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Reliability of Computer Memory?

Posted by kdawson on from the check-some dept.

olddoc writes "In the days of 512MB systems, I remember reading about cosmic rays causing memory errors and how errors become more frequent with more RAM. Now, home PCs are stuffed with 6GB or 8GB and no one uses ECC memory in them. Recently I had consistent BSODs with Vista64 on a PC with 4GB; I tried memtest86 and it always failed within hours. Yet when I ran 64-bit Ubuntu at 100% load and using all memory, it ran fine for days. I have two questions: 1) Do people trust a memtest86 error to mean a bad memory module or motherboard or CPU? 2) When I check my email on my desktop 16GB PC next year, should I be running ECC memory?"

19 of 724 comments (clear)

  1. Surprise? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Recently I had consistent BSODs with Vista64 on a PC with 4GB...

    This was a surprise?

    1. Re:Surprise? by alexandre_ganso · · Score: 5, Funny

      ... vista is way too slow for my, and many other's tastes.

      Now you got what he meant with "rock solid"....

    2. Re:Surprise? by evan_arrrr! · · Score: 3, Funny

      So what you're saying is that you've figured out how to keep your PC running WITHOUT power? Why are we still driving gas-powered vehicles? Somebody get this man to Washington!

    3. Re:Surprise? by Dan+East · · Score: 4, Funny

      In reference to the parent, gp, ggp, etc. Either I'm reading the alternate-reality edition of Slashdot, or y'all are warming up for Wednesday.

      --
      Better known as 318230.
    4. Re:Surprise? by andy9o · · Score: 5, Funny

      PEBKAC

    5. Re:Surprise? by mcvos · · Score: 4, Funny

      I have never had a harddrive fail. Never. Not on a fresh computer and not on a decade old one.

      Can I hire you as admin for our raid-0 disk server?

  2. tinfoil is the answer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    wrap your _whole_ computer in tinfoil to deflect those pesky cosmic rays. it also works to keep them out of your head too.

    1. Re:tinfoil is the answer by platypussrex · · Score: 4, Funny

      I have an even better idea. You know how water cooling makes your computer run better? Well my theory is that water cooling would work the same way for the OP. He needs to get a large tank, fill it with ice water, and be sure to keep his head fully submerged while doing all his computer work. I'm sure he'll be amazed at his increased productivity.

    2. Re:tinfoil is the answer by JWSmythe · · Score: 3, Funny

      ... or so they've made you believe.

          The tin foil hat works. We can't read your mind. Feel safe wearing the tin foil hat. You've protected yourself against our evil plot to control your mind. :)

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
  3. Re:Memtest not perfect. by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I bet Windows will love you replacing the DIMM's while running.

  4. If it was really a cosmic ray by circletimessquare · · Score: 4, Funny

    Then it would proba%ly alter not just one byte, b%t a chain of them. The cha%n of modified bytes would be stru%g out, in a regular patter%. Now if only there were so%e way to read memory in%a chain of bytes, as if it w%re a string, to visu%lize the cosmic ray mod%fication. hmmm...

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  5. Re:Memtest not perfect. by Anthony_Cargile · · Score: 4, Funny

    I bet Windows will love you replacing the DIMM's while running.

    Yeah wait until it starts to sleep first, or even better if you catch it while hibernating

  6. Re:Memtest not perfect. by Antidamage · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've often had it pick up bad ram, usually within the first five minutes. One time, the memory in question had been through a number of unprotected power surges. The motherboard and power supply were dead too.

    You can reliably replicate my results by removing the ram, snapping it in half and putting it back in. No need to wait for a power surge to see memtest86 shine.

  7. Re:Memtest not perfect. by Hal_Porter · · Score: 5, Funny

    Memtestx86 is bögus. My machine alwayS generated errors when I run the test but it works fOne otherwise ÿ

    --
    echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
  8. Re:Paranoia? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    and having sex in the back of a red 1948 Buick convertible at a drive-in movie theater on Tuesday night, Feb. 29th under a blue moon... all at the same time....

    Mom?

  9. metal armour is the answer by captainpanic · · Score: 4, Funny

    I usually wear medieval armour. Not only does that work as efficient as tinfoil, it's also very fashionable.

  10. Re:Memtest not perfect. by machine321 · · Score: 3, Funny

    That's impressive. Most memory tester software so I've tried requires a working power supply and motherboard.

  11. Re:(Sensible) People do use ECC RAM by Thundersnatch · · Score: 4, Funny

    actual program code being such a small percentage of RAM usage these days

    I see you've never experienced the joys of J2EE.

  12. New Microsoft ad slogan by mkcmkc · · Score: 5, Funny

    You must be unlucky or the cause.

    This would make a great slogan for Microsoft's new ad campaign:

    • Windows: if it doesn't work perfectly, it's your fault.
    --
    "Not an actor, but he plays one on TV."