Which Memory Test to Believe?

[RonAKA]

I downloaded MemTest 3.5 to check the memory on my two overclocked PC's I put together in the past few weeks. On the E4300 with DDR2-667 2x512 Kingston, it passed the test on a few passes. This ram runs at DDR680 with 4-4-4-12 timing.

However when I tried the P915 with some generic DDR2-667 2x512, it failed. At OC the ram was running DDR733 with 5-5-5-15 timing. Voltage for this board was at the maximum (1.9 V), so I tried backing off the cpu. Same error. I then backed down the ram speed to the next step which results in DDR585, well under the rating for the ram. Same error. I even took it back to all stock settings and still got the same error.

http://hcidesign.com/memtest/

I then downloaded the Memtest86+ recommended in the sticky in this forum. With one pass of all tests the P915 reports no errors. I put the memory speed back up to DDR733 and it is currently on pass 3 of all tests with no errors reported.

Which test should I believe? The MemTest 3.5 seems somewhat more mickey mouse in comparison, and since it runs in Windows it is only testing unused ram not all of it. I wonder how receptive my dealer is going to be if I bring the machine in (with all stock settings) and show them it errors out using this MemTest 3.5? Looks like if they run Memtest86+ it is going to pass.

All suggestions appreciated,

 

[CTho9305]

If any test at all reports a failure, you have a problem. If it works in another test, it just means that the other test is missing the conditions that expose the error. It's possible your tax software will hit those conditions and you'll go to jail for tax fraud; it's possible nothing bad will happen.

I used to have a stick of RAM in my system and it was "100% stable" - except in 3d studio max, which would crash when I did certain manipulations. It passed all the tests I could find, but replacing it always resulted in that one crash going away. Basically, we don't have access to the tests that manufacturers use to be absolutely sure that hardware is working properly.

 

[RonAKA]

Originally posted by: CTho9305
If any test at all reports a failure, you have a problem. If it works in another test, it just means that the other test is missing the conditions that expose the error. It's possible your tax software will hit those conditions and you'll go to jail for tax fraud; it's possible nothing bad will happen.

Well, I did taxes for four of us yesterday and send them in electronically. Fortunately, they were done with the E4300!

 

[myocardia]

You're getting errors because of the motherboard you're using with that P-D 915, not because of the RAM. It's pretty much the antithesis of an overclocking board, from what I hear.

 

[RonAKA]

Originally posted by: myocardia
You're getting errors because of the motherboard you're using with that P-D 915, not because of the RAM. It's pretty much the antithesis of an overclocking board, from what I hear.

I agree that the board is not ideal for overclocking. However, what is strange in this case that with no overclock and ram at rated speed it still fails. Even when the ram is underclocked it fails - but only with the MemTest 3.5. On the MemTest86+ it hit 6 passes last night before I shut it down - still no errors picked up.