What Is ECC RAM and Can You Use It for Gaming?
If you’re a tech enthusiast or a tech professional, you may have heard of ECC RAM, how it protects data and prevents system crashes. You may then start wondering, «How come ECC RAM isn’t the norm for computers? Wouldn’t it be great to create non-crashing consumer PCs?»
So, to answer your questions, let’s explore what ECC RAM is, how it saves our society from total catastrophe, and why it’s overkill to install ECC RAM in your high-end gaming PC.
What Is ECC RAM?
So before anything else, we have first to define what ECC RAM is. ECC stands for Error Correction Code. This type of RAM sports an extra memory chip, ensuring the integrity of your system data by correcting memory errors in real-time.
This is similar to RAID storage configurations, where you use two or more drives to ensure data integrity if one of your storage devices fails.
Related: All the Different RAID Types Explained
The ECC RAM module looks at the data the computer sends to it, compares it to the data stored in the extra chip, and automatically informs users of any error and corrects it if possible.
The Purpose of ECC RAM
Computers are sensitive to outside interference, like radiation and radio waves. Computer hardware can also introduce its own errors, especially as it ages. While these errors can cause problems like crashes and the blue screen of death for most consumers, they’re typically not crucial enough to warrant the additional cost of ECC RAM.
However, if you’re working on crucial tasks like advanced computational science, financial market data, military defense systems, and even electoral results, you want to protect the integrity of your data.
Related: How to Create a Stocks Watchlist on Google Finance
For example, in 2003, a candidate in the Belgian elections received more votes than was possible. This error was only detected because of how the Belgian preferential voting system works. When the election officials manually recounted the ballots, they discovered one candidate had an extra 4,096 votes.
They found no errors after rechecking the entire system for any security breaches or foul play.
13th transistor, thus adding an extra 4,096 votes to the total tally.
How ECC RAM Works
Image Credit: Starline/Freepik.com
If you look at a standard RAM chip, you’ll find that it has an even number of chips. But if you compare it to an ECC RAM chip, you will find that it has one extra chip at the back. This additional chip stores the parity data, which can tell your computer what the value of a bit should be.
ECC RAM uses an extended version of the Hamming code algorithm, invented in 1950, to detect, locate, and correct errors. This algorithm, called SECDED (single error correction, double error detection) Hamming code, can determine if a single-bit error happens and remedy it.
It can also find double-bit and triple-bit errors and inform the user of the problem. However, this requires manual intervention as the ECC RAM module cannot correct issues of this magnitude.
What You Need to Run ECC RAM
While ECC RAM is compatible with most consumer motherboards, their error correction capabilities aren’t usually supported by these motherboards unless explicitly stated.
As the general consumer doesn’t typically use ECC RAM, motherboard makers drop this functionality to save money.
Furthermore, consumer-grade Intel processors have disabled support for ECC memory. You’ll have to stick to AMD chips if you want to take advantage of error-correcting RAM. Also, note that AMD doesn’t explicitly support ECC functionality. Instead, it lets the motherboard makers determine if they’ll let users take advantage of this feature.
Is ECC RAM Good for Gaming? Or Just Error Protection?
Now that you know what an ECC RAM module is and how it works, you might be thinking, «What benefits will I get from ECC RAM?» After all, who doesn’t like error protection? You could save yourself from unwanted crashes and lost data or gaming defeats due to an unknown memory bug.
However, is that really the case?
There are several reports of users running gaming and productivity benchmarks on ECC RAM and finding that it runs slower than standard high-speed RAM.
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.
Related: Faster RAM vs. More RAM: Which Is More Important for Performance?
Furthermore, since current non-ECC RAM is robust and stable, there is no need for error correction of this scale for everyday use. Servers typically use ECC RAM because they require utmost stability. This avoids corrupted data and ensures that the data you put in long-term storage and retrieve in the future are accurate.
ECC modules are also vital if you’re dealing with crucial data, where a single, undetected error has a high monetary cost, impacts society significantly, or puts human lives in jeopardy.
ECC Functionality in DDR5 RAM
DDR5 SDRAM now has ECC baked onto its die, unlike previous RAM standards, ensuring denser RAM chips with more capacity in the same space to avoid storage errors.
That way, the memory module can now detect and correct bit flips and other errors inside the chip before sending it to the processor.
Still, this is different from a DDR5 ECC RAM, which also corrects errors as data transits from the processor to the RAM and vice versa. Nevertheless, the addition of on-die ECC means that the chances of errors are significantly reduced even in consumer-grade systems.
Error-Free Computing
If you demand 100% confidence in your data, then your system must have ECC RAM. An ECC RAM module ensures you avoid errors in your work, maintaining the integrity of your output. And while it’s slower than standard RAM and costs about 20% more, it brings unmatched reliability that can save you hundreds of lost person-hours due to data errors and failure.
For now, if you’re a general consumer who uses your computer for gaming and general productivity, chances are you don’t need ECC RAM. But when you’re working on crucial data, like financial calculations or time-sensitive projects where you cannot afford to lose productivity, then the additional protection of ECC RAM is for you.
Do you need ECC Memory (RAM) for your PC & Workloads?
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Well, it depends.
Are you looking for memory that has access to higher speeds and is compatible with more platforms? Or are you looking for endurance memory that can work 24/7, catch more errors, but sacrifices a bit of speed to do it?
RAM (Random Access Memory) modules are a crucial part of every system, but not all modules are the same. Aside from the capacity, frequency, and latency, the modules can either be Error-Correcting Code (ECC) modules, or non-ECC modules.
The difference between the two is that ECC memory will protect your system from a potential crash by correcting any errors in the data, while non-ECC memory doesn’t correct such errors.
Think of non-ECC memory as your speed-oriented memory, while ECC is your endurance / reliability memory.
Since not all platforms support ECC memory, and not every system needs it, let’s discuss what ECC memory is, how it works, and whether you need it.
What is ECC Memory?
To understand how the Error-Correcting Code (ECC) works, first you need to understand what a single-bit error is. Because that’s the major problem that ECC was made to handle.
A single-bit error is when a single bit (a binary 0 or 1) within a data within the RAM is changed to the opposite value accidentally.
This kind of error is tiny, and a computer may not recognize it as incorrect automatically, which can lead to many problems.
You can think of single-bit errors like metaphorical weeds in your lawn. Your lawn is your memory, and the ECC part of your memory is the choice of herbicide that’s available.
Non-ECC memory won’t take out any of the “weeds.”
ECC will annihilate all weeds, but a bit slower.
Single-bit errors can occur because of magnetic or electrical interference inside the computer, which is present in every system as background radiation.
Voltage stress, temperature variation, impact shock, or even data being read or written in a different way than originally intended can also lead to a single-bit error.
ECC memory will take care of these errors and fix them before they turn into a bigger problem.
ECC memory is very similar to non-ECC memory. The biggest difference between the two is that ECC memory usually has a bit of extra memory dedicated solely to making sure that the actual memory doesn’t crash and burn if something bad happens.
ECC is basically just a little chip on a normal stick of RAM that makes sure that every bit of data that goes in and out is exactly what they’re supposed to be.
What it does is that it creates an encrypted piece of code from the data being written into the main memory and stores that code in the extra bit of memory I told you about.
When the data stored in the main memory needs to be accessed, it then creates a new code and checks that piece of code against the code that was previously generated.
If it finds that they’re both the same, and that the data has not been tampered with in any way, it allows the data to be read.
But if it finds that the new code differs from the stored code, it tries to fix the issue by decrypting the code to find exactly where the problem lies.
And if it can’t, it at the very least makes sure that you know that something has gone wrong instead of silently continuing to work.
It’s similar to comparing MD5 hashes when downloading a program to make sure that what you downloaded was what you actually wanted and not a different rogue undercover file.
This is how ECC becomes slightly slower—because it has to create those extra codes—but a more efficient option to take care of your metaphorical lawn.
According to Intelligent Memory, the chances of such an error occurring are one single-bit error every 14 to 40 hours, per Gigabit (125 MBs) of RAM.
The Need for Error Correction in Servers and Workstations
In a system used for everyday browsing and gaming, error correction isn’t a necessity. However, the stakes are higher in the world of servers and professional workstations.
If you’re running a business that specializes in finance, a single-bit error can lead to a server crash that could potentially wipe transactions from your server.
Such a memory error can also lead to a data transcription error, which could lead to misplacing a decimal or changing a number.
This is obviously detrimental to the integrity and trustworthiness of businesses. If you went to purchase your cat a new toy and ended up paying $100.00 instead of $10.00, that would be quite tragic.
If you visited your doctor and the bill came out to $56,987, instead of $59.45, you’re an American or just became the victim of an ECC-related computer error, or both. And you’d most likely never use their services again.
Not to mention the terrible day you’d have after getting a bill that size for a mere checkup.
When caching an airflow simulation on an airplane’s wing, you don’t want memory errors messing up, because there are lives at stake.
Wasted time investment is another thing that ECC Memory can prevent.
If you’re rendering high-res, complex images or training a deep learning model, having to start over after weeks of processing, because of some memory errors, is a huge waste of time and money for your business.
ECC memory is a necessity in the medical industry too. With patient care, the accuracy of records is critical, and a single-bit error can lead to a wrong diagnosis, which could be fatal. The choice in memory can make or break a business’s records and reputation.
Without ECC memory, not only is there a chance of errors like this happening, but you also won’t know they happened until someone reviews the data and finds a mistake. And sometimes, that can be too late.
Make sure you double-check the receipt on that cat toy.
Which Platforms Support ECC Memory?
In the server world, both Intel’s Xeon CPUs and AMD’s Epyc server lineups support ECC memory. Note that for you to use ECC memory, both the processor and the motherboard you’re using will need to support ECC memory.
Remember the lawn and herbicide analogy? Think of your processor and motherboard as the tools you use to work efficiently with ECC. You need the proper tools to spread herbicide where you want it in your lawn.
In the mainstream platforms used today, most of Intel’s processors (even some budget-oriented Celeron models) will support ECC memory, provided you use a motherboard that is compatible with such memory.
With AMD, all Ryzen processors support ECC memory with a compatible X570 chipset motherboard, whereas the B550 chipset doesn’t support ECC memory with Ryzen 2000 processors. Ryzen processors with an integrated graphics card, or accelerated processing unit (APU), the 3000 G-Series, and 4000 G-Series will require you to use a PRO processor for ECC support.
Here’s an overview Table from ASUS showing Ryzen CPU ECC Memory Support:
The Downsides of Using ECC Memory
The most common issue with ECC memory is compatibility. Even though most modern platforms support it, you must make sure that the specific processor and motherboard combination works with ECC memory.
This is less of a problem in the server world, where ECC memory is commonly used. So server hardware usually supports ECC by default.
Pricing is also different.
With ECC memory modules being more expensive than non-ECC modules due to the added functionality. Depending on the capacity you’re buying, the price difference is about 10-20%.
There is also a slight performance hit, because of the additional time that ECC memory takes to check for any errors. According to Corsair, you can expect a hit of about 2%.
Wrapping Things Up – Do You Need ECC Memory?
When you’re building a professional workstation or a server that needs to run 24/7, ECC memory is a must.
To go without ECC in this scenario would be like using a greyhound to pull your wagon when what you really need is a sturdy workhorse.
Both the price difference and performance hit are worth it when you consider that you won’t have to worry about the possibility of a single-bit error causing you headaches.
You wouldn’t want to double-check every receipt to make sure it was correct, right? Extend the same courtesy to your clients and customers.
But if all you’re doing is playing games and using your computer for other non-critical work, you most likely don’t need ECC and would leave performance on the table if you went for it.
Over to you
Have you used ECC memory before? What was your experience? Are you planning on using it in your next workstation? Let us know in the comments, or on our forum!
CGDirector is Reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Useful information :: Does my motherboard support ECC RAM
Very often, our customers ask themselves the question — «Can I put server memory with error correction (ECC) in my home computer?». To help them decide on an answer, we have prepared this table with Intel chipsets that support ECC RAM. And although this is not the only compatibility condition (the processor also has its own memory controller, which may simply not understand how to work with ECC), it is still the main requirement, without which further checks simply do not make sense.
Simply put — if your computer’s chipset is not on this list — RAM with ECC on it will not start.
| Chipset | codename | Processors | Memory type | Support Parity / ECC |
| 430HX | Triton II | P75+ | FPM/EDO | Yes Yes |
| 450KX | Mars | Pentium Pro | FPM | Yes Yes |
| 450GX | Orion | Pentium Pro | FPM | Yes Yes |
| 440FX | Natoma | Pentium Pro/Pentium II | FPM/EDO/BEDO | Yes Yes |
| 440LX | Balboa | Pentium II/Celeron | FPM/EDO/SDRAM | Yes Yes |
| 440BX | Seattle | Pentium II/III, Celeron | EDO/SDRAM | Yes Yes |
| 440GX | Marlinespike | Pentium II/III Xeon | SDRAM | Yes Yes |
| 450NX | originally known as the 440NX | Pentium II/III Xeon | FPM/EDO | Yes Yes |
| 820 | Camino | Pentium II/III, Celeron | PC800 RDRAM/PC100 SDRAM (with MTH) | Yes Yes |
| 820E | Camino | Pentium II/III, Celeron | PC800 RDRAM/PC100 SDRAM (with MTH) | Yes Yes |
| 840 | Carmel | Pentium III Xeon | Dual Channel PC800 RDRAM | Yes Yes |
| 845 | Brookdale | Celeron, Pentium 4 | DDR 200/266 or PC133 | Yes Yes |
| 845E | Brookdale-E | Celeron, Celeron D, Pentium 4 | DDR 200/266 | Yes Yes |
| 850 | Tehama | Pentium 4 | PC800/600RDRAM | Yes Yes |
| 850E | Tehama-E | Pentium 4 | PC1066/800/600RDRAM | Yes Yes |
| 860 | Colusa | xeon | PC800/600RDRAM | Yes Yes |
| E7500 | Plumas | xeon | Dual channel DDR 200/266 | Yes Yes |
| E7505 | Placer | xeon | DDR 200/266 | Yes Yes |
| E7205 | Granite Bay |
Pentium 4 |
Dual channel DDR 200/266 | Yes Yes |
| E7501 | Plumas 533 | Xeon, Pentium M | DDR 200/266 | Yes Yes |
| 875P | Canterwood | Pentium 4, Pentium 4 EE, Pentium D, Pentium Extreme Edition, Celeron, Celeron D, Xeon | Dual channel DDR 266/333/400 | Yes Yes |
| 925X | Alderwood | Pentium 4, Pentium 4EE | DDR2 400/533 | Yes Yes |
| 925XE | Alderwood-XE | Pentium 4, Pentium 4EE | DDR2 533/667 | Yes Yes |
| 975X | Glenwood | Pentium D, Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo, Pentium Dual-Core | DDR2 533/667/800 | Yes Yes |
| X38 | Bearlake (X) | Core 2 Quad/Core 2 Duo/Core 2 Extreme |
DDR3 800/1066/1333 DDR2 667/800/1066 |
No / DDR2 only |
| X48 | Bearlake (X) | Core 2 Quad/Core 2 Duo/Core 2 Extreme |
DDR3 1066/1333/1600 DDR2 533/667/800/1066 |
No / DDR2 only |
| X58 | Tylersburg | Intel Core i7 | DDR3 | ? / Yes |
| X79 | Patsburg | Intel Core i7 | DDR3 | ? / Yes |
| Q57 | Ibex Peak | Intel Core i3/i5/i7 | DDR3 | ? / Yes |
This table will be updated as new information becomes available.
how it differs from the usual one and what is ECC, non ECC and registered memory
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Table of Table of Table
- Memory with error correction
- Principle of operation
- Unit errors
- Register memory
- What is the difference between the server memory from the usual
- , what is the difference between the RAM
- Where is ECC RAM needed?
906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 906 Why server memory doesn’t work on regular computers
In this article we will understand what server RAM is. Let’s find out how the memory for the server differs from the usual one and what is ECC support. Let’s understand whether it is possible to insert a bar of server memory into a regular computer and start it.
Servers and workstations do not use ordinary RAM.
Its main differences are support for specific technologies such as parity and ECC (error correction).
Server RAM does not have outstanding speed characteristics. For her, stability and reliability in work are much more important. Used in areas where uptime is critical. For example, finance and cloud computing.
Let’s take a closer look at the technologies that are used in server memory ⇓
- Error-Correcting Code (ECC) or memory with error correction;
- Register between module chips and memory controller. The so-called register operative.
Error-correcting memory
ECC (Error-Correcting Code) allows you to correct some errors during the operation of RAM. Including random inaccuracies, that is, those that may occur under the influence of electromagnetic interference or high-energy elementary particles.
This error occurs due to a change in the value of one bit in the machine word. The result of such an error can be the most unpredictable. From changing one character in the typed text to freezing the entire system.
The use of ECC technology is necessary to detect and, if possible, correct such problems. Memory that does not have error correction support is referred to as non-ECC.
How it works
The ECC module has additional chips, one for every 8 chips. That is, with a one-sided design of the module, 9chips instead of the usual 8. And with double-sided — 18 instead of 16. Additional chips contain checksums of machine words stored in memory.
If during the check the checksum of the machine word does not match the checksum in the buffer chip, then an inaccuracy has been found. If it is possible to fix the problem, the system continues to work, but if correction is not possible, then a message is sent to the operating system.
If the RAM uses only ECC technology, then it is not exactly server RAM.
It is designed primarily for professional workstations.
ECC RAM requires support from both the processor that houses the memory controller and the motherboard. However, not the cheapest CPUs and motherboards often have such support. Therefore, memory with error correction will work successfully on them.
What are the advantages of a typical home or office computer in this case? Theoretically, it will work more stable. But it should be borne in mind that the use of the Error-Correcting Code requires certain computing power, as a result, the performance decreases, albeit not by much.
Single-bit errors
A bit is a single binary digit (1 or 0), with eight bits forming a byte, historically the smallest unit of address memory that computers treat as either a single number or a letter. A single bit error is when the electrical charge of a bit changes, flipping it from 0 to 1 or vice versa.
Causes of single-bit errors occur in two main variants — hard and soft ⇓
- hard are caused by such physical factors as temperature or power changes, as well as voltage on the equipment;
- soft ones are due to more complex factors such as magnetic interference and even cosmic rays.
In any case, the result of a one-bit error is the same. An inaccuracy affecting a single binary digit won’t lead to the end of the world, but a flipped bit can seriously affect important data.
While the error may be harmless or have a relatively mild effect (such as a miscolored pixel in an image), it can result in a completely corrupted file or crash of the entire system.
In applications that process large amounts of sensitive or high-value data, even a single bit error can be catastrophic.
ECC RAM prevents single-bit errors by detecting and correcting them, ensuring that data is properly stored.
Registered memory
Only registered or buffered memory can be considered truly server memory. Its main feature is the presence on the module of another microcircuit — the register.
Registered DDR4 RAM
The register acts as a buffer between the memory chips on the module and the RAM controller.
This is necessary to remove the electrical load from the controller, which allows you to install a large number of modules.
The presence of registers reduces the electrical load on the memory controller, which allows you to install more memory modules per channel. Thus, ensuring the maximum amount of memory supported by modern processors is possible only when using register memory
All register RAM must support ECC technology. Such modules are usually labeled ECC reg. The difference between ECC memory and registered memory is only in the absence of a register chip and the layout of memory chips on a bar.
The first generation of DDR PC2700 ECC REG
What is the difference between server RAM and regular RAM
First of all, such RAM is intended for business and professional tasks, where work with data and the accuracy of their processing and transmission are critical.
Compared with conventional RAM, ECC RAM has obvious advantages.
Due to built-in error correction capabilities, systems with ECC RAM have much fewer failures than systems with non-error correction memory. In practice, this means less data loss, fewer crashes, and more uptime.
However, due to the additional processing required by the chips, ECC may have a small impact on performance. This is hardly a major issue when users prioritize the minimization of errors and maximum uptime that ECC RAM provides, even if it does have a minor performance penalty.
Another obvious difference between ECC and non-ECC memory is the price. Due to its advanced features, error-correcting memory is more expensive than regular memory and is only supported on specialized (expensive) motherboards and high-end server processors such as Intel Xeon and the like. You can insert it into a regular meter, but it will not work there.
It is easy to visually determine the server memory or not by the presence of additional memory chips and the location of the chips on the module.
ECC RAM cannot be combined with memory without error correction. Therefore, if you want Error-Correcting Code capabilities, you will have to replace all the RAM with new modules. What else is different about RAM for a server? Therefore, server modules are thoroughly tested, including under high heat conditions;
Server register RAM can only be used if the processor and motherboard support it; server random access memory, as well as regular memory, is available in different standards: ddr, ddr2, ddr3, ddr4. Physically, server modules remain compatible with desktop modules, but performance in conventional motherboards is impossible; The speed of buffered RAM is slower than that of a standard RAM module, but the price can be noticeably higher. Do you need server memory in a regular computer
It’s certainly frustrating when your home computer or laptop crashes due to a bug, but this is unlikely to have serious long-term consequences.
Building a home computer on server hardware is a rather controversial decision. In addition to the server memory modules themselves, you will have to install a server motherboard. And for the motherboard to work properly, you may need an appropriate case and power supply, which will ultimately lead to unnecessary costs and will only provide excessive reliability for most home systems.
Why server memory doesn’t work on regular computers
Where is ECC RAM needed?
For business-critical server applications, the short answer is yes. On a server handling sensitive customer information or financial transactions, even one mistake has the potential for disaster.
ECC reg RAM is highly recommended for organizations that process large amounts of customer data online to protect against financial loss caused by corrupted data or reputational damage caused by downtime after a system failure.
