What else can cause memtest failures?

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Possible Duplicate:
MemTest is returning large numbers of errors in Test 7, no matter what ram I use

I was having trouble with my Ubuntu box so I ran memtest86 and there were failures. I installed some brand new RAM, set the BIOS settings and ran memtest86 again. Still failing.

I tried both banks together and individual banks and always get loads of errors when it gets to the Random Number Sequence tests. Up to that point, everything passes.

I'm extremely doubtful that both sets of RAMs would be faulty.

So what else could cause the errors?

sickgemini

Posted 2012-11-21T11:20:47.640

Reputation: 202

Question was closed 2012-12-09T22:17:53.970

It's possible the DIMM slots themselves have bad connectivity, that the motherboard's memory controller is corrupted, that the memory interface unit in the CPU is bad, and lastly, that the CPU itself is bad. You can run Prime95 to test your CPU; as for the motherboard, try your best to find a good stick of RAM, and isolate the issue from there. – Breakthrough – 2012-11-21T11:55:47.557

This is a known bug in the Memtest86+ distributed with Ubuntu 12.10. See my answer to this duplicate question.

– Vincent Yu – 2012-12-09T21:59:12.290

Answers

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Memory usage depends on more than just the DIMMs, you need:

  • The Memory (obvious, and already replaced)
  • A working motherboard (good slot to put the DIMM in. Undamaged copper traces to the memory controller)
  • An undamaged memory controller (These days that is part of the CPU, a few years ago this was part of the chip set, specifically the northbridge)
  • Stable power to all components.
  • The correct timings (Which I assume you are using since you wrote 'set the BIOS settings').

If you have another motherboard then test both sets of memory in that. I suspect both will pass the test.

Hennes

Posted 2012-11-21T11:20:47.640

Reputation: 60 739

Asked: 2012-11-21T11:20:47.640

Viewed: 936 times

Active: 2012-11-21T19:40:46.793