Can RAM just go kaput?

Jock

Jock

Jock

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27 Mar 2008
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967
Location
Darlington
So i built my computer about a year and a half ago and its ran nice and solid since then, until yesterday anyway. Sunday night it worked fine, turned it off as normal, then Monday i get in from work, turn it on, and it beeps 3 times and nothing happens.

I raked out my motherboard manual which tells me 3 beeps means a memory problem. I had some urgent freelance work to do so all i did was take 4 gig ram out and try again and it worked but thats as far as i got as i just wanted to be able to do the work.

But is this fairly common, RAM can just stop working despite the fact i havent touched it?

I suppose the next thing i need to do is keep changing the sticks till i find out which one is bust? Problem is this stuff wasnt cheap either :(
 
Yep. Electronics can just fail and RAM is one such thing that can just die without warning.

Check the warranty, you might find you can RMA it.
 
In my experience RAM has been the number 1 component most likely to fail, and has done so on various occasions. Second most likely are mechanical hard drives.
 
Thanks a lot guys.

The make is crucial, and when i done a quick google it seems to say it has a lifetime warranty, though havent read the small print.
 
As said above RAM is the most comon component to fail on a PC. Most of the time RAM will have minor problems - which memtest will detect. However, sometimes RAM can completely fail. It only takes a very small static/other electrical surge to render a stick of RAM useless.
 
RAM problems can crop up quite often, but many times simply reseating the sticks will fix the problem. If it happens two or three times, especially in a short time, I would RMA it if possible.
 
This is what I dislike most about building machines, identifying what component is failing or has failed. I agree it's usually the RAM and reseating it can sort it out, it seems really temperamental. Thinking about how much memory I've gone through is very depressing.
 
Jock said:
Thanks a lot guys.

The make is crucial, and when i done a quick google it seems to say it has a lifetime warranty, though havent read the small print.
Click to expand...

You are in luck. Crucial has a depot in the UK where you can send your memory for RMA. Go to their site for more info. Their service is very good and usually the turnaround time is just a day or 2.
 
TomL said:
This is what I dislike most about building machines, identifying what component is failing or has failed.
Click to expand...

If you buy a prebuilt it'll have a worse psu in it, and cheaper ram, so if anything the odds of failing are much higher and troubleshooting every bit as tiresome.

Ram dies more often than anything else for me, seems astonishingly fragile.
 
Jock said:
Thanks a lot guys.

The make is crucial, and when i done a quick google it seems to say it has a lifetime warranty, though havent read the small print.
Click to expand...
Crucial has always had a reputation for dying, their support is great though, sent several borked kits back to them in the past and got them replaced.
 
Spoke to them yesterday and had no hassle at all, said they said they will replace it straight away, i just need to send both sticks back to them and they reckon i'l have the new ones by tommorow.

Its nice to come across companys where you dont have to fight tooth and nail to get something done.
 
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