Check compatibility for ECC server memory on your ASUS P6T X58 motherboard.
Check compatibility for ECC server memory on your ASUS P6T X58 motherboard.
I own the P6T SE, not sure if it's the standard model. It's quite simple to push overclock on x58, though I'm not an expert yet. First, turn on Manual mode in the AI Tweeker. Then I only modified the BCLK and CPU RATIO settings, adjusted the voltage until it started up. I ran a 15-minute p95 test; if it didn’t crash, I fine-tuned it further—either raising BCLK or lowering voltage. The CPU ratio reaches its limit at 21, but sometimes lowering the ratio and increasing BCLK gives better results. Make sure to turn off any power-saving options, set PCIE to 100, and I think I enabled load line calibration too. Honestly, there are many settings here that I don’t understand, so I imagine there are plenty of small adjustments you could make to lower the core voltage. Let me know how you handle the hex core—I might pick one up if I find a cheap one.
There is an additional chip in the buffered memory to reduce the load on the memory controller. However, I am highly confident it won’t function on your motherboard since you’re using a consumer board. If your board supports ECC, you’ll need to remove the buffering—registered RAM won’t even allow the system to operate properly.
Some people are using ECC memory on X58 systems. With the newest BIOS and Xeon processors, it might work. I've noticed it functioning on a few Asus and GA boards, though I haven't seen many others. There are likely 2 to 4 users actively running it in the X58 discussion on OCN.
Good news, I recently purchased a budget 4GB ECC stick from eBay for £4. It functions properly with the P6T SE and an e5640 Xeon processor, but only when used alone. It didn’t work well when mixed with other modules, which is expected. I’ve acquired two more from eBay and am hoping they’ll support multiple slots—possibly enabling 12 GbE ECC configurations. Next, I’ll check if overclocking is possible. The RAM model listed is KTD-PE3138/4G. From a quick online search, it appears to be an unbuffered, registered ECC type, though I’m not entirely sure. If anyone knows the exact ECC standard, that would be helpful.
I found even better news—I spotted someone with a P6T similar to a mine and they had 36GB of ECC memory installed. Their CPU was an i7 920 as well. Based on that, I think the best value choice is purchasing 24GB of ECC memory from eBay; it should work fine. Just flash it into the latest BIOS. They’re also listing the PC on Craigslist. When I saw the board with the RAM and the advanced buffer chip, I realized they were using server-grade memory. Here’s the link to his listing: https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/sys/5705620873.html
I wouldn't rely on Craigslist sellers, and the ad doesn't mention ECC or registered ECC. The photos are clear enough to identify what's printed on the modules, and the seller is offering extra DDR3 memory beyond what's installed. An i7 920 won't work with ECC memory, and the ASUS board should handle unbuffered ECC if paired with an Xeon CPU.
Seems to indicate an Intel i7 920 featuring ECC memory support.
Absolutely, that's tech. This YouTuber focuses on building used PCs with Xeon CPUs.