Can I use ECC RAM in a non ECC motherboard?

Buffered (+ ECC), and Registered (+ECC) memory types can NOT be used, as they are not compatible with the motherboard. To be certain of memory compatibility, suggest using standard unbuffered (non ECC) memory, which the motherboard has been designed for.

What is ECC RAM and how does it work?

ECC RAM is different as it has an additional memory chip which acts as both error detection and correction for the other eight RAM chips. Prior to ECC memory, error detection was done via even or odd parity bits. In a computer, data is most commonly stored 8-bit chunks.

What is the difference between ECC and non ECC DIMM?

ECC DIMMs typically have nine memory chips on each side, one more than usually found on non-ECC DIMMs (some modules may have 5 or 18). Error correction code memory ( ECC memory) is a type of computer data storage that uses an error correction code (ECC) to detect and correct n-bit data corruption which occurs in memory.

Should you be curious about ECC memory?

But you might still be a bit curious. Well, sorry to rain on your parade but ECC memory is sadly not even compatible with most major consumer motherboards. Even then, if you do have a compatible motherboard, ECC memory is much more expensive than standard RAM and can be slower at times.

Should you adopt ECC memory protection?

Adoption costs exceeds the RAM price differential, as you will also need an ECC capable motherboard, which in turn often requires a server class processor. Overall, you’re looking at spending several hundred dollars to benefit from ECC memory protection with otherwise similarly performing hardware.