If I recall correctly, server RAM is buffered, as was previously stated - what this means is that the RAM is tuned towards not making any errors, rather than being fast like unbuffered desktop RAM is. The RAM doesn't work very fast, but it makes very few mistakes in its calculations, which is what servers require. Or I might be way off.
[QUOTE="bryan19929"]So that kind of RAM is not for me? I want RAM to make my PC faster like normal RAM does and making my PC able to run more programs. RayvinAzn
Well, server RAM doesn't work in most home motherboards (I think), so the only kind you should be looking at is unbuffered stuff.
Ok. Many many thanks man. You just saved me $100 bucks :)
[QUOTE="RayvinAzn"][QUOTE="bryan19929"]So that kind of RAM is not for me? I want RAM to make my PC faster like normal RAM does and making my PC able to run more programs. bryan19929
Well, server RAM doesn't work in most home motherboards (I think), so the only kind you should be looking at is unbuffered stuff.
Ok. Many many thanks man. You just saved me $100 bucks :) Unless someone that knows more than I do corrects me anyway. Check Wikipedia just to make sure - I'm pretty sure I've got everything about right, but I might be off.
Server RAM has two differences from desktop ram - It is buffered: that's a technology to allow you to put more RAM sticks on the same memory bus. For example on current motherboards that would allow you to have enough DIMMs to use 64GB of memory, but with unbuffered memory you can only have enough DIMMS for 8GB. - It has error correction (ecc): that means that your PC is more stable than with normal RAM. ecc error checking is also available for desktop memory.
[QUOTE="cummingspatrick"]Server RAM has two differences from desktop ram - It is buffered: that's a technology to allow you to put more RAM sticks on the same memory bus. For example on current motherboards that would allow you to have enough DIMMs to use 64GB of memory, but with unbuffered memory you can only have enough DIMMS for 8GB. - It has error correction (ecc): that means that your PC is more stable than with normal RAM. ecc error checking is also available for desktop memory. Doesn't the ECC make the RAM run slower, or did I just read something wrong at some point?
[QUOTE="RayvinAzn"][QUOTE="cummingspatrick"]Server RAM has two differences from desktop ram - It is buffered: that's a technology to allow you to put more RAM sticks on the same memory bus. For example on current motherboards that would allow you to have enough DIMMs to use 64GB of memory, but with unbuffered memory you can only have enough DIMMS for 8GB. - It has error correction (ecc): that means that your PC is more stable than with normal RAM. ecc error checking is also available for desktop memory. Doesn't the ECC make the RAM run slower, or did I just read something wrong at some point? ECC does not make the RAM run slower, because it is something that's done in parallel with the normal memory accesses. On a normal DIMM, there is usually 8 chips on each side. On an ECC memory DIMM, there are 9 chips on each side. The last chip is for the parity data, which is simply a XOR of the data on the 8 other chips on older ram, and something more complex on current ram. What makes server memory slower is the fact that it's buffered. That means that there is a buffer at the input of every memory DIMM that cleans and amplify the signal. This means that the latency of each memory access is increased by the amount of time that the data stays in this buffer. So this is just the same performance hit as when you look at ram with low timings vs ram with high timings. It's like a 5-10% performance hit.
[QUOTE="cummingspatrick"] ECC does not make the RAM run slower, because it is something that's done in parallel with the normal memory accesses. On a normal DIMM, there is usually 8 chips on each side. On an ECC memory DIMM, there are 9 chips on each side. The last chip is for the parity data, which is simply a XOR of the data on the 8 other chips on older ram, and something more complex on current ram. What makes server memory slower is the fact that it's buffered. That means that there is a buffer at the input of every memory DIMM that cleans and amplify the signal. This means that the latency of each memory access is increased by the amount of time that the data stays in this buffer. So this is just the same performance hit as when you look at ram with low timings vs ram with high timings. It's like a 5-10% performance hit. Makes sense, and I was pretty sure the performance hit wasn't major. So I basically got everything right, even if I wasn't 100% sure why, yes?
[QUOTE="RayvinAzn"] Makes sense, and I was pretty sure the performance hit wasn't major. So I basically got everything right, even if I wasn't 100% sure why, yes? Well, you're right that it does not work in desktop motherboard and that it gives a small performance hit. However buffered memory and ECC memory are two completely unrelated technologies, you can get unbuffered ecc memory and buffered non-ecc memory also, not just buffered-ecc and unbuffered non-ecc. Also buffered memory does not correct errors, it allows you to put more ram in your PC.
[QUOTE="cummingspatrick"][QUOTE="RayvinAzn"] Makes sense, and I was pretty sure the performance hit wasn't major. So I basically got everything right, even if I wasn't 100% sure why, yes? Well, you're right that it does not work in desktop motherboard and that it gives a small performance hit. However buffered memory and ECC memory are two completely unrelated technologies, you can get unbuffered ecc memory and buffered non-ecc memory also, not just buffered-ecc and unbuffered non-ecc. Also buffered memory does not correct errors, it allows you to put more ram in your PC. Ah, sounds good - at least my advice was sound then.
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