MemTest Question?

[irenealan]

Hi I had just tested my KingMax PC3200 512x2 Dual Channel ram with MemTest for the whole night. The test seems not complete even it has been tested for 8 hours so I stopped it. Does it mean that I should test further to find out more errors and it should be good enough with 8 hours of test. Also the test showed one error instance after 8 hours of test, is that significant? If so, how may I fix it? Thanks!

 

[imported_Kensai]

It's always set in a loop.

 

[FP]

I would consider any errors after 24 hours unacceptable.

As Kensai said, memtest runs in a constant loop running the same tests over and over.

Rerun the test that failed in a continous loop to see if it happens again in the same memory position.

 

[irenealan]

so if I rerun the test and it still gets the same error then what should I do with the memory? My computer still run fine now but does it mean that it may crash at anytime? If so then can I RMA it based on the test result? Are they likely to accept?

If it doesn't have the error so it should mean the ram is fine right? Thanks!

 

[Venomous]

Memtest in a nut shell is actually a useless tool nowadays..

If you can run superPI 32M, your system is stable.

 

[rise]

i agree, i run 1 loop of memtest and then head into windows for super pi, some 3dmark loops and then prime for a while for heat.

of course, if you get errors in memtest i wouldn't bother proceeding to windows.

errors in memtest don't necessarily mean your ram is bad just that the timings may be off or it's being pushed too high or not being supplied enough voltage. are you overclocking?

 

[FP]

Venomous: why do you consider memtest useless?

a consistent error in memtest at the same memory location while running stock is a pretty good sign something is amiss.

i agree with the others though, you should stress test your machine with other tools as well like...

prime95
superpi
memtest
3dmark
pcmark

finding faulty hardware now will save you headaches later.

you should be able to RMA the memory. just tell them it is bad. if they ask for more detail just say it crashes your machine and fails memory tests.

 

[rise]

but you don't even know its bad. may just be that the voltages or timings are set wrong

 

[Venomous]

Originally posted by: binister
Venomous: why do you consider memtest useless?

a consistent error in memtest at the same memory location while running stock is a pretty good sign something is amiss.

i agree with the others though, you should stress test your machine with other tools as well like...

prime95
superpi
memtest
3dmark
pcmark

finding faulty hardware now will save you headaches later.

you should be able to RMA the memory. just tell them it is bad. if they ask for more detail just say it crashes your machine and fails memory tests.

Ill tell you why. When i began to test some of this famous TCCD ram that does 300 mhz, Memtest told me the stuff was stable.. No errors. However, i couldnt properly bench in SuperPI OR 3dMark03/05.

Now, i have tested memory that tested with errors but could bench super pi, 3dmark, prime 04, etc.. it was of the new BH-5 flavor.

Bottom line, memtest isnt really needed nowadays. It was actually used to keep you from corrupting your hard drive back in the day.. Totally useless this day and age.

Its a tool you could use to test your mem at SPD timings and stock speed to see if you need to RMA, but certainly not to determine if your ram is stable enough for benching.

 

[FP]

Originally posted by: Venomous

Originally posted by: binister
Venomous: why do you consider memtest useless?

a consistent error in memtest at the same memory location while running stock is a pretty good sign something is amiss.

i agree with the others though, you should stress test your machine with other tools as well like...

prime95
superpi
memtest
3dmark
pcmark

finding faulty hardware now will save you headaches later.

you should be able to RMA the memory. just tell them it is bad. if they ask for more detail just say it crashes your machine and fails memory tests.

Ill tell you why. When i began to test some of this famous TCCD ram that does 300 mhz, Memtest told me the stuff was stable.. No errors. However, i couldnt properly bench in SuperPI OR 3dMark03/05.

Now, i have tested memory that tested with errors but could bench super pi, 3dmark, prime 04, etc.. it was of the new BH-5 flavor.

Bottom line, memtest isnt really needed nowadays. It was actually used to keep you from corrupting your hard drive back in the day.. Totally useless this day and age.

Its a tool you could use to test your mem at SPD timings and stock speed to see if you need to RMA, but certainly not to determine if your ram is stable enough for benching.

i agree that you shouldn't rely on just memtest for benching but it a useful tool for isolating memory problems.

 

[Hyperlite]

i agree with that....i use memtest to test timigs and speed, but i dont think it is very useful as a stability testing tool. Its also about the only way to truely find physical defects in ram

 

[spacelord]

I finally have a stable system. After years of living with a Soyo motherboard and Soyo blaming every other component in the darn thing.. I replaced the motherboard and guess what... I ran Memtest for 7 hours without a glitch. With the old motherboard I was guaranteed about 4 errors on Test 11 every time!
Moral of the story: Memtest Errors aren't always memory.
time to start overclocking...

 

[irenealan]

Thanks for all the help. I guess I may run MemTest again to at least make sure the memory doesn't have the same faulty address.

I already ran 3DMark03 and it gave me some good results. I also run Prime95 to test heat and it seems very stable and not exceeding 55C.

Yes I did overclock the CPU but not the ram. Since my motherboard only supports 166mhz for the ram and my ram is PC3200, I am able to set the ram timing to 2, 3, 3, 7 instead of it's stock 2.5, 3, 3, 8. Don't know if I need to add more voltage or just set the timing back to the stock rating. Thanks!

 

[rise]

:thumbsup:

i would probably run it at stock for a pass just to see if the ram isn't in fact faulty as it appears not to be, but thats just me.

did super pi give you any errors on the 32m test?