ECC Memory – Is ECC Memory Essential for your Server?

What is ECC Memory?

Error Correction Code(ECC) Memory is memory that prevents and corrects some errors during use. Errors may occur with hardware malfunction, or possibly even environmental issues. They correct these errors by adding an additional chip of memory onto the module for parity, so if something is out of place it has that information to correct it. One of the more common issues is a bit flip, when a bit of data has its value changed from 0 to 1 or vice versa. Preventing and correcting these errors results in higher stability of the custom PC and programs being run on it. If you’re building a workstation PC or custom server in which data errors, data corruption or system failure is unacceptable, then you may want to consider ECC Memory.

Is ECC memory essential for your server or workstation computer?

Whether or not ECC memory is critical for your server is going to vary on a case-by-case basis. If the system is running 24-7 and has mission critical tasks it would likely be best to have a system with ECC memory. If they’re only minor errors the memory should be able to correct them on its own and help prevent downtime.

If your custom computer is mainly used for gaming, web browsing, or simple work applications such as word and excel. You’re likely fine using standard memory over ECC.

Main Types of ECC Memory

Registered DIMM(RDIMM) and Unbuffered DIMM(UDIMM) are the two of the main types of ECC memory. Registered DIMMs have a hardware register installed on them which offloads some of the work that the memory controller on the CPU would have to do, generally resulting in a more stable system. However, this generally will introduce more latency between the memory and CPU. Unbuffered DIMMs don’t have this register, so while not quite as stable, will provide somewhat lower latency.

One of the biggest downsides to ECC memory is the cost. Due to the additional hardware required for the modules, both unbuffered and registered, the cost to manufacture the modules is higher. It is also generally slightly slower than their non-ECC counterparts, however this normally won’t result in much change in performance. You must also have a motherboard that supports ECC memory.

DDR5 Memory

Basic non-ECC DDR5 memory does have a feature called built-in data checking. While this doesn’t provide the data integrity that ECC memory does, it is capable of correcting single bit memory errors. Normal ECC Memory secures data both in the memory, as well as data moving between components such as the CPU and GPU.

Does my custom computer need ECC memory?

If you’re building a custom gaming PC, you’re more than likely fine to skip out on the ECC features and instead focus more on speed or capacity. If you’re building a workstation computer or custom server where errors, data corruption, or system failure must be avoided at all costs, then you may want to consider opting for ECC memory.