Is RAM that is sold as server-RAM compatible with desktop-PC and why? [closed]
Solution 1:
The answer is "maybe". It depends on what your desktop machine is capable of and what kind of server RAM it is. The most important part is whether the RAM is "unbuffered" or "registered" or "load reduced".
Unbuffered and registered RAM are physically compatible but the motherboard has to explicitly support registered memory because the address lines are buffered.
Load reduced is similar to registered except both address and data lines are buffered. Requires explicit motherboard support to have a chance of working.
ECC unbuffered memory usually works in motherboards that don't support ECC, the ECC functionality just doesn't get used.
Unless somebody is offering you an awesome deal on server memory, it is usually far, far better to just get memory in the motherboard's QVL and save yourself hours of stability testing even if it does POST the first time.
Solution 2:
Does not work. Server rams has error checking feature that isn't typically found in consumer grade motherboards. https://serverfault.com/questions/5887/what-is-ecc-ram-and-why-is-it-better
No physical notch location prevents mixing, but a server grade motherboard could implement both.
Server grade vs Consumer grade see #3. Stick with what manufacture recommends:
Stick with manufacturers recommendations: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/desktops/thinkcentre/m-series-sff/m83-sff/ I recommend buying one more 4GB matching stick and wait for a good deal on two more 4GB sticks. 8GB of RAM is plenty.