Should I use registered ECC or unbuffered ECC for a tower workstation?

Registered ECC (RDIMM) is better for tower workstations if the motherboard supports it. It has an extra register chip that buffers memory commands, allowing more sticks and higher capacities with better stability under heavy loads like simulations, rendering, or virtualization. Unbuffered ECC (UDIMM) is cheaper and works in some consumer boards but tops out at lower capacities and is less reliable for serious work. Check your motherboard’s QVL — if it supports registered ECC, buy that.