Should I use Parity, Non-Parity, or ECC memory?
Most of the time, there is no choice. The prescribed options are the only
options allowed. However, in cases where the system manufacturer offers a
choice, we highly recommend Parity and ECC. Others downplay the benefits of
parity and ECC citing the reliability of modern DRAM and the added expense of
the parity chips. Our feeling is that given the instability of modern computer
Operating Systems and massive applications, and the interactivity of memory and
hard drive, detecting every failure is critical. Parity detects errors and ECC
can often correct them.
Here's a simple car analogy:
- Non-parity is like driving a car with all the warning lights disconnected.
It's probably running just fine and has the correct amount of oil and
coolant. But, what if the oil pump failed? Defective non-parity could be
damaging every file stored on your hard drive, and you may never know what
caused the damage.
- Parity would be the same car with warning lights connected and having the
car stop instantly whenever the warning lights go on. It's probably better
than running with no warning.
- ECC would be the same car detecting nearly every malfunction and fixing
them as they happen.
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