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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!nntp.coast.net!chi-news.cic.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!EU.net!sun4nl!news.simplex.nl!Simplex!rob From: rob@Simplex.simplex.nl (Rob Simons) Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Re: Parity SIMMS really necessary? Date: 3 Dec 1995 20:13:54 GMT Organization: Simplex Networking Amsterdam Lines: 49 Message-ID: <49t0e2$30n@news.simplex.nl> References: <49lbnr$4fq@interport.net> <49qabp$efi@zuul.nmti.com> <49spbi$1m8@sixpack.wustl.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: simplex.nl X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Matt Lundberg (ml@sixpack.wustl.edu) wrote: : In article <49qabp$efi@zuul.nmti.com>, Peter da Silva <peter@nmti.com> wrote: : >In article <49lbnr$4fq@interport.net>, : >David Tay <davidtay@interport.net> wrote: : >> I'm currently using FreeBSD with parity simms. There's a $50-$100 : >> difference with parity SIMMs. I would like to save some money and use : >> non-parity SIMMs. : > : Macs (and related machines) use non-parity SIMMS. These will work : in any 486 motherboard that I've tried them in. In some SUN's as well, doesn't say much .. : As for using non-parity SIMMS, what does that extra bit give you : anyway? I agree that ECC is an advantage, but parity will only : inform you that you have a memory error, in most cases by locking : up the machine. This is no help. Well, if there is a memory error and it's not detected, your machine can run on forever .. meanwhile screwing all your databases and other nice programs. Giving wrong output etc etc .. I can imagine why high-end machines in environments that demand 100% accuracy, and no output error should enable parity checking .. However, the quality of memory these days is a lot better then when parity checking was obligatory .. a memory error is bound to occur about 1000 times less than a software/OS error. It's always a calculated risk to buy cheap hardware. (would recommend it on some parts, definately would not recommend it on others). I.e. I'm running a cheap clone motherboard with top-less no-name memory modules .. also an expensive Adaptec controller and an expensive hard disk. The motherboard is swappable in 10 minutes, memory as well, hard disk is another matter. It's been running for 2 1/2 years now with av. of 6-8 users daily, without problem. Lot of irrelevant talk, it all comes to the same thing. If you can spare the money buy top-end machines -with- parity, if you can't .. make a choice on which items you want to gamble and which you want to be 99% reliable. Parity memory belongs in the part 'gamble' for me. - Rob. -- /*--------------------------------------------------------------*\ /* Rob Simons | rob@simplex.nl *\ /* ------------ | ------------- | -------- | ------- *\ /* Novell Netware System Operator | UNIX system operator *\ /*--------------------------------------------------------------*\