ECC Registered vs non-ECC Reg SDRAM

this is about it

Description:

What is the difference between ECC and non-parity memory? Is there a performance difference?

Solution:

If you already have a PC and are unsure which type you have, count the number of small, black, ICchips mounted on one of your existing DIMMs. If the number of chips is evenly divisible by three or five, then you need ECC. If the number of chips is NOT evenly divisible by three or five, you have non-parity memory.

If you are building a PC and deciding which type to use, the following guidelines should help. If you plan to use your system as a server or a similar mission critical type machine, it is to your advantage to use ECC. If you plan to use your PC for regular home, office, or gaming applications, you are better off with non-parity.

ECC (error correcting code) memory performs "double bit detection and single bit correction." This means that if you have a single bit memory error, the chipset and memory will find and repairthe error on the fly without you knowing that it happened. If you have a double bit memory error, it will detect and report it. Using ECC decreases your PC's performance by about 2%. Current technology DRAM is very stable and memory errors are rare,so unless you have a need for ECC, you are better served with non-parity SDRAM.