You don't need ECC RAM for that file server.

No.

ECC RAM protects against single-bit memory errors. That matters for things like rendering, scientific computing, or databases handling financial transactions. Your Windows Server file server that just runs nightly backups? The risk of a bit flip corrupting a file is laughably small—like getting struck by lightning while buying a lottery ticket.

Non-ECC RAM is rock-solid for this workload. Windows Server 2022 with NTFS already has integrity checks. Your backups should have their own verification. If a memory error somehow causes a corrupted write, your backup software will catch it on the next job. You’re not losing sleep over that.

Save the money. Put it toward a second backup drive or a battery backup instead. That’s where your real risk lives.