Is bad RAM common?

Megalith

Megalith

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Long story short, my PC froze for the first time today. Every time I tried to restart it, I'd just get a series of three beeps. After some quick research, I realized the motherboard was hinting at a memory problem, so I took all the RAM sticks (Corsair Dominators) out and put them in one by one. First stick was good, second failed (triggered the motherboard beeping again), third was good. AFAIK, you can only run with two sticks of matched RAM, so now I'm down to 16GB from 32GB.

So is bad RAM a common thing? This is the third or fourth PC built, and I've never run into a single problem with any component until now. Also, how was my PC able to run on sticks of bad RAM for nearly a year? My system wasn't exactly error-free (weird issues like slow boot and shut down sometimes), but I'm surprised.
 
you can use 3 sticks. It just won't run in dual-channel mode.

Test it in another motherboard and run memtest before you submit it for RMA.
 
I don't think its that common, I've used hundreds of RAM kits and probably only had two bad sticks. It does happen though. You can easily run one channel loaded more than the other, but check your motherboard manual. Sometimes they show that you should use one channel in specific for that kind of setup.
 
I have had more motherboard vs RAM issues then i have had bad sticks of RAM. Usually settings in the BIOS can stop the board from seeing the ram or cause issues.
 
After hard drives and PSUs, memory is the next most likely failure point in my experience.

It's a crucial component of every computer made, but the QA is limited because the margins are so low.
 
defaultluser said:
After hard drives and PSUs, memory is the next most likely failure point in my experience.
Click to expand...

This.

It doesn't help that Newegg will send you ram in just its regular plastic package with 50 packaging peanuts statically attached to them.....
 
I've had more ram failers/errors than any other problems. I've had two psu and two hdd go bad before but have had to swap out ram 3 or 4 times. Granted that was while using ddr and ddr2. Haven't had any issues since using dde3.
 
I usually have pretty good luck. That being said, whenever I get RAM or a new server - I start off with a MemTest just to be sure.
 
defaultluser said:
After hard drives and PSUs, memory is the next most likely failure point in my experience.

It's a crucial component of every computer made, but the QA is limited because the margins are so low.
Click to expand...

In my experience in the thousand of memory modules that I have installed over the years is they either arrive DOA or they work until you retire them. And I count having a few bit flips during a 72 hour memtest as DOA. I do not recall ever having a dimm go bad after it was properly tested although I do know this happens.
 
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defaultluser said:
After hard drives and PSUs, memory is the next most likely failure point in my experience.
Click to expand...

Agreed on all counts and in that order. Hard drives bite the dust constantly and like clockwork. I don't fully trust them for at least 4 months, then I stop trusting them after 3yrs or so depending on the workload (although trust is a strong word to use since data needs to be backed up at all times regardless).

PSUs tend to last a couple years or until the unit gets dropped on concrete or a massive surge is fed into it when the physical plant guys are up to their electrical shenanigans again.

RAM just... dies. Sometimes... Like maybe now... or maybe in 12yrs. I've got some Methuselah DDR modules layin' around but I've seen laptops and desktops alike work for months or even years and then suddenly a DIMM is just done with life on next boot :confused:
 
Is bad RAM common?

Too common. High failure rates from known brands. Kingston RAM is imvfhofe the most reliable RAM brand you can buy from. But there HyperX line up don't overclock as smooth as some of the Dominator X or Mushkin class equivalents, not to mention that high-profile heatsink that obstructs some CPU HSF installations on certain cramped mobos.
 
Across the 20 sticks in our two 24/7 servers we have about two sticks a year go bad. Haven't ever had a stick in a desktop go bad, oddly, despite having just as many sticks there.. but the systems are on much less than 24/7. ECC RAM all 'round.
 
From my experience it is rather common. I've had to change two G.Skill kits in rather short period of time. One was crappy from the beginning and the replacement kit crapped out in about year.
 
Jim G said:
Across the 20 sticks in our two 24/7 servers we have about two sticks a year go bad. Haven't ever had a stick in a desktop go bad, oddly, despite having just as many sticks there.. but the systems are on much less than 24/7. ECC RAM all 'round.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you might have an overheating issue.

Keep the RAM at close to room temp. If the server room is running over about 72F, it is too warm.

If the server room is that cool or cooler, you may ant to make sure there is enough air movement around them.

I've resorted to spacing servers in racks at least 1U apart because we were having trouble with drives and switches going out. Since that change, I have not had any failures.

If the server room is at 60F or cooler where the servers are, you may not need to space them out.
 
Bad RAM is very common for heatsinked modules because almost all of them are factory overclocked and are tested only with PCs (or as marketing weasels say, "tested under real-life conditions"). Myi failure rate for them and modules made with no-name chips was about 10%, but for modules made with name brand, non-overclocked chips the rate was 1 (not 1% but 1 module, and I classified it as bad because of sloppy soldering).

XbitLabs.com revealed the chips used in various Corsair Dominators:

PC12800 1.50V made with no-name chips (Corsair is not a brand of chips):
1600-chips.jpg


PC17066 1.50V made with Samsung (SEC) PC10666 (speed grade H9) chips:
2133-chips.jpg


PC21300 1.65V made with Samsung (SEC) PC10666 (speed grade H9) chips:
2666-chips.jpg



In comparison, Samsung PC12800 modules have actual PC12800 (speed grade K0) chips.
 
Matthew Kane said:
Is bad RAM common?

Too common. High failure rates from known brands. Kingston RAM is imvfhofe the most reliable RAM brand you can buy from. But there HyperX line up don't overclock as smooth as some of the Dominator X or Mushkin class equivalents, not to mention that high-profile heatsink that obstructs some CPU HSF installations on certain cramped mobos.
Click to expand...

Pretty much. Mushkin has been enthusiast ram since it got into ram and is very reliable. Kingston is always my next choice. I have found G-Skill and corsair to be hit or miss.

I was looking at ram today on newegg and apparently AMD is releasing ram now? Not sure if that is a new thing but it's fairly expensive.
 
larrymoencurly said:
Bad RAM is very common for heatsinked modules because almost all of them are factory overclocked and are tested only with PCs (or as marketing weasels say, "tested under real-life conditions"). Myi failure rate for them and modules made with no-name chips was about 10%, but for modules made with name brand, non-overclocked chips the rate was 1 (not 1% but 1 module, and I classified it as bad because of sloppy soldering).

XbitLabs.com revealed the chips used in various Corsair Dominators:
Click to expand...

Interesting...
 
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