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ECC -v- non-ECC :: Whats the difference?

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  • 23-04-2005 2:57pm
    #1
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,297 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi,
    Just wondering; is there much bad stuff about non-ECC, compared to ECC? I'm thinking of getting some non-ECC ram for my machine, which would be mainly used for games. To my knowledge, ECC ram is only for critical systems where there's alot of swapping done, and errors are a big no-no, but for a home gaming system, would it make much of a difference? Or would games crash alot with non-ECC, compared to ECC?


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    #2
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    ECC is error correcting RAM. It's used in mission critical systems (as you said) and uses an extra bit to verify that data was written successfully / read successfully. It costs more and is slower than normal ram. You (IMO) definitely shouldn't get it for a home gaming system. You can't mix ECC and non-ECC.


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    #3
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,297 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    Khannie wrote:
    You can't mix ECC and non-ECC.
    Are you sure? Someone told me that for my system (I've a Dell Deminsion 8200 with 4 memory slots), I could mix ECC and non-ECC (once its 2*ECC & 2*non-ECC, and not 3*ECC & 1*non-ECC, or vice versa), but that the ECC would become non-ECC if it were mixed with non-ECC.


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    #4
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    the_syco wrote:
    but that the EEC would become non-EEC if it were mixed with non-EEC.

    Sounds plausible, though why you'd want to do that is beyond me.

    My understanding though is that they can't be mixed.

    And it's ECC not EEC. :)


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    #5
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,297 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    Khannie wrote:

    And it's ECC not EEC. :)
    :o Ooopsy. Slight type-o. I'll try it anyhoo's. Buying it from someone here, so I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks for the info.


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    #6
    causal
    Registered Users Posts: 1,184 ✭✭✭causal


    You can mix ECC and non-ECC - the side-effect is the ECC will be disabled.
    I have mixed ECC and non-ECC RDRAM on a DELL Dimension 8100 and it's fine :)

    But the RDRAM that works with the 8100 would work with the "8200 - (400FSB only!)" Perhaps that was when Dell stopped using Rambus.

    causal


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    #7
    po0k
    Registered Users Posts: 15,815 ✭✭✭✭po0k


    Read this article on Registered Vs. Unbuffered Vs. ECC memory.

    It'll answer all your queries.


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    #8
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,297 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    causal wrote:
    You can mix ECC and non-ECC - the side-effect is the ECC will be disabled.
    I have mixed ECC and non-ECC RDRAM on a DELL Dimension 8100 and it's fine :)

    But the RDRAM that works with the 8100 would work with the "8200 - (400FSB only!)" Perhaps that was when Dell stopped using Rambus.

    causal
    It works nicely. Thanks for the info.


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