Best Free software to test RAM?

[EpicSurvivor]

I want to test my RAM due to freezing issues I am having. What free software is the best to test the RAM?

Note: MoBo gets here from RMA on Thursday so I will do the test on the weekend and most likely post results on here.

 

[mikeymikec]

memtest86+, IMO.

Burn it to CD, one pass usually does the trick, though running it overnight to be sure is better. Test one module at a time if a test with all the modules throws up faults.

 

[EpicSurvivor]

memtest86+, IMO.

Burn it to CD, one pass usually does the trick, though running it overnight to be sure is better. Test one module at a time if a test with all the modules throws up faults.

Great! Will do. Yea man I had just done a fresh install of Windows and my Computer kept freezing on the installation Window. Had to restart computer 5 times. Finally managed to do the full install of windows and when installing drivers for Network adapter computer froze. It froze another 5 times. 100% froze. Time froze too (of course) had to restart.

Ended up sending MoBo back for RMA. Getting here Thursday. Problem is I had RMA this MoBo March this year due to similar problem but Gigabyte sent it back stating it was tested and nothing wrong was found. So this time around I begged them to just send me a replacement MoBo. Hoping I don't get the same MoBo back. Will find out Thursday I guess.

Hoping the Freezing issue goes away if they send replacement. If not its either my PSU CPU or RAM because the GPU and HDD got RMA'd already and replaced so I know that's not the issue.

Thinking it might be RAM. But yea sorry for sharing my story hehe. Just waiting to see what happens

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I've been using HCI Memtest-64 for about six years. Every so often, it seems worth the $5 to $15 or so to buy the Pro/Deluxe version. I got version 5.1 today. I'm very impressed with it.

For the Pro, a single mouse-click will spawn all the instances to cover all memory remaining after the OS. It's also touted as two or three times faster than the older versions. It will buzz through 32GB of RAM with 300% coverage in the time between lunch and dinner . . .

 

[Iron Woode]

memtest86+, IMO.

Burn it to CD, one pass usually does the trick, though running it overnight to be sure is better. Test one module at a time if a test with all the modules throws up faults.

https://www.memtest86.com/ is a better choice as it is still updated.

you can also put it on a usb stick instead of a cd.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

https://www.memtest86.com/ is a better choice as it is still updated.

you can also put it on a usb stick instead of a cd.

Well, no less is HCI Memtest frequently updated. I haven't used Memtest86 for years, and I wouldn't dismiss or discount it. But I came late to the game in any understanding of how to run HCI's program in Windows with multiple instances. Running it from bootable CD is time consuming and unnecessary. It certainly seems true from observation that the v. 5.1 of the HCI program now progresses two or three times faster than it once did, whether run from CD or within Windows.

 

[EpicSurvivor]

General question MoBo arrives here this week. If I set the test (USB) from 11pm to 8am next day would this be sufficient? That's 9 hours or is it required/recommended to let it run longer?

Thanks guys.

 

[Iron Woode]

General question MoBo arrives here this week. If I set the test (USB) from 11pm to 8am next day would this be sufficient? That's 9 hours or is it required/recommended to let it run longer?

Thanks guys.

that should be more than sufficient.

I know on my server that it showed a ram issue in the first 10 seconds of running it. The server was acting odd so I tried ramtest86 and one ram module was borked. removing that ram module made the server run normal again.

I hate it when ram dies, considering the cost here for DDR3.

 

[EpicSurvivor]

I only have 2x8 DDR4 RAM when doing test do I test with Both sticks in or just one?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I only have 2x8 DDR4 RAM when doing test do I test with Both sticks in or just one?

For a dual-stick kit, test them both together first. Then, if there are errors, test one module at a time. Ultimately in that scenario, the problem could be either of the modules, both of them, or a motherboard RAM slot. But by process of elimination, you need to find out which it is.

Of course it takes longer to test two modules simultaneously than the time for a single module, but you'd have to test the second module anyway.

As for "coverage," the testing program's instructions should provide some guidelines. With HCI Memtest, 100% coverage (a single pass) may be insufficient. HCI says a 1,000% coverage test will be "thorough." For a new RAM kit configured to stock-spec settings, I'd be inclined to accept something between 300 and 500%. If you overclock the RAM, better shoot for the 1,000% test.

Just guessing, but I think certain statistical distributions would apply, such that the longer the test, the less likely another 100% pass will fail.

 

[EpicSurvivor]

Update 8/17/17
I built the Rig yesterday and everything has being stable for now, no crashes or freezes. The motherboard replacement really made a difference.