Memtest86+ reports 2 errors...

Well so far my RAM is passing every test on memtest86+ for at least 6 hours...absolutely no errors which is good.

So why does it fail when I have both sticks fitted? Board issue or is this just typical memtest behaviour when 2 or more sticks are installed or is it indeed still a RAM issue?

All help appreciated guys :)
 
I take it your BIOS settings are all at stock / no overclocking or overvolting whilst performing the tests right ? - Just asking ;)

And you can prove that the stick throw errors when fitted together in both dual and single channel mode right ?
 
Yes BIOS is at stock settings and no overclocks or overvolting has been applied.

Pictures are at the top of this thread so if thats the kinda proof your on about then yeah.

Top picture is RAM set at default 1333MHz despite being 1600MHz and the picture a little further down is when I set it to 1600MHz.

When I ran both sticks in single channel mode I got 4 errors but never thought to take a picture.
 
I've just noticed something with memtest86+ whilst doing my single stick tests...the timing shows as 6-6-6-20 / single channel but in the BIOS it clearly shows it set as 9-9-9-24

Please please please don't tell me I have to do these tests again?? :(
 
No mate, take a rest ... Just RMA both sticks....

When you get your new sticks you've got my permission to start testing again :D

Just did a google for 'memory errors in dual channel' and got plenty of pain being shared over the interwebs
 
Well thank God for that lol.

Oh great, I look forward to it haha.

Cool, so its quite common then? no one found a fix other than to return the RAM?
 
I'm finding it all a bit odd. I mean they won't run together in dual channel without errors, they won't run together in single channel without errors yet they give no errors when only one stick is fitted. I'm now starting to think its the motherboard.

I've just done some more digging on google and I can't find a single thread where someone else has RAM failing both dual and single channels yet passing fine when only one of those sticks is installed at one time.
 
At this moment in time throw it all out the door lol. Board BIOS has been updated. Hmm more testing should be alright haha.

Yeah I'm going to bed here in a minute but I've noticed something. I've just popped both sticks in side by side which should be single channel mode, right? I mean on my board there are 4 slots which are colour coded like Black, Blue, Black, Blue so to run dual channel, as described in motherboard book I need to fit both sticks into two slots the same colour ie Black and Black OR Blue and Blue and if I run a stick in Black and another in Blue it should be single channel...is this right? Cause I have one in Black and one in Blue and memtest is showing it as dual channel?

I get the feeling I'm overlooking something obvious but just can't find out what it is.
 
kris214 said:
OK I'm back with an update. I ran memtest86+ again only this time with one RAM stick at a time and I ran it for 2 hours with each stick and I got no errors at all. What does this mean now? Faulty motherboard or something else?
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Think of it this way: your motherboard was built with name brand chips, but your memory modules were probably made from no-name chips, especially if the modules have heatsinks on them.

It's common for the BIOS to slow the memory timings when more than one module is installed at a time, probably because the extra capacitance of two modules makes the signals turn on and off less abruptly . Lots of modules run fine alone but fail in tandem.
 
I figured out my mistake...I had one stick in each bank ie DIMMS 2 and 3. I reinstalled them in DIMMS 3 and 4 and there both running now in single channel. Been running now for 7 hours and there's no errors.

So my memory runs fine in single channel but not dual. Is this still bad memory?
 
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Correction...memory passes ok with memtest86+ in single channel but windows crashes after 20 minutes with lots of memory error warnings. Think I'll return the memory for something else and hope its not a motherboard issue.
 
kris214 said:
I figured out my mistake...I had one stick in each bank ie DIMMS 2 and 3. I reinstalled them in DIMMS 3 and 4 and there both running now in single channel. Been running now for 7 hours and there's no errors.

So my memory runs fine in single channel but not dual. Is this still bad memory?
Click to expand...
It's still bad because unless overclocked or undervolted, all the modules should work perfectly, regardless of how many are installed or in which slots they're installed. Also MemTest86, MemTest86+, and Gold Memory, despite being the best PC-based memory diagnostics, next to PhD's RST, actually can't test memory very well, compared to the very expensive Advantest machines used by gas passers.
 
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