- May 19, 2011
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A computer that I built ten years ago (AM3, ASUS M4A78T-E) is showing copious signs of memory problems: Different BSODs (classics like MEMORY_MANAGEMENT, PFN_LIST_CORRUPT, among others), loads of app crashes (improbable stuff like iTunes, LibreOffice), but none of these happen often enough, for example it's BSOD'd twice this year, something like six times for each of the previous years.
It has 4x 1GB DDR3 modules, two are matching modules. I started with memtest86+ 5.01 on all four simultaneous, 6 passes no errors. I followed up with memtest86 4.3.7 overnight, another 8 or 9 passes, no errors. I ran prime95 (the one that tests RAM more) for an hour, no problems/warnings.
The BIOS could do with an update but it's not an early revision. The CMOS battery needed replacing as it had lost the CMOS settings so at least we can fairly rule out a dodgy BIOS setting.
I've just run memtest86 4.3.7 on each module in turn for one pass, no errors. A couple of the modules inadvertently have had a few passes, no errors.
I'm tempted to replace all four modules (based on the logic that a mismatched module could be flipping out from time to time), but in my experience mismatched modules are rarely problematic and I'm also unlikely to see this computer for another couple of years so I'd rather nail this problem conclusively rather than stab in the dark.
The Windows event log didn't show anything particularly interesting otherwise. The only other thing I've done (late on) is clear out the CPU heatsink, but it wasn't getting desperately hot during testing (early 50s celsius).
It has 4x 1GB DDR3 modules, two are matching modules. I started with memtest86+ 5.01 on all four simultaneous, 6 passes no errors. I followed up with memtest86 4.3.7 overnight, another 8 or 9 passes, no errors. I ran prime95 (the one that tests RAM more) for an hour, no problems/warnings.
The BIOS could do with an update but it's not an early revision. The CMOS battery needed replacing as it had lost the CMOS settings so at least we can fairly rule out a dodgy BIOS setting.
I've just run memtest86 4.3.7 on each module in turn for one pass, no errors. A couple of the modules inadvertently have had a few passes, no errors.
I'm tempted to replace all four modules (based on the logic that a mismatched module could be flipping out from time to time), but in my experience mismatched modules are rarely problematic and I'm also unlikely to see this computer for another couple of years so I'd rather nail this problem conclusively rather than stab in the dark.
The Windows event log didn't show anything particularly interesting otherwise. The only other thing I've done (late on) is clear out the CPU heatsink, but it wasn't getting desperately hot during testing (early 50s celsius).