Data corruption in non-ECC RAM is less frequent but still possible, especially under stress or power issues.
Data corruption in non-ECC RAM is less frequent but still possible, especially under stress or power issues.
Data corruption in RAM without ECC is relatively rare. Most motherboards today include ECC support, so you wouldn’t encounter it unless you upgraded significantly. During my large archival work and data transfers, I considered the possibility of silent errors, but they didn’t affect me. If RAM shows errors, it’s often a sign the drive is failing rather than just aging. A dying stick would likely show up sooner if it had been months since the project, as performance issues tend to become noticeable over time.
I think there was a report on some experiments a few years ago, you mentioned: https://blog.codinghorror.com/to-ecc-or-not-to-ecc/
Not widely used. It works well as long as your PC isn't left running for extended periods.
Relies heavily on all factors. Your power supply and wiring, your software and operating system, the performance you achieve, and even the number of four-leaf clovers in your closet. A good guideline is to invest in ECC RAM if you can, but avoid crashes at any cost. If you keep experiencing RAM issues, that’s a warning sign.
Your PCs are running smoothly without any issues. You're using reliable PSUs and haven't experienced crashes. An error might lead to silent data loss rather than immediate crashes.
Prolonging the drying period may raise the likelihood of mistakes due to various reasons. A PC placed on the carpet might influence the process in some way.
I ran several PCs over extended periods during my archival project. It was quite large in scope—three machines were set up for various tasks. They consumed a lot of power, generating a lot of heat, and handled heavy compression work and video encoding with HandBrake as well. Things got a bit chaotic since I was still getting familiar with all the tools at the start.
ECC exists to identify or stop problems from the hardware side, not for handling software issues. Leaving it enabled won't help with software-related faults.
The chances of RAM errors are generally minimal. They might appear in empty sections of memory or during temporary data that’s about to be overwritten, which reduces their consequences. Still, prolonged use can cause errors to accumulate. Initially, these mistakes may go unnoticed, but over time they can build up and eventually lead to problems. A complete system restart will typically fix all issues by design. Keep in mind: even after several weeks, this remains highly improbable. My family often left their computer running continuously (especially during HDD startup times) and rarely experienced strange, unexplained errors that could be linked to RAM failures. ECC memory is intended for critical systems requiring reliability, needing no reboots for months or years.