What?s the difference between ECC and Non registered ECC ram?

[Socio]

This has probably been asked a thousand times but what exactly is the difference between ECC registered and Non registered ECC ram?

I see some great deals on ram on EBay but it?s mostly the non ECC type so was curious before I spend the money.

Thanks

 

[Chaotic42]

Here's a link

 

[Socio]

Thanks for the info

It said:

The term "registered" refers to how the memory module processes signals. Registered modules contain a register that delays all information transferred to the module by one clock cycle. This type of memory is primarily used in servers and was designed for modules with 32 or more chips on them to help ensure that data is properly handled.

So this would mean that ECC registered memory is better but due to the delay i't's just a tad bit slower than non ECC correct?

 

[bozo1]

ECC and Registered are two different things.

Registered is memory is buffered and is slower than regular memory and is usually only used on machines that have a ton of RAM for added stability.

ECC is error correcting memory - the module itself will correct single bit errors.

Usually, you see modules that are both ECC and registered, but they can be either or as well.

If you plan on purchasing ECC, Registered, or both, the motherboard it will be used on has to support it.

 

[Chaotic42]

Your board needs to support registered memory. You can't use them registered and non-registered together. My understanding is that it's better at keeping everything straight. It's for systems with lots of memory. It's like an extra indexing feature to make sure everything is ok. So, it's better in that respect.

It is slightly slower than non-registered, but I've heard that doesn't really make a difference except for benchmarks. The systems that use registered memory usually don't care about 0.01% performance loss, especially if it means a reduced chance for errors.

 

[Socio]

Thanks again for the info,
My motherboard does support ECC, so I will spend the extra $'s on it.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Socio
Thanks again for the info,
My motherboard does support ECC, so I will spend the extra $'s on it.

On my motherboard, switching to ECC increases the POST time by like 2 minutes. Be careful.

 

[Socio]

Ouch!

I will keep my fingers crossed.

 

[hdeck]

eh, i'd go with regular non-ECC ram.