Check compatibility for ECC server memory on your ASUS P6T X58 motherboard.
Check compatibility for ECC server memory on your ASUS P6T X58 motherboard.
Hey there, I just got a budget ASUS P6T X58 board and plan to connect an X5660 with overclocking to 3.6GHz. It should pair with an i7 3960X, and then I’ll try selling it for under $500. To boost its appeal, I need 24GB of RAM in the PC. The challenge is that new desktop RAM is expensive, so I came up with a wild idea: maybe because the CPU has its own memory controller, I can use ECC RAM without running into problems since the Xeon supports it? I remember when memory controllers were built into the northbridge, but with LGA 1366 they moved them to the CPU itself. Since i7s don’t support ECC, but Xeons do, could this theory actually work? I’m not too concerned about whether ECC doesn’t help here, as long as it gets me that cheap RAM. I hope this thread stays around for future folks who might have the same thought and find it useful. If it doesn’t pan out, well, maybe it was just a fun experiment for science.
It seems unlikely, but you might attempt it if you have the necessary components. The x58 chipset isn’t compatible. I think a 16 GB with two 8 GB units would cost around fifty dollars.
The chipset still plays a role because it manages communication between components, even if the Xeon supports ECC. Memory controllers and other features depend on the chipset's capabilities.
Intel secures the system to secure additional funds for server components. Are the x5650 processors available in an unlocked state?
I'm curious about this too. My setup uses an e5640 xeon with 4 cores and 8 threads, and it runs smoothly. At 4.2 with 1.25v it clocks around 210 BCLK and at 1.325v about 4.4. That means multiplying the base clock by the CPU ratio gives you 4410 for 4.2. The 4.4 version works at 210x21=4410, which matches your validation page. I might consider buying a budget ECC stick to test performance. You can find 2GB sticks for around £3.
The board supports ECC with proper backplane integration. If it receives UNBUFFERED memory, the RAM speed will be lower (e.g., DDR3 12800E) and labeled as "r" for registered, while buffered versions use "e" for ECC. LGA 1366 lacks an FSB, so overclocking relies on multiplier and BCLK settings.
Unbuffered memory transfers data directly between the processor and memory without intermediate storage, while buffered memory uses a buffer to temporarily hold data before it reaches its destination, improving efficiency.