motherboard with ECC support

[jseyb]

Any recommendations for a motherboard with ECC support? I know most people
don't bother with ECC, but it seems likely that they just don't know if
their RAM has errors (unless it happens in a critical bit and Windows just
dies)

thanks
jseyb

 

[CBFalconer]

Any recommendations for a motherboard with ECC support? I know
most people don't bother with ECC, but it seems likely that they
just don't know if their RAM has errors (unless it happens in a
critical bit and Windows just dies)

The critical factor is the chip set used. You'll just have to
check the manufacturers data sheets. My machine has an Intel
se440bx MB, which is ECC capable, but did not come equipped with
ECC memory. It is now.

 

[Bob Day]

Any recommendations for a motherboard with ECC support? I know most people
don't bother with ECC, but it seems likely that they just don't know if
their RAM has errors (unless it happens in a critical bit and Windows just
dies)

Both the Asus SK8V, and the Arima HDAMB support Chipkill ECC,
which is an advanced form of ECC that is a step beyond normal ECC.
Both of these mainboards may be a little dated now, but for the most
reliable computations, I would still recommend one of those. I'm hoping
that AMD's Barcelona chip will support Chipkill and that there will be
a Chipkill supporting mainboard to go with it.

-- Bob Day
http://bobday.vze.com

 

[Paul]

Any recommendations for a motherboard with ECC support? I know most people
don't bother with ECC, but it seems likely that they just don't know if
their RAM has errors (unless it happens in a critical bit and Windows just
dies)

thanks
jseyb

If you tell us the processor type you have in mind, it makes a
response easier to prepare. For example, if you have a Core2 Duo
processor in mind, then look for a 975X chipset. Any motherboard
with the 975X would do as a candidate, and you don't have to buy
the motherboard from Intel. This is just an example.

"Support for ECC and non-ECC memory"
http://www.intel.com/products/motherboard/D975XBX2/index.htm

With Athlon64, Opteron etc, the memory controller is inside the
processor, and ECC is available in hardware. All it takes is
BIOS and OS support to make it work (and for the engineer to
join the wires from the ECC pins on the DIMM slot, to the pins
on the processor )

Most server boards will offer ECC as part of the package, because
server buyers are more aware of the need for ECC.

Paul

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

Any recommendations for a motherboard with ECC support? I know most people
don't bother with ECC, but it seems likely that they just don't know if
their RAM has errors (unless it happens in a critical bit and Windows just
dies)

I have an Asus P5W DH Deluxe, which is a pretty complex enthusiast's
motherboard, with the Intel 975X chipset, and can take ECC memory.

If you wanted a high-end Intel based desktop motherboard, I'd wait until the
975X replacement comes out, which is due about now: the X38 chipset.

ss.

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

I have an Asus P5W DH Deluxe, which is a pretty complex enthusiast's
motherboard, with the Intel 975X chipset, and can take ECC memory.

If you wanted a high-end Intel based desktop motherboard, I'd wait until
the 975X replacement comes out, which is due about now: the X38 chipset.

More info:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/chipsets/display/20070816101317.html

ss.

 

[jseyb]

I'm leaning towards a Core2 Duo, but still looking for options and trying to
select a motherboard. I did see that the Asus PSWD2-E used a 975X chipset,
and appeared to support ECC - but I haven't been able to find out what
degree of support for ECC is actually provided by the board. On the other
hand, if the Athlon64 takes the ECC all the way into the CPU, that could be
a major advantage for reliability.

thanks
jseyb

 

[jseyb]

The X38 does sound interesting, but I haven't seen anything close to enough
information to know if it will be anything more than just interesting.
Reliability (including ECC) and the capabilities of the motherboard mean
much more to me than the chipset -- but I am inexperienced in picking
motherboards and chipsets.

thanks for the info and the reference. The XbitLabs site seems very useful
and informative.
jseyb

 

[jseyb]

I just read on the XBitLAbs site that Gigabyte has announced that their new
GA-5BXWV-RH is scheduled for September, using unbuffered ECC memory. Does
anyone have experience with Gigabyte motherboards?

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

The X38 does sound interesting, but I haven't seen anything close to
enough information to know if it will be anything more than just
interesting. Reliability (including ECC) and the capabilities of the
motherboard mean much more to me than the chipset -- but I am
inexperienced in picking motherboards and chipsets.

A motherboards capabilities are heavily defined by the chipset it is built
around. If you want tried and trusted reliability, you'd have to get an
older 975X based board (as far as Intel based computers are concerned).
While I am sure that all the premium boards coming out with the X38 will not
be shoddy, they will be unproven at this stage.

thanks for the info and the reference. The XbitLabs site seems very useful
and informative.

You're welcome. Anandtech is a very good site for hardware news as well.
They have an early look at the X38 chipset too:

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3077

ss.

 

[Pecos]

A motherboards capabilities are heavily defined by the chipset it is
built around. If you want tried and trusted reliability, you'd have
to get an older 975X based board (as far as Intel based computers are
concerned). While I am sure that all the premium boards coming out
with the X38 will not be shoddy, they will be unproven at this stage.

ss.

Take a look at the Foxconn 975X7AB-8EKRS2H motherboard if you want to go
975X. It does have ECC support that you enable in the BIOS, though I am
not using ECC SDRAMs myself. I have a review here and a discussion of
the boards ability to survive my hardware novice installation and use:

http://www.pecos-softwareworks.com/foxconn_975x7ab-8ekrs2h.html

 

[CBFalconer]

I just read on the XBitLAbs site that Gigabyte has announced that
their new GA-5BXWV-RH is scheduled for September, using unbuffered
ECC memory. Does anyone have experience with Gigabyte motherboards?

I have no recent experience, but a few years ago they were first
class. I wouldn't worry.

Please do not top-post. Your answer belongs after (or intermixed
with) the quoted material to which you reply, after snipping all
irrelevant material. See the following links:

--
<http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html>
<http://www.caliburn.nl/topposting.html>
<http://www.netmeister.org/news/learn2quote.html>
<http://cfaj.freeshell.org/google/> (taming google)
<http://members.fortunecity.com/nnqweb/> (newusers)

 

[CBFalconer]

.... snip ...

Take a look at the Foxconn 975X7AB-8EKRS2H motherboard if you want
to go 975X. It does have ECC support that you enable in the BIOS,
though I am not using ECC SDRAMs myself. I have a review here and
a discussion of the boards ability to survive my hardware novice
installation and use:

http://www.pecos-softwareworks.com/foxconn_975x7ab-8ekrs2h.html

You should install ECC memory, especially when your MB has the
capability. Non-repeatable memory errors can cause untold
destruction, which go undetected for months or even years. These
can be caused by cosmic rays, for example, and would be corrected
on the fly by ECC memory.

 

[jseyb]

I have no recent experience, but a few years ago they were first
class. I wouldn't worry.

Please do not top-post. Your answer belongs after (or intermixed
with) the quoted material to which you reply, after snipping all
irrelevant material. See the following links:

--
<http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html>
<http://www.caliburn.nl/topposting.html>
<http://www.netmeister.org/news/learn2quote.html>
<http://cfaj.freeshell.org/google/> (taming google)
<http://members.fortunecity.com/nnqweb/> (newusers)

Thanks for the links and the information.

I want a new, reliable system running Windows XP, and found a local
source that will build anything I want with Asus motherboards (his
preference). Using Gigabyte might mean doing it myself, which will be
fine if I don't have to troubleshoot incompatibilities or return items
under warranty. However, things can change rapidly in IT, and it would
be good to some current info on motherboard problem rates. I've found
sites that list features, but none that talk about problems or return
rates.

 

[CBFalconer]

.... snip ...

I want a new, reliable system running Windows XP, and found a local
source that will build anything I want with Asus motherboards (his
preference). Using Gigabyte might mean doing it myself, which will
be fine if I don't have to troubleshoot incompatibilities or return
items under warranty. However, things can change rapidly in IT, and
it would be good to some current info on motherboard problem rates.
I've found sites that list features, but none that talk about
problems or return rates.

Asus is also generally reputable. In the same class. If you want
reliability, ensure you get a system with operational ECC memory.
This is the only area in which there is no native hardware error
checking, and in which cosmic ray induced (etc( errors can easily
plant faults that actually appear days, weeks, months, or years
later. By that time all backups are also fouled. The errors are
non-repeatable. ECC fixes it all up.

 

[jseyb]

On Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:27:20 -0500, Pecos

Take a look at the Foxconn 975X7AB-8EKRS2H motherboard if you want to go
975X. It does have ECC support that you enable in the BIOS, though I am
not using ECC SDRAMs myself. I have a review here and a discussion of
the boards ability to survive my hardware novice installation and use:

http://www.pecos-softwareworks.com/foxconn_975x7ab-8ekrs2h.html

Good info; thanks. I'd never heard of Foxconn, and hadn't read
anything that indicated a 975X Northbridge didn't have full support
for DDR800 memory.

Is there anyone out there that has actually tried ECC memory on a
Foxconn 975X7AB-8EKRS2H motherboard?

thanks
jseyb

 

[Guest]

| Any recommendations for a motherboard with ECC support? I know most people
| don't bother with ECC, but it seems likely that they just don't know if
| their RAM has errors (unless it happens in a critical bit and Windows just
| dies)

How about this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16814161074
http://www.tyan.com/product_board_detail.aspx?pid=175
http://www.tyan.com/product_board_spec.aspx?pid=175

 

[Guest]

| I want a new, reliable system running Windows XP, and found a local
| source that will build anything I want with Asus motherboards (his
| preference). Using Gigabyte might mean doing it myself, which will be
| fine if I don't have to troubleshoot incompatibilities or return items
| under warranty. However, things can change rapidly in IT, and it would
| be good to some current info on motherboard problem rates. I've found
| sites that list features, but none that talk about problems or return
| rates.

ASUS makes fine motherboards. They just don't have quite as wide a choice
at the high end as some others. If I were in the business of building
systems, I'd probably be using boards from ASUS, Gigabyte, Supermicro, and
Tyan. I'm working on a project for myself right now where I have made the
choice to use the Tyan S2927A2NRF. If ASUS had the exact model I needed,
I quite likely would have used that.

Problem return rates is information that takes some time to accumulate.
And it is hard to collect this information since you can't get it from the
manufacturer. It's not usually something you can discover in a testing lab.