Z4 G4 Core i9-10900X/X299 chipset MB ‘unofficially’ supports ECC ram?

[Greybox]

Most Z4 models come with Xeon CPU and ECC ram. Our system comes with Core i9-10900X and non ECC ram.

Quickspec clearly state that Core i9 MB does NOT support  ECC ram. Need to run V-ray rendering engine on some large 3D complex scene so ECC ram is critical. Have run out of cash for new pc lol.

Thought, real experiences?

Thanks All.

FWIW here is what I got. It appears that the X299 chipset does support ECC (Error-Correcting Code) RAM. However, it's important to note that the specific motherboard model and manufacturer may have different levels of support for ECC RAM. Some motherboards may support ECC RAM for booting up but may not fully utilize the ECC features.

The Intel Core i9-10900X is part of the Intel Core X-series, which is a line of high-end desktop (HEDT) processors. Unlike the mainstream Core i9 processors (such as those in the i9-9900K or i9-11900K series), the Core X-series processors often have additional features that can overlap with those found in workstation and server CPUs, including potential support for ECC (Error-Correcting Code) RAM.

ECC RAM Support in Intel Core i9-10900X:

• Processor Capability: The Intel Core i9-10900X does have support for ECC memory, which is a feature that distinguishes it from many mainstream consumer processors.
• Motherboard Compatibility: Even though the processor itself supports ECC RAM, the motherboard must also support it. This means you need to use a compatible chipset and motherboard that explicitly state support for ECC memory.

Chipset and Motherboard:

• X299 Chipset: The Intel Core i9-10900X uses the X299 chipset. Many motherboards based on the X299 chipset do support ECC RAM, but it's crucial to check the specific motherboard's documentation to ensure compatibility.

[DGroves]

as you noticed all parts must support ECC ram in order for it to work

in your case the system does support ECC when used with a  xeon based CPU

however unlike previous generations cpu's where the xeon/I9 cpu's both had the necessary ECC support,

Intel removed ECC support in the 10th gen and newer non xeon cpu's

so current intel core series cpu's no longer have this enabled in the cpu

however the Core i9-10900X is actually based on the xeon cpu core so as such it does have ECC support

bottom line, try with just two ecc dimms and see if it's posting with it enabled

[SDH]

Fully agree with DGroves... if there is a chance it will work (as he states) you can do the conformance testing yourself and let us know. 

If HP does not support a hardware configuration that can mean two things, in my experience. First, they tried it in their conformance testing and it failed. Second, they never tested it and thus they don't know with certainty that it will fail or succeed. So they say not supported. One good reason they did not test something was that at the time of their conformance testing there was no way the original cost of such a fast high-multicore processor, or such a large amount of high-end RAM, could be justified as marketable in a lower-end workstation (such as the Z420 v2 or the Z440, or your and our Z4 G4s). Now with recycled costs way down we just need to test such things ourselves.

Either way HP has to say it is not supported if they have not tested it, but we here have done our own conformance testing and we let each other know.

[Greybox]

It all makes sense now. I intend to do the conformance testing and report back. Thanks All for the idea.

[DGroves]

previous motherboards/chipsets  were xeon/core capable so usually the bios's ECC xeon code extended into the core cpu line also, however in most current intel chipsets intel has split the xeon/core chipsets into two different ones and removed ECC support for the core compatible chipsets and cpu's

the only possible issue i see in your case is if the HP bios still has the necessary ECC hooks into the x299 chipset if so as i stated it should work with ecc ram and a xeon based cpu it really depends on if intel neutered your i9 xeon based cpu to remove the ecc capability hence my try it and see with only two dimms approach

[Greybox]

@DGroves 'it really depends on if intel neutered your i9 xeon based cpu to remove the ecc capability hence my try it and see with only two dimms approach'.

Well worst nightmare comes through just found out officially Intel does not support for ECC on Core i9 X-series. I guess no go even when bios allows it and the right chipset is used. Pretty much end of the road or more testing is warranted  just to prove they meant what they say?

[DGroves]

are you using DDR4-2666 ECC Reg RAM ? Reg= (Registered)

post a pict of the ram module

the intel i9-10900x and x299 chipset do support ECC and HP states that the intel w series cpu is supported also

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/198019/intel-core-i910900x-xseries-processor-19...

kingston lists ECC ram as supported with the xeon cpu

https://www.kingston.com/en/memory/search/model/97125/hp-hpe-workstation-z4-g4-xeon

for non ECC memory use  DDR4-2666 non-ECC Reg RAM (Registered)

[Greybox]

Just order 2 of these ECC (registered) ram for Core i9 testing purposes and will report back.