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Hi girls.
Jay_s is right.
Let's talk about the ECC question. For ECC to fully work, that's what we need:
(a) ECC Memory (obviously)
(b) Suitable Memory Controller (less obvious)
(c) Option on the BIOS (not known by many)
For (a) and (b) we do not have any problems, since almost every A64 processor does support ECC memory, even Semprons (and this is why ECC memory can be installed, and works, on almost every AMD motherboard).
Big problem is (c), only few consumer vendors (Asus, Biostar, maybe DFI) let the user play with it.
How works the ECC MODE? An extra chip is added on the DRAM (this means there are 9 chips instead of 8) and works as added redundancy data. Simple as that.
Data transferred on the bus is increased to 72-bit, exactly 8-bit more than the regular 64-bit.
This 72-bit data goes on the memory controller and there, if one bit (but just one) is found "bad", it is replaced* by a good one, thanks to the extra information. Then it is passed to the chipset or the CPU core.
* in fact we can choose different options:
- you will be alerted about the error but data won't be replaced [min]
- data will be replaced [standard]
- data will be replaced and will be checked again [max]
Attention check: how does "dual channel works"?
It transfers twice the data on the bus, since comes from two DRAM at time. 64-bit + 64-bit = 128 bit. 144-bit when using ECC memory.
VERY IMPORTANT:
ECC DDR2 DRAM has the same number of pins of regular one: 240. No extra traces are needed on the motherboard. These wouldn't go anywhere.
On regular DRAM, 64 pins out of 240 are used for data transfer; the ECC one just uses 8 more pins (out of the remaining 240-64=176). That's all.
For what it's worth, regular DRAM uses pins number:
3, 4, 9, 10, 12, 13, 21, 22, 24, 25, 30, 31, 33, 34, 39, 40, 80, 81, 86, 87, 89, 90, 95, 96, 98, 99
107, 108, 110, 111, 116, 117, 122, 123, 128, 129, 131, 132, 140, 141, 143, 144, 149, 150, 152, 153, 158, 159, 199,
200, 205, 206, 208, 209, 214, 215, 217, 218, 226, 227, 229, 230, 235, 236
ECC DRAM adds to the count:
42, 43, 48, 49, 161, 162, 167, 168
Other pins are used for the ground, clock, power supply, as spare, etc.
Satisfied?
Thanks to Jay_s and his MemTest86+ screen, that SAYS WITHOUT ANY DOUBT ECC MODE IS FULLY WORKING. DO NOT GIVE UP GUY, YOU ARE A MOSES AMONG SHEEPS.
Conclusions? A Biostar TA760G is shipping to my address, too.
ECC MODE DOES indeed WORK, so the feature IS SUPPORTED by the motherboard.
BUT... BIOSTAR doesn't want to help you in this matter. Doesn't want to give technical assistance on ECC MODE. Doesn't want to test ECC memory for compatibility. In the end, doesn't (UFFICIALLY) support it.
Since it works I don't care less.
Jay_s is right.
Let's talk about the ECC question. For ECC to fully work, that's what we need:
(a) ECC Memory (obviously)
(b) Suitable Memory Controller (less obvious)
(c) Option on the BIOS (not known by many)
For (a) and (b) we do not have any problems, since almost every A64 processor does support ECC memory, even Semprons (and this is why ECC memory can be installed, and works, on almost every AMD motherboard).
Big problem is (c), only few consumer vendors (Asus, Biostar, maybe DFI) let the user play with it.
How works the ECC MODE? An extra chip is added on the DRAM (this means there are 9 chips instead of 8) and works as added redundancy data. Simple as that.
Data transferred on the bus is increased to 72-bit, exactly 8-bit more than the regular 64-bit.
This 72-bit data goes on the memory controller and there, if one bit (but just one) is found "bad", it is replaced* by a good one, thanks to the extra information. Then it is passed to the chipset or the CPU core.
* in fact we can choose different options:
- you will be alerted about the error but data won't be replaced [min]
- data will be replaced [standard]
- data will be replaced and will be checked again [max]
Attention check: how does "dual channel works"?
It transfers twice the data on the bus, since comes from two DRAM at time. 64-bit + 64-bit = 128 bit. 144-bit when using ECC memory.
VERY IMPORTANT:
ECC DDR2 DRAM has the same number of pins of regular one: 240. No extra traces are needed on the motherboard. These wouldn't go anywhere.
On regular DRAM, 64 pins out of 240 are used for data transfer; the ECC one just uses 8 more pins (out of the remaining 240-64=176). That's all.
For what it's worth, regular DRAM uses pins number:
3, 4, 9, 10, 12, 13, 21, 22, 24, 25, 30, 31, 33, 34, 39, 40, 80, 81, 86, 87, 89, 90, 95, 96, 98, 99
107, 108, 110, 111, 116, 117, 122, 123, 128, 129, 131, 132, 140, 141, 143, 144, 149, 150, 152, 153, 158, 159, 199,
200, 205, 206, 208, 209, 214, 215, 217, 218, 226, 227, 229, 230, 235, 236
ECC DRAM adds to the count:
42, 43, 48, 49, 161, 162, 167, 168
Other pins are used for the ground, clock, power supply, as spare, etc.
Satisfied?
Thanks to Jay_s and his MemTest86+ screen, that SAYS WITHOUT ANY DOUBT ECC MODE IS FULLY WORKING. DO NOT GIVE UP GUY, YOU ARE A MOSES AMONG SHEEPS.
Conclusions? A Biostar TA760G is shipping to my address, too.
The word "support" can have different meanings.
ECC MODE DOES indeed WORK, so the feature IS SUPPORTED by the motherboard.
BUT... BIOSTAR doesn't want to help you in this matter. Doesn't want to give technical assistance on ECC MODE. Doesn't want to test ECC memory for compatibility. In the end, doesn't (UFFICIALLY) support it.
Since it works I don't care less.
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