HP Z600 (revision C2) PC3-12800R Memory support

[_Ceva_]

Good day,

I am quite new with server memory and trying to understand if I can install in HP Z600 (revision C2)  6 memory sticks from Hynix  8GB 2Rx4 PC3-12800R model HMT31GR7EFR4C-PB T8 AF.

Photo of the memory:

https://a.allegroimg.com/original/038393/6097f9d443d9a5426757f7af5746/PAMIEC-RAM-HYNIX-8GB-12800R-EC...

Looks like manufacturer page: https://www.skhynix.com/eolproducts.view.do?pronm=DDR3+SDRAM&srnm=HMT31GR7EFR4C&rk=20&rc=module

Unfortunately, I can't find on Hynix anything similar to Kingston memory finder.
Could someone, please,  advice  if it would work?

[DGroves]

the memory mfg's web page and the HP z600 memory web page  provides all necessary info

Supported DIMMs
 The Z600 supports Unbuffered 1GB single rank, 2GB and 4GB dual rank PC3-10600E 1333MHZ ECC DIMMs

http://h20331.www2.hp.com/Hpsub/downloads/Mini-WP_Z600_memory.pdf

https://www.skhynix.com/eolproducts.view.do?pronm=DDR3+SDRAM&srnm=HMT31GR7EFR4C&rk=20&rc=module

the hynix page plainly states that your sticks are "ECC Registered" aka buffered (they have a R at the end and you need E), so no they will not work as HP states that they want UNBUFFERED ECC ram

[SDH]

Things changed with the introduction of the Z600 version 2.  There are hard-to-find HP DDR3 (and later DDR3 and DDR4) memory QuickSpecs, versions 1-6.  Those show the ECC buffered sticks and ECC unbuffered sticks to be HP approved for the Z600 v2.  For the Z400 v2 it stayed at ECC unbuffered.  I'll add in some links to those HP documents later, and the two earliest versions have info on the ZX00 family of workstations (v2).  Added memory info for the v2 workstations is in the late versions of the Quickspecs for the Z400/Z600/Z800.  Those late quickspecs address the v1 vs v2 workstations and how to tell them apart.

1333 MHz is the fastest the processors for the Z400/Z600 can run at, but we know about the down-regulation of faster memory to slower MHz as set by the processor(s) present.  Hence I experimented with 1866 ECC buffered server memory used in HP/Dell/IBM servers that is ECC buffered that works fine in that older v2 workstation.  Not bad, used, at a bit over 11.00 USD/8GB stick.  Add in tax and shipping and it ended up being $12.44/stick total.  That was only after pro-level eBay searching, and it also works great in my Z620 v2 and Z420 v2 builds using v2 processor(s) running at 1866 MHz.

[SDH]

Here are the links to the 6 versions of these HP memory Quickspecs.  Only version 1 and 2 have anything related to the Z400/Z600/Z800.  I tried HP ECC registered sticks that were certified by HP for the Z600 v2 in a few Z400 v2 workstations and they did not work.  Here are those links, and none exist after version 6:

https://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/getpdf.aspx/c04164501.pdf?ver=1
https://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/getpdf.aspx/c04164501.pdf?ver=2
https://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/getpdf.aspx/c04164501.pdf?ver=3
https://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/getpdf.aspx/c04164501.pdf?ver=4
https://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/getpdf.aspx/c04164501.pdf?ver=5
https://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/getpdf.aspx/c04164501.pdf?ver=6

[SDH]

The concept of "HP certified" is somewhat fluid.  In some cases the hardware just won't work.  In other cases HP never tried that hardware.  Both would be not HP certified.

The later HP Quickspecs for the Z600 mainly deal with the Z600 version 2.  In the Z600 quickspecs v26 there is this statement regarding memory and the v1 versus v2 capabilities of the workstation.  Emphasis added....

"NOTE: Although all of these memory configurations incorporate 1333MHz memory modules, the speed
at which they operate is dependent upon the processor.   Support for Registered DIMMs on the Z600 requires a systemboard with the C2 revision of the Intel 5520 chipset (which is the v2 version). Two methods are available to determine if a specific Z600 system has the C2 revision of the chipset. 1. Use the BIOS setup menu to access the “Boot Block Date” from the “System Information Menu”. All B3-based systems will have a “1/30/09” date and C2-based systems will have a "01/07/10" date. 2. HP Performance Advisor SW can be used to determine the PCA ID, which is reported by Performance Advisor under “System Configuration” and “Baseboard ID”. All B3-based systems will have the ID "0AE8h" and all C2-based systems will have the ID "0B54h"."

The same holds true for the Z800 v2 workstation, but for some reason the Z400 v2 simply cannot run ECC Registered (buffered) memory in any test I have done.

[_Ceva_]

Hi SDH,

Thank you very much for sharing your experience.

My point was to 1600MHz modules  just financial,  I found local offer with a very good price for this modules.

Seller have exactly six eight gigabyte modules and I don't think I may need more in upcoming future.

As I understand this, it should theoretically work since HMT31GR7EFR4C-PB will work on 1333 MHz instead of 1600MHz.

[_Ceva_]

I verified that my board is c2 revision with date in bios "01/07/10" .

[DGroves]

thanks for the quickspec links on the z600, i don't own and have never used a z600 so i was unaware later revisions do support registered ram on a C2 revision per HP

[SDH · Accepted solution]

DGroves... Happy to help... HP never updated a bunch of its documentation for the Z400/Z600/Z800 when the motherboards were updated from version 1 to v2.  Those DDR Quickspecs links, however, reflected the version 2 ZX00 workstations but they had been missing in action for years.  I was lucky to find a HP source for them that works again!

To the OP..... the 8GB sticks I tested in my Z600 v2 have an even faster maximum MHz rating (1866) than what you post about.  The workstation's memory controller is designed to down-regulate automatically to match fast MHz memory down to that of the processor.  Mine are single rank sticks, and yours are dual rank but that should be fine if all 6 are identical.  You never know if non-HP memory will work unless you test it out.  The ones I'm using are Samsung, but SKHynix is also excellent memory.  Here's a pic from the SHKynix link you provided showing your -PB memory can run all the way down to 800MHz:

The HP Z600 drivers web site has a "Diagnostics" section that includes two "HP Vision Diagnostics" packages, for making either a larger diagnostics USB drive or a smaller CD-ROM drive.  The memory diagnostics on both of those is the same.... and excellent.  I always run that when I do these type of experiments, and there were zero issues found with the server memory I tested.  I had it run for about 4 hours total....

[_Ceva_]

SDH

Thank you very much for all your help.

At the end I got for a very good price 6x16 sticks of Samsung M393B2G70BHO-YH9.

All works fine and system is stable.