Still looking for info on Asus P4B266 and ECC memory!!!!

[mbf]

Hi!

I did ask this question a couple of weeks back, but didn't get any replies. So here it goes again...


Does the Asus P4B266 *support* ECC memory?

If you check Asus' website they claim it can handle 2GB of ECC/non-ECC DDR RAM, but if you check the manual, there's nothing to tell you how it's done. Usually there's a BIOS setting to enable or disable ECC (as used in vintage Asus boards and still used by almost every other manufacturer), but no such thing is documented in the manual.

*If* the board supports ECC memory, then how is this done. Is it automatically enabled (and can't be turned off) or does the option magically appear, when ECC memory is inserted. I'm of course referring to a "pure" ECC based system, not some ECC/non-ECC memory mix.

This is really important to me, as I *must* have a board capable of using ECC memory (don't trust regular memory as far as I could throw it... !!!

I've tried to contact several divisions of Asus, but to no avail. Also, I've checked with some local dealers, but they couldn't tell me either...

So, if anyone out there has some info, please post it ASAP! Especially AndyHui would be more than welcome to tickle a (thorough explanation out of Asus!!!

I have thought about going for the Gigabyte GA-8IRXP (which explicitly supports this in the BIOS), but the recent posts about BIOS issues have made me reconsider this. Still, if it's the only way to go (dunno about MSI's 845 Ultra)....

 

[Scott5000]

One of the review sites stated the P4B266 would not run with the ECC DDR ram. Sorry for the bad news, unless a bios update has since fixed it.

 

[AndyHui]

ECC DDR SDRAM is supported by the i845 chipset, and by the ASUS P4B266.

If you have ECC DDR SDRAM on the board, an item will appear in the BIOS called Data Integrity Mode under the Chip Configuration Menu.

You must set this to ECC mode (default is Non-ECC), otherwise all sorts of strange things will happen to the system.

This motherboard, along with any other board based on the i845 chipset, will not support Registered ECC SDRAM. So make sure you purchase just plain ECC DDR SDRAM.

 

[mbf]

I know that Xbit Labs reviewed the Asus P4B266 and claimed it didn't support ECC, but they also reviewed the i845D chipset as such claiming the same.

Both the i845 and the i845D, as well as the i850 chipsets support ECC, at least Intel claim they do... They don't do registered memory (ECC or non-ECC), though, so maybe the confusion comes from there.

So the search for the truth goes on! Anybody having some solid info on (non existing?) ECC option on the Asus P4B266 please report in!!!!

 

[mbf]

AndyHui, you're a life saver! And it's funny that our posts seemed to "cross". If I'd checked just a couple of minutes later, I'd could have forgotten about that followup post!

BTW, you're sure about the appearing BIOS item? I thought of that possibility myself, but discarded it, since nothing like it is mentioned in the manual. Then I thought, maybe the board automatically enables ECC mode upon detection of ECC capable memory (and *only* that). My last thought was, perhaps it runs with ECC memory, but without enabling ECC... So many thoughts, so little time!

Anyway, I can get the components for my new P4 system now. Got 256MB ECC DDR RAM from Kingston lying around. Was originally to be used in an Athlon system, but I changed my mind on that one...

Again, thanks for the info!!!!

 

[Raphamin]

The i845D DOES NOT support ECC memory, I tried it on an Abit BD7 with Crucial PC2100 256Mb ECC sticks and the board would not POST. I replaced it with a stick of ordinary PC2100 and no problems (the ECC RAM is good). Somewhere on HOCP I read a response from Gigabyte tech support that confirmed that the i845D does NOT support ECC RAM.

 

[mbf]

<< The i845D DOES NOT support ECC memory, I tried it on an Abit BD7 with Crucial PC2100 256Mb ECC sticks and the board would not POST. I replaced it with a stick of ordinary PC2100 and no problems (the ECC RAM is good). Somewhere on HOCP I read a response from Gigabyte tech support that confirmed that the i845D does NOT support ECC RAM. >>



I suppose you tried *registered* ECC memory... The i845D doesn't support registered memory of any kind. As for ECC support, I guess Intel could lie about that one and get away with it. Check this page for a comparison of current Intel chipsets...