Vista will "require" ECC memory?

Have been watching the new developments in the laptop world: dual cores coming out, Vista to be released, rumors that AMD will soon come out with 64 bit multi-cores, etc. I'm a newbie and don't understand the technical issues in depth, but the following article on how Microsoft will "encourage" use of ECC memory makes me wonder about the implications for future proofing a purchase to be made in the next, say, year. http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/02/06/ecc_for_vista/

Is this a big deal? Would it mean that if you already had a dual core computer with DDR2 memory, you'd be stuck? I.e., would you have to forget about upgrading and have to buy a new laptop to have ECC memory?

 

No need to worry. Even current single core systems will run vista just fine. and if you have a dedicated video card it will run all the eye candy vista has. other than that your all set.

But if you really want u can add ECC memory to any system its just error correcting. Dont think you will notice a difference though.

 

SRD, thanks for your responses. So if you already had a dual core (or even single core) lappy with DDR memory, you could replace the memory sticks with ECC type memory without having to replace any other hardware?

 

There are two types of memory non ecc and ecc one is error correcting. I have never even looked if its out for laptops i have it in one of my desktops. You wouldnt even notice if you changed your memory to it. Not sure what special thing vista is gonna do to use it, but yes if they ever come out with it i dont see why it wouldnt work with current hardware ,since most desktops use it now if you want to buy it.

 

well good luck finding ECC DDR2 s0-dimms....... they don't really exist at this point. It's important for servers to have error correcting ram, but I can't see the "need" for a consumer based notebook...

 

So you can't even get ECC type memory for laptops? And even if you could, it's much more expensive, and the article implies that gamers wouldn't want it (because it's slower), and it's not supported by the most widely used chipsets:

"Today, ECC technology is very rare in desktop and notebook computers as the technology commands a higher price than their standard counterpart: For example, 1 GB ECC DDR-333 are priced 56% higher than non-ECC devices ($97 and $62, respectively), according to Pricewatch.com. The difference for 2 GB DDR-400 modules is 79%. In the DDR2 space, the premium climbs to more than 90% in most segments. ECC also has an impact on system performance as especially the ECC's RAM check consumes significant time when booting a computer. Overall, ECC memory is generally believed to be about 1% to 3% slower than memory modules without the extra circuitry.

If the highest possible system stability is important, users and system builders will have to consider ECC memory. A direct effect of Microsoft's recommendation may be slightly higher system prices, at least as long as ECC does not hit the production level of a mainstream product. But the simple fact that ECC carries a premium price tag means that the technology certainly will not surface in entry-level computers and may also stay out of systems that are focused on performance, such as gaming computers. While added stability certainly will make sense in business computers, lacking ECC support in some chipsets may prevent some users to upgrade their system or even prevent system builders to offer certain computers with ECC memory. For example, SiS' chipsets 661 and 649 or Intel's 845, 865 and certain 915 chipset variants do not support ECC.

But the article does go on to say that "If Microsoft's concern is especially sub-quality memory than, at least in theory, higher quality memory from manufacturers such as Corsair, Crucial or OCZ could be another option and a potentially cheaper memory solution than ECC. Burk was not able to confirm, if higher-quality memory will have the same effect as ECC. "We are still running tests and we are not recommending any technology or vendor over the other," he said."

 

Doubt that they will make it a requirement for home user because ECC is actually design for server where calculation need to be precise and error free. It is totally unnecessary for home user, worst thing that can happen is freeze and crash. Reboot would fix it. This usually will not happen unless you over clock, change the frequency of the bus/chip or voltage. ECC would also slow the system down, you probably will not notice it, but ECC memory is usually slower than non-ECC due to its extra feature.

I don't see any where in the ariticle that it says "YOu are require to have ECC or you are DOOOOOM". It's only a recommendation. Would i recommend it? No. But if you can get them at the same price, go ahead.