Same Sockets Using Different RAM

[Carlosinfl]

I've got a Dell PC that shipped with a Q9400 CPU and also has DDR3 RAM. Then I have a Sun / Oracle workstation with a Q9650 and that machine uses DDR2 ECC RAM. My question is how can two different systems who can run the same socket CPU (socket 1333) have different RAM configurations? Is this because the motherboard is completely different in each system or am I missing something? I just want to make sure I can safely move the Q9650 from the Sun workstation into the Dell machine w/o any issues. According to the Intel spec sheet, I should be able to, right?

http://ark.intel.com/Compare.aspx?ids=35428,35365,

 

[Blue Fox]

In all 775 boards (which is what yours are), the memory controller is in the northbridge, so therefore supported memory is completely dependent on the motherboard and not the processor itself. You'll be able to move the processor without issue.

 

[E4g1e]

In all 775 boards (which is what yours are), the memory controller is in the northbridge, so therefore supported memory is completely dependent on the motherboard and not the processor itself. You'll be able to move the processor without issue.

^^This. And among Intel's own LGA 775 chipsets, only the X-series chipsets (e.g. 975X, X38 and X48) support ECC RAM. The P-series chipsets do not support ECC RAM.

 

[Carlosinfl]

Thanks all. Makes sense.