Is Memtest optimised for dual channel memory

[gastorgrab]

The board i just recapped tests fine with the 1-Gig dual chanel memory, and the 1-Gig dual-chanel memory plus the 256Meg stick. When i run the system with just the 256 Meg stick it gives errors.



And it only gives errors on even numbered passes.
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[gdement]

Re: Is Memtest optimised for dual channel memory

That is odd. My first guess is that the board is automatically configuring the RAM speed, and when it sees the 256MB by itself it is trying to run it too aggressively. Maybe the other modules are steering your board towards more conservative settings.
Also, are you sure the 256MB is actually getting used? Maybe it's being ignored in the presence of the other modules.

Outside of that I can't think of a good explanation. The only wild guess I can think of is that the capacitance of the 1GB module is helping stabilize the adjacent 256MB just enough to make it marginally stable. That's a stretch though. When the 256MB is on it's own, your results show it still almost works but not quite, so we are dealing in the realm of tiny marginal changes.

Are you sure it's not associated with a particular memory slot? Does the 256MB work in the same slot where it then starts glitching with the other modules removed? Some modules will be more sensitive to a given slot than others.


I'm not sure what's meant by 1-gig dual channel. Is that 2x 1GB sticks? 2x 512MB? 1x 1GB module that's rated for use in dual channel?

The even numbered passes thing is weird. How many loops did you run - are you sure it's not just a coincidence?

[gastorgrab]

Re: Is Memtest optimised for dual channel memory

The system booted and ran a live MEPIS distro for hours and i never had a problem.

Maybe the BIOS was hung. I could clear it and try again.

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Could the specs it was using be wrong because it got them from the Linux distro?
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[gg1978]

Re: Is Memtest optimised for dual channel memory

What version are you using?? I've run memtest86 on i865, Nforce, Nforce2, and AMD64 based dual channel systems with no issues.

[gdement]

Re: Is Memtest optimised for dual channel memory

The system booted and ran a live MEPIS distro for hours and i never had a problem.

Maybe the BIOS was hung. I could clear it and try again.

--------------------

Could the specs it was using be wrong because it got them from the Linux distro?
.

Memtest86 is deliberately trying to make it glitch, so it's more stressful than normal usage. If memtest is only barely able to produce a few errors, then you could probably run it for a long time without noticing a problem. But if you're having errors, something is probably wrong.

[gastorgrab]

Re: Is Memtest optimised for dual channel memory

What version are you using??

I checked and it says version 1.65, from http://www.memtest.org/.

It could be the version i'm running.

*** Enhancements in v1.70 : ***

New Features
Add new DMI polling feature
Add Support for Core/Core2 Solo/Duo/Quad CPU
Add Support for AMD K8 with DDR2 Memory
Add Support for Intel CPU with 192/384 KB L2 Cache
Add Support for FB-DIMM based memory (DMI)
Add Detection for ALI CyberAladdin-T (M1644)

Add Detection for Turion 64 X2
Add Support for ATi Radeon xPress 3200
Add Support for Intel i975X
Add Support for Intel Q965/P965
Add Support for Intel Q963/Q965
Bug Fixes
Force detection for AMD K8 with unknown chipsets

It's a nForce3 board.
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[Maxxarcade]

Re: Is Memtest optimised for dual channel memory

What is the difference between Memtest86 and Memtest86+? Memtest86 is up to version 3.3 now I think.

[PedroDaGr8]

Re: Is Memtest optimised for dual channel memory

Memtest86+ is a fork of the memtest tree. Basically, for a long time the developer of memtest86 stopped improving it. So some people took over development and released memtest86+. Now they typically are almost identical programs, with any releases in one being copied over to the other.

[beauty123]

Thank you all for this valuable thread!


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