|
|||||||
|
I think my ram is failing
Recently my computer is freezing randomly, whether it's running in idle, or heavy tasking, it just freezes all of a sudden (no blue screen, no shut down). So I think maybe some hardware is dying. I unplug them one at a time and it still freezes. Until I remove one of the ram (I have 2), now the computer is running fine, with everything else plugged back in.So the ram is a Kingston hyperX DDR3 1600, how can I test it to determine if it is really bad. If it is indeed failing, anyone know about the warranty of Kingston, I bought it in May. |
| 09-22-2012, 03:01 PM | |
|
|
|
If you refer to your husband/wife as 'DH/DW', you're too old to be active on a forum.
If you ask for marriage advice on a(ny) forum, you should seriously reevaluate your life. If you don't know the difference between 'their', 'there', and 'they're', I automatically assume you have a mental disability (same goes for to/two/too and your/you're/yore). |
|
It's way more likely that it's just the contact between the stick of ram and the slot it's in, than the ram itself. Try using contact cleaner or alcohol to clean both.
In general, the freezing is caused by poorly seated ram, or the hard drive. If you find that your computer continues to work perfectly with that one stick of ram plugged in, then you could eliminate the hard drive as being suspect. There will be others who post links to ram testing software. I personally think it's a waste of time. It's so rare that ram only half works and those ram tests can take forever, and aren't always conclusive. On top of that, ram is so ultra cheap these days that if one stick of your ram is definitely causing the computer to freeze, there would be little benefit to testing it, when you're going to have to change it anyway. |
|
|
In addition to MemTest86+, there's also MemTest86 (MemTest86.com [memtest86.com]), which sometimes gives very different results despite both tests using the same methods, and Gold Memory beat MemTest86 in the only comparative reviews of memory diagnostics I've ever seen (here [realworldtech.com] and here [realworldtech.com]), published in 2001. The reason for running multiple memory diagnostics overnight is so you can prove to the manufacturer that you really do have a RAM problem (almost all brands are warranted for life), and with Kingston it seems to help get you replacements that have been tested more thoroughly than their regular retail products.
See if a BIOS update has been issued for your motherboard to improve memory stability. Otherwise a new BIOS is unlikely to help. Freezing can be caused by bad RAM, bad voltage going to the RAM (because of bad capacitors), faulty keyboard or mouse (or related connections, sometimes inside their cables), but don't rule out driver software. Is your BIOS configured for automatic default memory settings, not faster ones? Also XMS profiles in RAM are more optimistic than the standard profiles. |
|
install speedfan and tell us what temps you're getting on your cpu during heavy load. if it goes over 80 C, that could be the reason.
most likely memory, memtest it. If you have a bad stick, I believe you still have warranty. install speedfan and tell us what temps you're getting on your cpu during heavy load. if it goes over 80 C, that could be the reason. most likely memory, memtest it. If you have a bad stick, I believe you still have warranty. Last edited by bob13bob; 09-25-2012 at 11:10 AM.. Reason: Automerged Doublepost |
|
Remove RAM, video cards, and anything else plugged into a PCI slot and then either use air duster or an air compressor to blow the case out. Make sure to get the CPU heatsink good, and all the little nooks and crannys where dust can hide. Get the case fan blades very good too. Then reseat everything. I recommend this first, as MemTest can take a very long time, and it doesn't tell you which slot has failed, so you'd have to do it one stick at a time if there was a failure, to determine which one. MemTest may be necessary though if reseating doesn't resolve the problem.
Other than that, have you scanned for malware/virus? If not, use ComboFix, MalwareBytes, and whatever antivirus you prefer (Avast, Avira, AVG, etc.) I believe I've found the solution to obesity in America. Hemispherectomy....no one uses it anyway.
|
|
|
I blow it all out, with all cards in place, then remove them, clean the contacts and slots with contact cleaner, then reinstall. The reasoning behind this is that those PCI slots, etc. have very slim apertures and when your blowing dust out of the whole case, those slots can often fill up with even more dust and granular substances, than before blowing it out. This way, the slots I am using are protected from gathering any additional dirt. I should explain that my way of doing things is just my way and it's not part of "Computer Repairman 101" and some folks might even disagree with the way I do it, so I'm not saying your way is wrong. I'm just saying that I do it differently, for what I consider to be good reasons. |
||
|
in your case the problem is the ram.
you were right, freeze can be any hardware. i just fixed a pc with similar problem by replacing the power supply. the-maybe-problem power supply's 12V is 12.25V, it's still within the safe range, not sure if it's really has problem or the motherboard can't handle higher voltage. voltage isn't the only method to determined a PSU broken or not, i need to try it on other computer later (i don't have better equipments to test it) Last edited by Miruki; 09-27-2012 at 11:41 AM.. |
|
| Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
Similar Threads
|
||||
| Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
| Think my hard drive is shot, need help in find a new one | JeniC | Tech Support | 8 | 03-12-2012 07:52 PM |
| Repeated BSODs...maybe bad RAM? | bubbachuck | Tech Support | 16 | 06-05-2011 04:05 PM |
| How do I connect my laptop to my tv? | Jaysma | Tech Support | 3 | 12-01-2010 07:32 PM |
| How do I maximize my RAM performance? | Marshmlol | Tech Support | 11 | 09-21-2010 06:17 PM |
| problem with ram slot | edogawa1983 | Tech Support | 9 | 08-20-2010 08:50 PM |