ECC RAM usually just works.

Probably not. Most motherboards that support ECC will detect it automatically and enable error correction without you touching a thing.

The exception is some consumer boards that technically support ECC but require you to go into BIOS and flip a setting like “ECC Mode” from Disabled to Enabled. This is rare on recent platforms, but it happens on older LGA 1150/1151 boards and some budget AMD boards.

Check your motherboard manual’s memory section. If it mentions ECC, look for a note about BIOS configuration. Otherwise, install it, boot up, and verify with CPU-Z or dmidecode on Linux. If it says “ECC Enabled,” you’re done.

Messing with BIOS settings you don’t need to touch is a good way to accidentally break something. So if it works out of the box, leave it alone.