Quick Memtest86 Question

[ath50]

Have some problems with one system and I wanted to check the RAM so knowing very little about it I started up Memtest86 with one of the two sticks of RAM in.

This is 128mb of SDRAM running on an 800mhz Thunderbird processor.

I just went ahead and set it to all tests and to test "all memory" its running in my basement and I didn't use it much anyway so I don't care how long it takes.

Will memtest run indefinitely just checking it in different ways over and over with the way I have it set? Its been going on 24 hours and its passed 151 tests it says, can I assume the RAM is fine?

Just wanted to make sure..thanks a lot

 

[redbeard1]

That is about as sure as you can be. Even though it has passed, it is not 100% that it isn't still the issue, but I'd start looking for some other problem.

 

[ath50]

Ok thanks a lot. I'm testing the 2nd stick of RAM and its a shady brand I've never even heard of before.

Of course I'm never asking a local store to put RAM in my computer again without asking what it is, but that was before my AT/AT Forums education

Looks like the 2nd stick is this company....

 

[edmundoab]

yeah testing over so many loops you are most certain your RAM is fine,

But when u test prime95 it might still fail due to some other components.
Just FYI

 

[VirtualLarry]

Nanya was apparently the major OEM chip supplier for Kingston memory for quite some time, so they should be decent quality. Recently, Nanya has decided to enter the market for branded completely-assembled DIMMs. (Wow, just checked, their web site looks like crap, they should hire a better webmaster or something.)

 

[viivo]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
(Wow, just checked, their web site looks like crap, they should hire a better webmaster or something.)

Been to mushkin.com lately? Great ram, 12-year-old-on-Geocities website.

Edit to answer a sub-question in the first post: I believe Memtest only does a few tests (and when it finishes those it is listed as 1 pass, then repeats.) 151 is one way to be absolutey sure it's not your ram, but most tend to let it do 10 or so passes - near that usually puts you in the range of certainty that it's not the ram that is causing trouble.