Memtest86+ Errors

After building my pc out of new and used parts I experienced frequent reboots, and freezes. Sometimes this would occur every everyday, every few days, or once a week. The problem would arise while using the system, and on rare occasion at boot during the Windows XP logo. Every component in my system is new with the exception of my motherboard, cpu, video card, and hard drive. I assumed it was a ram issue and did testing with Memtest86+ on the two new Patriot brand 512mb Pc133 Sdram modules in my system. Their position was slot 1, and 2 on the motherboard. Testing them in that position always generated a lengthy list of errors [seriously like 20-30 or more repeatedly]. Which is why I started this thread... Since that points to the obvious sign of my ram causing the reboots, and freezes.

I than tested/tried/checked/researched many things. & After being sure that the bios had the correct ram timings/settings, I got to work in solving this matter by trying to swap the ram around on the motherboard slots. The following chart shows my tests results by using the two new Patriot brand 512mb Pc133 Sdram modules, and two old generic brand Sdram modules to I had on hand to draw a comparison with:


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Test Results:
[Note: Each test item below is the result of a 24 hour Memtest86+ test on the module(s)]

- Slot 1 & 2 position w/both new ram modules "Total of 1024MB" = Massive List Of Errors (24 Hour Test Runs = 8-10)
(Swapping ram in the opposite position generates the same results. A 24 hour test would pass on rare occasion, though yield failures soon thereafter, or upon a new test run)

- Slot 1 position w/one new ram module "Total of 512MB" = No Errors (24 Hour Test Runs = 5-8)
(Testing with the other stick of new 512MB in the same position generates the same results)

- Slot 2 position w/one new ram module "Total of 512MB" = No Errors (24 Hour Test Runs = 3-4)
(Testing with the other stick of new 512MB in the same position generates the same results)

- Slot 1 & 2 position w/both old ram modules "Total of 192MB" = No Errors (24 Hour Test Runs = 4-6)
(Swapping ram in the opposite position generates the same results)

- Slot 1 & 3 position w/both new ram modules "Total of 1024MB" = No Errors (24 Hour Test Runs = 1-2)
(Surprisingly no errors were reported in this position although this is just the result of a couple tests)
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Ok so I was just surprised/curious as to why the new ram passed in slot 1, & 3 position. I thought this could have been the cause of me optimizing my bios (which I did earlier on by setting various settings all over the bios to optimal settings), and making sure SPD [aka AUTO] was set for ram timings. So I reran an old slot test sure to give errors, in order to be confident that SPD wasn't something I just missed by accident when the new ram was in slot 1, & slot 2 position at the beginning of my problems when I built the pc. I made sure SPD was set and sure enough the tests FAILED with errors TWICE in a row as you can see below:



TEST ONE - Slot 1 & 2 position w/both new ram modules "Total of 1024MB"
(100% positive SPD bios setting selected)

http://i39.tinypic.com/6quo39.jpg


TEST TWO - Slot 1 & 2 position w/both new ram modules "Total of 1024MB"
(100% positive SPD bios setting selected & ram swapped in opposite slots)

http://i41.tinypic.com/az7uir.jpg

Now I was completely sure that this wasn't the fact that I missed the SPD setting in my bios. These two new tests above were also done with less hardware connected to the power supply [eg: hdd, front & back 120mm fans disconnected]. So I said to myself what else is left for me to really test? How can I really be sure that placing the new ram in slot 1, and 3 position will always be fine? Heck they only passed Memtest86+ in that position a couple of times. I figured it was all too good to be true. SO I RAN THE MOTHER OF ALL TESTS!!!!

I put the new ram in slot 1, and 3 position again. Made sure SPD was set in the bios, and ran those suckers for 90 HOURS STRAIGHT!!!!!! Indeed the longest test I've ever ran on ram. This was the result:



90 HOUR TEST [Photo was taken around 70 hours but results were the same at 90 hours] - Slot 1 & 3 position w/both new ram modules "Total of 1024MB"
(100% positive SPD bios setting selected)

http://i40.tinypic.com/oubioy.jpg

Wow well as you can see the test resulted in just one single error! I continuously checked the test run and that single error you see occured somewhere after 24 hours... I don't know what to make of this...

I am now testing the ram in slots 2, and 4 which is a test I have NEVER run. I'll post the results later.


Questions:

1. Any ideas as to what's been going on and how to solve the issues so my pc can be 100 percent stable?

2. Should I be worried when the ram was in slot 1, and 3 and tested for 90 hours with just one error result that never repeated itself ever again? I can't see how one error could be so detramental, but I'm no memtest or memory specialist so I wouldn't really know. This is just my educated guess...

3. What should I do from here on out?

Thank You

 

I'm thinking that you had it set up for dual channel, and in order to run dual channel, you need to have it in slots 1-3 or 2-4 (i think? )

I would also just chalk it up to the fact that maybe that particular patriot ram isn't compatible with the motherboard (it happens all the time, that's why the mobo manufacturers usually put out a compatibility list with different ram types)

 

Can you confirm if using two dimms in slots 2-4 is ok on a motherboard? I would think that decreases performance no? From what I learned off another member of this site he said as close to the cpu is best. [ie: slot 1, and 3]

But he was just speaking in general, and didn't take this extreme case into consideration.

By the way my ram is listed as being compatible on the PATRIOT website.

http://i43.tinypic.com/166nhuv.jpg