A7990613 Dell 8GB DDR3 1600MHz ECC Reg 240-Pin RAM

Dell A7990613 8GB Memory Overview

The Dell A7990613 8GB PC3-12800 DDR3-1600MHz Registered DIMM is engineered for enterprise environments that demand stable, high-throughput memory subsystems. This memory module combines the proven DDR3-1600 data rate with ECC (Error Correcting Code) and registered buffering to deliver consistent operation under heavy server workloads. Designed to fit standard 240-pin RDIMM sockets used across many generations of PowerEdge servers, the A7990613 is a purpose-built component for compute, virtualization, and storage tasks where data integrity, uptime, and predictable performance matter more than raw consumer desktop throughput. The module’s 2Rx8 dual-rank organization provides a compact, efficient balance between capacity and channel utilization, enabling dense memory configurations without sacrificing error protection or system stability.

Technical Characteristics

At its heart the A7990613 uses DDR3 SDRAM devices organized to deliver PC3-12800 throughput, which corresponds to an effective clock rate of 1600MT/s. The 240-pin RDIMM form factor and the registered component interface means command and address lines are buffered through a register on the module, reducing electrical loading on the memory controller. ECC support expands single-bit error correction and multi-bit error detection capabilities, significantly lowering the risk of silent data corruption in mission-critical applications. Typical timing and latency characteristics for a DDR3-1600 RDIMM in this capacity reflect industry norms—optimized for server workloads that prioritize latency consistency and bandwidth over aggressive single-thread latency tuning.

ECC

ECC functionality in combination with register buffering is a fundamental requirement in most server-class systems. ECC detects and corrects single-bit errors and flags multi-bit errors, which prevents corrupted data from propagating into applications, databases, or disk writes. The registered interface reduces electrical noise and improves signal integrity when multiple DIMMs populate the same memory channel, enabling higher populated memory configurations and improving long term stability. The A7990613’s ECC registered architecture is especially valuable in multi-CPU and multi-socket environments where high memory density is needed and where the risk of memory errors grows with uptime, temperature variation, and workload intensity.

Dual Rank

The dual rank 2Rx8 organization means the module presents two ranks to the memory controller. Ranks act like banks of memory that the controller can interleave access across; dual rank modules often provide higher effective throughput in multithreaded and multi-channel scenarios than single rank alternatives because the controller can schedule accesses to different ranks in parallel. However, mixing ranks and populating many DIMMs per channel can impact achievable memory speeds depending on the server’s memory subsystem limitations.

Compatibility

The Dell A7990613 was manufactured as a compatible replacement and upgrade option for a range of PowerEdge servers that accept DDR3 RDIMMs. This includes rack and tower servers from prior PowerEdge generations which were designed around DDR3 memory standards and 240-pin RDIMM connectors. Because server motherboards and BIOS/UEFI firmware enforce compatibility rules for ECC, registered functionality, ranks, and speeds, verifying support for PC3-12800 modules and the maximum supported memory density per socket is essential before upgrading. In general, sticking to vendor-approved part numbers or validated equivalents helps avoid boot errors, degraded memory speeds, or unsupported DIMM population modes.

Use Cases

The A7990613 module is ideal for a wide variety of enterprise workloads. In virtualization hosts running multiple VMs, the module’s capacity and reliability reduce the chance of memory-related guest crashes and data inconsistencies. Database servers benefit from ECC protection during memory-resident operations and caching layers, where memory errors can otherwise compromise transaction integrity. File servers and storage controllers that cache write operations in RAM can leverage ECC to maintain data integrity before commits. Additionally, compute clusters used for analytics or scientific computing value the module’s predictable behavior under sustained, parallel memory access patterns.

Performance Characteristics

PC3-12800 denotes a peak theoretical bandwidth of 12.8GB/s per DIMM channel at DDR3-1600 speeds; in practice system architecture, memory channel count, CPU memory controller design, and DIMM population determine real throughput. The A7990613’s dual rank design can improve effective memory utilization across threads and processes, and pairing matched modules across channels is the surest way to achieve linear scaling. For memory-bound server workloads such as in-memory databases, high-performance caching, and certain HPC kernels, using multiple channels populated with identical RDIMMs ensures the memory controller can sustain higher overall bandwidth. Latency remains similar to standard DDR3 RDIMMs, but ECC and register buffering add deterministic timing overhead that is acceptable tradeoff for improved reliability in enterprise settings.

Thermal

Memory modules in dense server environments experience elevated operating temperatures, so thermal characteristics and power draw matter. Registered ECC modules like the A7990613 are built to tolerate server thermal profiles, but dense configurations and high ambient temperatures can still stress modules and reduce their operating margins. Ensuring proper chassis airflow, monitoring module temperatures where supported, and following vendor guidance for maximum module population per CPU are practical steps to maintain long-term reliability. Power budgets at scale such as in data center racks should account for module power consumption, especially when deploying many DIMMs across numerous servers.

Reliability

Enterprise memory like the A7990613 typically undergoes extended burn-in and validation to ensure long term reliability. Modules are screened for electrical tolerance, signal integrity, and error behavior under varied thermal and voltage conditions. ECC registered modules are also subjected to error injection tests during validation to ensure error handling paths are functional. For purchased replacement modules, choosing parts from reputable suppliers or vendor-certified channels reduces the risk of receiving counterfeit or poorly binned memory.

Storage controllers

Storage appliances and controllers often use memory for caching and metadata operations. In such scenarios, the A7990613’s ECC features are crucial because any memory corruption can translate to corrupted file system metadata or cache entries. For edge servers where physical conditions may be less controlled, choosing robust ECC RDIMMs and ensuring adequate cooling and power stability helps preserve data integrity even in harsher deployments. The module’s moderate 8GB capacity per DIMM is ideal in configurations where multiple DIMMs are used to create large, reliable caches or to meet redundancy requirements.