Memtest reports errors but Win7 diagnostic does not :S

UncleMeat

UncleMeat

Weaksauce
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Feb 8, 2012
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Hi, getting memtest errors on my sig rig, wheras the win7 memory diagnostic tool says there ok :confused:

I tested each stick seperately in each slot but couldn't see any pattern to tell whether it's a memory or motherboard or settings issue, heres the results in a simple table

Stick A - Slot 1 = 1 Error
Stick A - Slot 2 = 1 Error
Stick A - Slot 3 = 2 Errors
Stick A - Slot 4 = 1 Error

Stick B - Slot 1 = 0 Errors
Stick B - Slot 2 = 2 Errors
Stick B - Slot 3 = 0 Errors
Stick B - Slot 4 = 1 Error


Ran 4 passes on every test and all errors occured on test 8 (random number sequence)

If anyone here has any help or advice to offer i would be as always, most grateful indeed.
 
Are you having system stability issues?

Have you overclocked, changed timings, or done anything to BIOS settings related to RAM?
 
Ultima99 said:
Have you overclocked, changed timings, or done anything to BIOS settings related to RAM?
Click to expand...

Definitely need to know this. If the errors are occurring with stock speed and timing settings, then it could be the modules, the motherboard, or the processor (IMC).
 
win7 memory diagnostic tool says there ok
Click to expand...

Remember that any software diagnostic utility can not tell you that memory is 100% stable. With marginal ram I have seen cases where it took memtest86+ 72 hours to find memory errors on a system that would BSOD in a few minutes after boot.
 
No blue screens, only one game that's crashing - F.E.A.R. 1 - although this could well be an operating system compatability issue though. I did venture into the bios to set the turbo frequency and may have inadvertently changed something i shouldn't have. what should i do?
 
Get back in to BIOS and set defaults. If you had AHCI enabled for the HDD/SSD, be sure to re-enable if the default is Legacy or Native mode IDE before saving changes and rebooting.
 
Ok, i reset defaults (AHCI is on) CPU is still on 3.9Ghz ...turbo still on?
memory is at 1866Mhz which is the rated frequency. Can i retest like this or do i need to back the mem off to 1600Mhz?
 
You should not be getting any errors.

If you are running at the rated frequency and still getting errors, then there is something wrong.

Don't just reset to defaults in BIOS.. reset the BIOS by either using the jumper on the motherboard.. or if it has a BIOS reset button on the motherboard, you can use that.

Then go back into the BIOS and set the RAM (probably select the lame XMP mode setting) to run at the rated speed and then test again.

And if you want to find errors a lot quicker than Memtest 86+, you can use HCI memtest. You will need to run multiple instances though as each instance can only test 2GB of RAM.

http://hcidesign.com/memtest/
 
i do have a reset button but i think it's for rebooting when not in a case (maybe for bench testing?)

There is a "Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC_SW)" would this be the bios clearing jumper? ...if it is, will it undo any bios updates that the board has undergone, as im running a 3rd gen i7 that apparently won't work with the factory shipped bios.
 
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Yes, that's the one. It's the one by the PCIe x4 slot and AAFP hader.

Unplug the power cord to the PSU, press the power button to clear the capacitance from everything, move the jumper, wait about 30 sec, move the jumper back, connect the power cord, and fire it up.
 
UncleMeat said:
i do have a reset button but i think it's for rebooting when not in a case (maybe for bench testing?)

There is a "Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC_SW)" would this be the bios clearing jumper? ...if it is, will it undo any bios updates that the board has undergone, as im running a 3rd gen i7 that apparently won't work with the factory shipped bios.
Click to expand...

It will not revert the BIOS to a previous version.
 
Thanks guys, i'l reset the bios and begin testing again. Will post back when i have the results.
 
Sorry to doublepost but after resetting i noticed that the date / time in the bios didn't need to be reset :confused: ...or does this only change when the battery has been removed / reinserted?

All i really had to do was enable the xmp profile for the memory.
 
well, running at defaults hasn't made any difference. Still getting errors. Tried at different frequencies (down to 800Mhz)

I just realized that i can try my memory in our daughters pc (which memtest confirmed was clean) and vice versa. Hopefully this may indicate if it's a memory issue or motherboard. will post results as soon as i have them. Thanks again guys.
 
Good luck with it all...I hate having to go through that kind of hoop-jumping.
 
Provided all the other hardware is OK, nothing's overclocked, no BIOS update to "improve memory compatibility" hasn't been released, and the memory diagnostic doesn't have a flaw (the first releases of MemTest86+ ver. 5xx didn't work right in multicore mode), then the memory is bad if it shows even one failure in any computer, especially considering that even the best testing possible with PCs is pretty lax.

Failure wouldn't surprise me because Crucial Ballistix is now often made from chips of questionable quality (Spectek = used or rejected Micron that isn't screened very carefully) and usually overclocked (1600 MHz rated Ballistix made from 1333 MHz rated Spectek, and I'm sure your 1866 MHz Ballistix is not made of chips rated even 1600 MHz).
 
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Cheers for the reply, however, i'm not running Ballistix memory, I'm running Corsair Vengeance 1866 Mhz :confused:
 
Ok, i tested my memory in the kids rig and memtest confirmed no errors. I then ran the kids memory in my rig and memtest confirmed no errors also :confused: ...i'm stumped, what gives?
 
Ok, i tested my memory in the kids rig and memtest confirmed no errors.
Click to expand...

How many days did you run memtest86+ in multithreaded mode? I have seen cases where the first error did not show up till 4+ days.
 
drescherjm said:
How many days did you run memtest86+ in multithreaded mode? I have seen cases where the first error did not show up till 4+ days.
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Days? lol, i ran it for 7hrs or so (4 passes) thing is, when i began testing, the errors appeared with my rig & memory on 3rd / 4th pass.

not too sure if it was running in mutithreaded mode, is it in the config screen?
 
UncleMeat said:
Cheers for the reply, however, i'm not running Ballistix memory, I'm running Corsair Vengeance 1866 Mhz :confused:
Click to expand...
Then I'm even less surprised that the memory failed.

7 hours actually isn't very long for testing because I had a 256MB 400MHz DDR module run 5 hours before it showed an error, and one person couldn't find errors even when he ran diagnostics on a 2GB DDR3 for at least 12 hours at a time, until he tried a different diagnostic, which reported one bad bit in 1 hour and 16 minutes. But he had to run it another 9 hours before it found that error again.
 
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UncleMeat said:
Ok, i tested my memory in the kids rig and memtest confirmed no errors. I then ran the kids memory in my rig and memtest confirmed no errors also :confused: ...i'm stumped, what gives?
Click to expand...

That's a tough one! You may have a rare compatibility problem. What mobo are you using?
 
reb00tin said:
It's either new mobo, new memory, or swap with kids rig.
Click to expand...

Ahhh, i see. I am more inclined to replace the memory as it's alot easier, and i wouldn't have to reinstall my system either.

as an afterthought, i did have the idea that relaxing the memory timings (9-10-9-27 @ T2) might work, but i cannot find the option to do this anywhere in the bios :confused:
 
UncleMeat said:
Ahhh, i see. I am more inclined to replace the memory as it's alot easier, and i wouldn't have to reinstall my system either.

as an afterthought, i did have the idea that relaxing the memory timings (9-10-9-27 @ T2) might work, but i cannot find the option to do this anywhere in the bios :confused:
Click to expand...

Set mem timings to Auto, better still reset BIOS from the jumper.
 
reb00tin said:
Set mem timings to Auto, better still reset BIOS from the jumper.
Click to expand...
Resetting the BIOS was mentioned prevoiusly in this thread, which i did ...still got errors though. :mad:

Is it not possible to relax the memory timings with this board/bios ?
 
UPDATE

Purchased a 16GB Kingston HyperX Beast - Dual Channel Kit and no errors after 7 passes :D
maybe my mobo just didn't like the corsair stix
 
No worries, glad i had a happy outcome, may contact corsair to find out what the warranty situation is as ive ony had the kit 1.5 yrs or so.
 
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