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Does Core i3-3250 support ECC memory or not?

DBerz
Beginner
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I ask because the ARK product specification (http://ark.intel.com/products/74744/Intel-Core-i3-3250-Processor-3M-Cache-3_50-GHz ARK | Intel® Core™ i3-3250 Processor (3M Cache, 3.50 GHz)) says that ECC is supported.

Then again, when I open the Datasheet volume 1 for 3rd generation processors (https://www-ssl.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/core/3rd-gen-core-desktop-vol-1-datasheet.html Desktop 3rd Gen Intel® Core™ Processor Family: Datasheet, Vol. 1) on page 23 only lists options for non-ECC memory:

  • DDR3 / DDR3L at 1.5 V Data Transfer Rates
    • 1333 MT/s (PC3-10600), 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800)
  • DDR3 / DDR3L at 1.5 V SO-DIMM Modules
    • Raw Card A – Dual Ranked x16 unbuffered non-ECC
    • Raw Card B – Single Ranked x8 unbuffered non-ECC
    • Raw Card C – Single Ranked x16 unbuffered non-ECC
    • Raw Card F – Dual Ranked x8 (planar) unbuffered non-ECC
  • Desktop platform DDR3/DDR3L at 1.5 V UDIMM Modules
    • Raw Card A – Single Ranked x8 unbuffered non-ECC
    • Raw Card B – Dual Ranked x8 unbuffered non-ECC
    • Raw Card C – Single Ranked x16 unbuffered non-ECC

Looks like rather opposite statements.

I bought this processor because produce specification stated that it supported ECC, but my setup reboots continuously as if there is a hardware compatibility issue. (I have a ASUS P8C WS motherboard (that supports ECC), the Core i3-3250 CPU and two Kingston KVR16E11/8 ECC DRAM modules that are listed in the qualified vendor list for the motherboard).

Can anyone clarify whether the Core i3-3250 really supports ECC memory as the product specification states?

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Kevin_M_Intel
Employee
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DBerz
Beginner
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Hi Kevin.

Thanks for the response. That's what I understood when I read the product specification.

But then check the datasheet on the link on that same page or copied here: https://www-ssl.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/core/3rd-gen-core-desktop-vol-1-datasheet.html Desktop 3rd Gen Intel® Core™ Processor Family: Datasheet, Vol. 1. The data sheet explicitly states various non-ECC memory modules that are supported, but does not list any ECC memory modules that would be supported. Other datasheets for Xeon processors do list both non-ECC and ECC memory modules.

 

So if the i3-3250 does support ECC, then what types of ECC memory modules are supported by the i3-3250?

And if ECC modules are supported, why is this omitted from the datasheet?

I must be missing something very obvious...

Thanks.

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Kevin_M_Intel
Employee
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Actually you are correct. We are checking this information and I will let you know as soon as possible.

I am sorry for the inconvenience.

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Kevin_M_Intel
Employee
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Hello db533,

We have confirmed this processor does not support ECC memory. We will make changes on ark.Intel.com to have the correct information for customers.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Kevin M

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DBerz
Beginner
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Thanks for clarifying and correcting this. You confirm what I suspected. I accept that ECC ram will not work with the i3-3250.

The motherboard that I purchased to use with this processor is the Asus P8C WS that is built with the C216 chipset. Asus list the CPUs that are supported by the P8C WS motherboard here: http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8C_WS/HelpDesk_CPU/ http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8C_WS/HelpDesk_CPU/

This list Xeon processors as well as Core i3, i5, i7, Celeron and Pentium processors.

Intel lists the processors that are compatible with the C216 chipset here: http://ark.intel.com/products/66416/Intel-BD82C216-PCH# @compatibility http://ark.intel.com/products/66416/Intel-BD82C216-PCH# @compatibility

There are only Xeon processors.

So does the C216 chipset really support only Xeon processors? Has Asus incorrectly stated that many other processors are compatible with the C216 chipset as opposed to just Xeon CPUs that Intel lists? How can those many processors work with the C216 motherboard if they are not supported by the C216 chipset?

Looks like another error in specifications. I just don't know if it is Intel or Asus that has made the error this time. Can you shed any light on this?

FYI I have an ongoing discussion about this question with Asus support to clarify their statement.

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Kevin_M_Intel
Employee
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This is also a very good question. I am going to verify this and I'll be back with more information as soon as possible.

Kevin m

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JSirr
Beginner
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Kevin M.,

Can you verify whether the Pentium line of CPUs do or do not actually support ECC?

http://ark.intel.com/search/advanced?s=t&FamilyText=Intel%C2%AE%20Pentium%C2%AE%20Processor&ECCMemory=true http://ark.intel.com/search/advanced?s=t&FamilyText=Intel%C2%AE%20Pentium%C2%AE%20Processor&ECCMemory=true

I am a regular member of the FreeNAS community. This thread has really created some discussions within our community since a large portion of the community has been buying Pentiums and i3s for their home-brew FreeNAS servers. Since we use ZFS and that requires ECC RAM for proper validation of the bits in RAM we have been recommending for more than a year the CPUs that use ECC based on the ARK (in particular Pentiums and i3s for those that don't need the processing power of a Xeon but wanted ECC support). Many people have elected to go with Pentiums and i3s based on the ARKs and I'd appreciate it if you could confirm the support for ECC before I revise our guides for our community for recommended CPUs that support ECC RAM.

There are almost certainly other communities out there that may have made recommendations based on the Intel ARK, so this is a pretty big setback for our user-base. Additionally it really makes a mess of the waters for motherboard manufacturers. For example, the Supermicro X9SCM-F (the motherboard I use) lists multiple families of CPUs and ECC RAM, which may be listed like it is because their information came came from the ARK or another document that also incorrectly listed the ECC as being supported in CPUs such as the i3s. http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/xeon/c202_c204/x9scm-f.cfm Supermicro | Products | Motherboards | Xeon® Boards | X9SCM-F I realize that what motherboard manufacturers do is outside of Intel's realm.

Can you provide some clarification since it is nearly impossible via software to validate that a given system is fully supporting (and using) ECC RAM? As a community this has been a major hurdle because you can't run some kind of script, executable, or command and get a 100% solid answer as to whether your system is or isn't using ECC RAM. It is well known that there are plenty of hardware configurations that let you use ECC RAM and in some cases will claim to use ECC RAM but in fact don't. With all the conflicting information out there (even Intel has errors it seems) it would be nice to have some kind of relatively easy way to validate, for 100% certainty, if ECC is actually being used or not.

If you'd like to contact me privately, my phone number is available in my profile information.

Thanks.

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Kevin_M_Intel
Employee
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We appreciate your feedback and I understand the importance of publishing correct information. We are verifying this information and I will be back to you with the answer.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

Kevin m

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Kevin_M_Intel
Employee
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Hello guys,

I am sorry for the delay on coming back to you.

Here is the list of Celeron and Pentium processors that support ECC Memory:

As mentioned before, we are working to have the information corrected in ark.Intel.com

Kevin M

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JSirr
Beginner
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Kevin,

Thanks for getting back to us about the Pentium and Celeron processors. I will update our documentation as appropriate.

Thanks,

-Josh

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DBerz
Beginner
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Thanks for this clarification regarding ECC support, Kevin.

I have started a /message/283488# 283488 separate thread relating to the processors supported by the C216 chipset. Please post your findings there.

Thanks!

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CPere19
Beginner
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Kevin,

This list appears to contain both 3rd (Ivy Bridge) and 4th (Haswell) generation Celeron and Pentium processors. Can you confirm that the absence of the 2nd generation (Sandy Bridge) Celeron and Pentium processors was deliberate, and that they do in fact lack the ECC support that was previously advertised?

- Chris

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