how long to run memtest

LOUISSSSS

Diamond Member
Dec 5, 2005
8,771
58
91
how long is the ideal length to run memtest86+. to determine if your memory is stable.. for example, if i've been running it for 21 hours with 0 errors, should that be enough to ensure that the memory is stable with my motherboard?
 

F1shF4t

Golden Member
Oct 18, 2005
1,583
1
71
21 hours is good, i usually run it overnight so any where from 10 - 12 hours.

statisticly ram should give one error every month or so, donno where i pulled that out from, anyone know if thats true?
 

KoolDrew

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
10,226
7
81
Theres nothing really wrong with running Memtest+ for a very long time, but it is not needed. No matter how long I test I have always found that stability in Windows using Windows Memtest is a couple MHz lower then what passes Memtest86+. So I would run Memtest86+ for 3-6 hours and then run Windows Memtest for a lot longer. Around 5000%.
 

RebateMonger

Elite Member
Dec 24, 2005
11,586
0
0
Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
dark, what do u mean by 2 error every month?
Intel says that even with "perfect" memory, there'll be something like 1 (cosmic-radiation-induced) error per Gigabyte per month....I don't recall the exact number.

Functional ECC memory will generally protect against these errors with its built-in error correction. Non-ECC memory can suffer, with the result ranging from a program or computer crash, to data loss, to data CHANGES, to nothing (if the memory location isn't being used at that moment).

I usually run Memtest 86+ for at least eight hours at a time, if possible. 21 hours with zero errors is a good sign.
 

LOUISSSSS

Diamond Member
Dec 5, 2005
8,771
58
91
okay thanks guys but my case is kinda weird i'm running the exact rig in my signature. recently my windows crashed and i can't even boot it up past bios. (i blame dfi mb). after the crash i'm bored here in college with nothing to do until i can bring it home to get new mb and fix. so i decided to run memtest cuz i'm bored. i ran 1 x 1gb stick of my ram for 21 hours in the orange slot thats farthest from my cpu (although litereally the farthese slot from my cpu is a yellow slot) and it came up with 0 errors, now i'm testing the other stick in the same slot for about 1 hour so far and 0 errors. this is strange to me because before the windows crash i would get more than 7 errors in 20 hours of testing with any 1 stick. any reason to explain this? my next step will be to add both sticks into the 2 orange slots and memtest again. then both in the yellow....
 

Thor86

Diamond Member
May 3, 2001
7,888
7
81
Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
okay thanks guys but my case is kinda weird i'm running the exact rig in my signature. recently my windows crashed and i can't even boot it up past bios. (i blame dfi mb). after the crash i'm bored here in college with nothing to do until i can bring it home to get new mb and fix. so i decided to run memtest cuz i'm bored. i ran 1 x 1gb stick of my ram for 21 hours in the orange slot thats farthest from my cpu (although litereally the farthese slot from my cpu is a yellow slot) and it came up with 0 errors, now i'm testing the other stick in the same slot for about 1 hour so far and 0 errors. this is strange to me because before the windows crash i would get more than 7 errors in 20 hours of testing with any 1 stick. any reason to explain this? my next step will be to add both sticks into the 2 orange slots and memtest again. then both in the yellow....

There are Specific memory settings with that board and your brand of ram. Do a search, and you'll find your answers in this forum.

Even one setting not set properly will cause this, and no amount of memtest testing will help you.
 

LOUISSSSS

Diamond Member
Dec 5, 2005
8,771
58
91
regarding the settings.. i've searched all over this forum and dfi street. they have been no help as they only have 2 admins that know their ****** and everyone else doesn't know what they're talking about. people in this forum either dont own this mb so dont know what my problem is or dont are too lazy to reply to posts...
 

Luckyboy1

Senior member
Mar 13, 2006
934
0
0
I run two instances of the high heat test on my Hyperthreaded rig for at least 8 hours for a quick check and for the acid test, it goes on for 72 hours, but that's overkill. 12-24 hours is fine.
 

Thor86

Diamond Member
May 3, 2001
7,888
7
81
From the FIRST OCZ support thread:

In Genie Bios
200
auto
16 16
auto
100
disable
1.425v
1.275
above VID 110%
1.20v
1.50v
2.7V

DRAM Config
200
enable
2
3
5
2
13
16
2 (this is very tight...might need to be 3 for you)
2 (ditto)
1 (again, very tight...maybe 2)
2 (ditto for tight...maybe 3)
0780
auto
enabled
auto
0
Level 8
Level 2
8ns
normal
6ns
256
disable
16
07
disable