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Will 'Desktop' RAM work in a Rack Server?

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RenegadeAndy

I am very new to Rack servers and am exploring options for RAM.

I am looking at the Dell PowerEdge R710 I have found this PDF which explains memory requirements. It however does not mention ECC, NonECC etc.

This page on the official Dell site does not explain what type of DDR3 ram is compatible with this system.

Therefore my question is - will any DDR3 ram work here? Desktop? ECC? Is desktop ram and ecc ram different pin configurations? Which should I use?

--------update--------- I see in the system hardware manual that it says:

Your system supports DDR3 registered DIMMs (RDIMMs) or ECC unbuffered DIMMs (UDIMMs). Single and dual-rank DIMMs can be 1067- or 1333-MHz, and quad-rank DIMMs can be 1067-MHz.

Which to me suggests it supports both Registered DIMMs and normal desktop Ram (UDIMM). And combinations of both?

Can you confirm my understanding

I purchased a system(it's being delivered soon) which comes with 8GB of RAM...and I want to buy more, but I don't know what that RAM is, so have compatibility concerns and don't know how accommodating these servers are.

Many thanks

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Michael Hampton avatar
cz flag
Michael Hampton
No. See the [Hardware Owner's Manual](https://downloads.dell.com/manuals/all-products/esuprt_ser_stor_net/esuprt_poweredge/poweredge-r710_owner%27s%20manual_en-us.pdf) for supported memory.
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cn flag
TomTom

Yes, it will. ASSUMING IT FITS - and given that pretty much any rack server is using a different standard than desktop machines, the answer is.... most likely not.

And the detailed answer is: Read the manuals.

As in: You state "I have found this PDF which explains memory requirements. It however does not mention ECC, NonECC etc."

Did you search? Because ONE google search ("Dell R710 manual" - hardly arcane) pointed me to https://downloads.dell.com/manuals/all-products/esuprt_ser_stor_net/esuprt_poweredge/poweredge-r710_owner%27s%20manual_en-us.pdf, which is the complete owners manual.

Page 129 talks quite clear what is needed:

Your system supports DDR3 registered DIMMs (RDIMMs) or ECC unbuffered DIMMs (UDIMMs). Single and dual-rank DIMMs can be 1067- or 1333-MHz, and quad-rank DIMMs can be 1067-MHz.

Not using the manual makes me want to close this - seriously, whether you have worked with rack servers or not, you should ALWAYS try to read the manual. Btw., the page goes on with specifying what sizes and hoe many modules fit etc. - read it.

Anyhow, you can fit any RAM that matches the description. Have fun finding a desktop system using RDIMM. And as i says, you need alternatively ECC UDIMM.

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RenegadeAndy
This helps tomtom - thank you. I therefore assume you can get both ECC UDIMMS and non ECC UDIMMS?
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cn flag
TomTom
Not sure how you read that out of "or ECC unbuffered DIMMs (UDIMMs).". Where the heck do you get the idea non-ECC UDIMM would work? RDIMM are not UDIMM.
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co flag
RenegadeAndy
I am not suggesting it would work @Tomtom - please ready it carefully. I said - I therefore assume *you can get* both ECC UDIMMS and Non ECC UDIMMS?
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cn flag
TomTom
You do - UDIMMS are what desktops use. U stands for Unregistered. So yes, you can get them in both ways. I think RDIMMS got "mandatory" with the faster DDR 4 speeds - before that it was both. Long time ago - not sure what I still remember from the DDR3 times.
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