How serious is an error in Memtest86 Test8?

[bluemax]

I purchased a 1024MB stick of PC2100.... seems to go through Prime95 ok and passes all the Memtest86 tests EXCEPT test #8. Added note: It's running at the default 133FSB, no overclocking.
EDIT: Updated, pic + results are with Memtest86 *+*, latest revision.

Pics: MEMTEST PLUS

Sorry for the terrible quality - can't screengrab in DOS.

The seller is also being more willing to cooperate now. Thanks for your input....


BTW, the Microsoft RAM tester didn't find these errors, thus, IT SUCKS! Don't use it - use Memtest86+ like Corsair tells you to!

 

[Zepper]

It's bad - the guy should refund your money. Run M$'s memory test against it too if you want, but it really doesn't matter - bad is bad. If he doesn't refund, he's a troll and should be reported to the various keepers of troll lists and receive appropriately Negative Heat!
.bh.

:moon:

 

[Jeff7]

Any errors in Memtest is a bad thing.

I noticed though your memory bandwidth there - 13942MB/sec? Must be a bug with memtest or something. PC2100's maximum theoretical bandwidth is 2.1GB/sec. Is that the latest version of Memtest? A new version came out recently.
Even so, I don't think that that would have any bearing on there being so many errors.

What about the timings of the memory? Are they set to Auto in the BIOS?


If the memory is running at defaults though, it should give no errors on any tests, for any number of loops.

 

[Maggotry]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
Any errors in Memtest is a bad thing.

Could be memory, could be mobo, could be timings. Either way, any error is not good.

 

[Boonesmi]

it kinda looks like your overclocking the memory, are you running it on a bus higher then 133mhz?

also it seems your using an old version of memtest (which doesnt have proper support of newer motherboard and cpu's) so you might want to retest it with the new memtest.... you can get it at memtest.org

 

[The J]

You can also look for memtest86+, which is supposed to be an updated version of the origianl memtest86.

Jeff7, I don't know what that's about. I have PC2700 in mine and for both memtest86 and memtest86+, it is reported at about 600MB/S. It's probably some bug or something. Then again, I did get over 4 million errors, so....

 

[bluemax]

Some good news - I ran the Micro$oft RAM tester all night with all tests - zero errors. A good sign.

So long as noone comes in and says the MS RAM tester sucks.

 

[Sideswipe001]

Originally posted by: bluemax
Some good news - I ran the Micro$oft RAM tester all night with all tests - zero errors. A good sign.

So long as noone comes in and says the MS RAM tester sucks.

I've never even heard of it.

So it sucks!

There you go!

 

[Regs]

I didnt even know MS had a RAM tester lol..

 

[Steve]

If you're not testing in DOS, you're not testing.

 

[bluemax]

Originally posted by: sm8000
If you're not testing in DOS, you're not testing.

Guess what? It creates a bootable CD that does the same thing as Memtest86. DOS-level.
I'll try Memtest86+ next... nice to be 100% sure.

 

[Steve]

My bad, thinking of another app. What can I say? It's a morning.

 

[Sunner]

You should never have any errors whatsoever in Memtest, period.
Doesn't have to be the RAM though, I had a box at work that gave shitloads of errors no matter what RAM I tested, turns out it was the motherboard.

 

[imported_kouch]

looks like the memory speed and timings are cut off on the pics, what speed and timings are you using?

 

[Tiamat]

yeah, any error in any of the tests correlates to an instability. If you are overclocking, bring things back to stock, then test. Whats the voltage on your ram, nb, cpu? You could try to increase the voltage to your ram one step. ie 2.5V to 2.6V should be fine. or to 2.65V

 

[bluemax]

Running at stock speed, 133FSB. No overclocking.

 

[imported_NoGodForMe]

Corsair suggests Memtest as the first line of trouble shooting so it's pretty big.

I ran Memtest on my P4 system for the first time this past weekend. One stick failed, and the pair is traveling across the country right now to be replaced. What's weird, is the computer never had any problems. Played Doom3 on it, and the 3dMark benchies ran with no problem. But I'm not going to leave it like that, no way, I freaked out when the stick had errors in either machine.

 

[bluemax]

A few strange operating quirks..... I'm not convinced in Microsoft's findings. Memtest86+ coming up....

 

[bluemax]

And a good thing I did... the very latest version of Memtest86+ still found errors. Not as many, but I'd be ticked with even one! I'm about to start some important work that needs tons of RAM - I can't afford ANY glitches!!

 

[Boonesmi]

yup thats not good

do you have a different motherboard you can use to rest the ram on? if it fails on a dif board also then you need to return it.

does your mobo bios have the option to adjust vdimm? the reason i ask is that its very possible that increasing the voltage just a tiny bit could very likely fix the problem (2.7v is safe, so its its running less then that you can safely increase it)

 

[VirtualLarry]

Tried a better/newer/stronger power-supply?

There's an interesting article relating the interactions between memory failures and poor-quality power-supplies here: http://www.viaarena.com/defaul...eID=5&ArticleID=85

If you continue to have problems, after, perhaps the mobo is bad? I've seen that in a small number of cases, where nothing seems to work quite correctly when plugged into it. However the PSU should be the first suspect in those cases, followed by the mobo, when individual component swap testing fails to diagnose the problem.