🚀 go-pugleaf

zz wrote:
> my usual practise is to test a new sim with Memtest 3.1a
> if it fails [usually test 5] i return it outright 
> 
> if it is on a friends machine ill try other utils such as windows
> memory diagnostic [not a microsoft util] or docmemory ram diagnostic
> 2.1 if it fails all tests the ram is discarded 
> 
> if it fails memtest test 5 and passes all others i will leave the sim
> in the board and recomend that it be replaced.....
> 
> am i being too stringent on these tests??
> seems like every 3 rd chip fails the memtest test #5 
> interested to know if you guys bother to test ram at all or what you
> test with and at what point you replace a chip
> thanks heaps for any replies........
> zz

I've only ever had four memory modules fail memtest 86. I've tested 
almost 100 computers with it over the years. I let it run for at least a 
full pass. In one system it was the motherboard that was bad, not the 
RAM. I also try and use the latest versions (you're using an older 
version, but not much older).

-- 
spammage trappage: remove the underscores to reply

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my 
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in 
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone 
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow 
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

"zz" <jhgfjh@hfksdfse.com> wrote in message news:430b1a14.3916181@news-server...
> my usual practise is to test a new sim with Memtest 3.1a
> if it fails [usually test 5] i return it outright 
> 
> if it is on a friends machine ill try other utils such as windows
> memory diagnostic [not a microsoft util] or docmemory ram diagnostic
> 2.1 if it fails all tests the ram is discarded 
> 
> if it fails memtest test 5 and passes all others i will leave the sim
> in the board and recomend that it be replaced.....
> 
> am i being too stringent on these tests??

Maybe just a tad.  You might try reseating the module in
question or putting it into another slot and re-running the
tests.  Doing that can sometimes solve the problem.  One
thing for sure, if one of the decent memory diagnostics
such as Memtest86 or Memtest86+ fails, there is very
definitely a problem that needs to be solved.  Personally,
I would recommend avoiding non-ecc memory.

-- Bob Day
http://bobday.vze.com

DDR or SDRAM ?
on DDR they almost never fail .. while on SDRAM on CUV4X-E board, somehow 
there is alway a fail somewhere .. esp 1x 512 stick.

=bob=

"zz" <jhgfjh@hfksdfse.com> wrote in message 
news:430b1a14.3916181@news-server...
> my usual practise is to test a new sim with Memtest 3.1a
> if it fails [usually test 5] i return it outright
>
> if it is on a friends machine ill try other utils such as windows
> memory diagnostic [not a microsoft util] or docmemory ram diagnostic
> 2.1 if it fails all tests the ram is discarded
>
> if it fails memtest test 5 and passes all others i will leave the sim
> in the board and recomend that it be replaced.....
>
> am i being too stringent on these tests??
> seems like every 3 rd chip fails the memtest test #5
> interested to know if you guys bother to test ram at all or what you
> test with and at what point you replace a chip
> thanks heaps for any replies........
> zz 

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 12:53:08 GMT, jhgfjh@hfksdfse.com (zz)
wrote:

>my usual practise is to test a new sim with Memtest 3.1a
>if it fails [usually test 5] i return it outright 
>
>if it is on a friends machine ill try other utils such as windows
>memory diagnostic [not a microsoft util] or docmemory ram diagnostic
>2.1 if it fails all tests the ram is discarded 
>
>if it fails memtest test 5 and passes all others i will leave the sim
>in the board and recomend that it be replaced.....
>
>am i being too stringent on these tests??
>seems like every 3 rd chip fails the memtest test #5 
>interested to know if you guys bother to test ram at all or what you
>test with and at what point you replace a chip
>thanks heaps for any replies........
>zz


You might be jumping to the wrong conclusion.  With so many
modules failing it seems more likely the motherboard is not
stable running at certain timings, with modules that only
meet JEDEC standards (which is all that is actually required
but some modules have more margin than others).

Generally speaking, what this means is that no matter what
paper-spec, rating, the memory has, the board may need to
run any particular module at slightly lower than it's
"true", physical capability.

It's certainly not too stringent to not allow the
combination of memory and board to run when memtest has
shown errors, there should be none and whatever-is-needed
should be done.  In some cases that could mean manuallly
setting more conservative timings in the bios.

zz <jhgfjh@hfksdfse.com> wrote:
> my usual practise is to test a new sim with Memtest 3.1a
> if it fails [usually test 5] i return it outright
>
> if it is on a friends machine ill try other utils such as windows
> memory diagnostic [not a microsoft util] or docmemory ram diagnostic
> 2.1 if it fails all tests the ram is discarded
>
> if it fails memtest test 5 and passes all others i will leave the sim
> in the board and recomend that it be replaced.....
>
> am i being too stringent on these tests??
> seems like every 3 rd chip fails the memtest test #5

Dont see anything like that myself.

> interested to know if you guys bother to test ram at all

Yes.

> or what you test with and at what point you replace a chip

Basically do what you do, if memtest fails, time to use different ram.

Not so much decide that its defective ram, just that
the motherboard doesnt like that particular ram. 

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 18:23:11 GMT, kony <spam@spam.com> wrote:

>On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 12:53:08 GMT, jhgfjh@hfksdfse.com (zz)
>wrote:
>
>>my usual practise is to test a new sim with Memtest 3.1a
>>if it fails [usually test 5] i return it outright 
>>
>>if it is on a friends machine ill try other utils such as windows
>>memory diagnostic [not a microsoft util] or docmemory ram diagnostic
>>2.1 if it fails all tests the ram is discarded 
>>
>>if it fails memtest test 5 and passes all others i will leave the sim
>>in the board and recomend that it be replaced.....
>>
>>am i being too stringent on these tests??
>>seems like every 3 rd chip fails the memtest test #5 
>>interested to know if you guys bother to test ram at all or what you
>>test with and at what point you replace a chip
>>thanks heaps for any replies........
>>zz
>
>
>You might be jumping to the wrong conclusion.  With so many
>modules failing it seems more likely the motherboard is not
>stable running at certain timings, with modules that only
>meet JEDEC standards (which is all that is actually required
>but some modules have more margin than others).
>
>Generally speaking, what this means is that no matter what
>paper-spec, rating, the memory has, the board may need to
>run any particular module at slightly lower than it's
>"true", physical capability.
>
>It's certainly not too stringent to not allow the
>combination of memory and board to run when memtest has
>shown errors, there should be none and whatever-is-needed
>should be done.  In some cases that could mean manuallly
>setting more conservative timings in the bios.
>
how should i set the timing?
i have the following options in bios
dram clock by default is set to: auto by spd
i have auto by spd, 100, 133, 166 and 200
dram timing
turbo, auto by spd, turbo and ultra
thanks
zz

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 22:39:26 GMT, jhgfjh@hfksdfse.com (zz)
wrote:

<snip>

>>...In some cases that could mean manuallly
>>setting more conservative timings in the bios.
>>
>how should i set the timing?

You haven't even mentioned the hardware yet, any further
answer I provide will therefore be incomplete.

>i have the following options in bios
>dram clock by default is set to: auto by spd
>i have auto by spd, 100, 133, 166 and 200
>dram timing
>turbo, auto by spd, turbo and ultra
>thanks
>zz

Since you make no mention of the specific hardware, I write
of generalities.  Generally you'd not use "auto by SPD",
rather manually setting the memory to same speed as FSB, or
+33 if the board and memory are still in spec at that speed.
One exception is Athlon XP, "usually" it's good to set to
same as FSB.

Do not use "turbo" or "ultra".  Manually set the actual
timings.  Some menus do not show these settings until you
change the prior settings.  Determine the spec'd timings for
the memory as provided by manufacturer or reseller.  Set it
to those and test with Memtest again.  If that doesn't work,
use higher timings.  For example, raise CAS another 0.5
tick.  Raise voltage if it's at 2.5, up to 2.6 or 2.7.
Instead of further speculation it would be best for you to
Google some memory tweaking web articles but instead of
tweaking for higher performance, you're essentially doing
the opposite, tweaking for lower performance, as the slower
timings are typically more stable.