DDR4 RDIMMs compatible with DDR4 Z790 boards
DDR4 RDIMMs compatible with DDR4 Z790 boards
Quick question. I've never worked with DDR4 memory before. A 16GB PC4-3200 RDIMM that came from a server upgrade ended up in my hands, and I tried it on my desktop for some jokes. It didn't boot up, even after resetting the CMOS. The board lights suggested it wasn't recognizing the memory. I thought RDIMMs should have different keying, but they fit the slot. Do any Z790 or LGA1700 boards support RDIMMs? My board is an MSI Z790 Tomahawk Wi-Fi DDR4.
I made a move. That would've been great. It could have been a valuable bonus.
According to my understanding, RDIMMs generally need a memory controller tailored for them, and standard LGA 1700 CPUs lack these enhancements. You can work with unregistered ECC memory on W680 boards, though registered DIMMs aren't supported.
RDIMMs are compatible exclusively with Xeon, Epyc and Threadrippers. For the DDR5 generation, these components now only support RDIMMs—though EPYC models on AM5 still have limited options (those ECC variants work). Consumer devices generally require UDIMMs or ECC, not RDIMMs.
The chip manages the address lines, reducing the load on the memory controller when handling many chips. This matters for servers because they usually have more memory and support additional chips, along with wider signal distribution. During the upgrade I added 1TB of DDR4 across all four CPUs in that server. Not everyone prioritizes performance; some focus on getting free components to build a computer.
Apologies - I thought this was about a gaming system upgrade. However, the answer is clearer: No... But! I've noticed motherboards on Aliexpress that support RDIMMs, which are designed on platforms not originally intended for ECC or RDIMMs. If you're really determined, you might explore those options. Thanks for the guidance!
These boards use outdated server chip designs originally intended for rdimms.