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Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 12:47:13 -0600 (MDT)
From: Doug Russell <drussell@saturn-tech.com>
To: William Maddox <maddox@p-1.Eng.Sun.COM>
cc: Michael Beckmann <beckmann@nacamar.net>, hardware@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject: Re: Parity trouble with Asus mainboard
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> Are you sure these are true parity SIMMs?  Some cheap SIMMs use "logic
> parity", which just fakes a parity bit for older MBs that require it.
> These will not work with ECC, and should be avoided in any case.
> Also, you describe these SIMMs as 2 x 32, 8 x 32 and so forth.  In
> standard nomenclature, the "32" is the width of the SIMM, i.e., 32 bits.
> Parity SIMMs are 2 x 36, etc.
> 
> Admittedly, this doesn't explain why the Gigabyte board worked, unless 
> somehow the ECC was disabled behind your back.

It is quite possible that the Gigabyte automatically disables ECC if you
don't actually have parity memory installed as an "idiot-proof" type
feature.  I honestly don't know for sure, though.

Later......						<Doug>