Question About MEMTEST86+ 4.02 Memory Ranges

N4hmr · 10 Aug 2015

Hello -

I recently bought 30 Kingston KTD-DM8400C6/2G DIMMs (used), and am testing them using MEMTEST86+ V4.20 from Hirens HBCD V15.2 download CD. I am using a Dell 755 SFF with 4 DIMM slots, testing 8Gb at a
pass. Takes about an hour & fifteen minutes for each pass.

I have never tested 8Gb at once before, and noted something curious. In processing the tests, there
are five memory ranges presented, as follows:
1. 184K - 2048M 8051M (2047.816M ttl)
2. 2048M - 3061M 8051M (1013M ttl)
3. 4096M - 6144M 8051M (2048M ttl)
4. 6144M - 8192M 8051M (2048M ttl)
5. 8192M - 9088M 8051M ( 896M ttl)

Questions:

1. I assume that 0K - 184K is where the program is loaded, hence unmovable?

2. What is the significance of the 8051M number?

3. Why does Range 2 stop at 3061M, which yields only a 1013M span?

4. What is Range 5 all about? Is there memory beyond 8192M (apparently)?

At first I thought that adding the spans of Ranges 2 and 5 might produce a 2048 number but it
doesn't - only adds up to 1909M.

5. So, is there a gap in memory with Range 2 that is NOT being tested - 1035M?

6. I tried to run the 'Windows Memory Diagnostic' test on the 15.2 CD, but it hollered about the
total of 8Gb memory - said it's Momma wouldn't let it play with anything bigger than 4Gb, so I
didn't get to watch the spinning bars.

I did run the Memory Diagnostics in Win7 (MUCH shorter test time than Memtest86), and the DIMMs passed (finally got the Task Bar popup message after logging back in), but you don't get a movie while it's working, so I reckon you just have to take their word for it that they passed.

Pls adv. Thx

Fred

ICIT2LOL · 11 Aug 2015

Hello Fred mate the Windows memory test is just not worth a flicker to be honest and I am not sure what you are worried about with those sticks.

All you need to worry about is that there are no errors come back see my pics.
I do it like this

MEMTEST

Thememtest you will need to make a bootable disk / stick and set the BIOS to bootfrom the optical or USBand it will take a fair time to run- some leave itovernight.

Thisis the current version http://www.memtest.org/ pleaseuse this as any other test is useless - the Windows one sadly is not worth evena thought about.

Sofor example if you have say 4 slots and 2 sticks and get errors you need totest #1 stick in #1 slot if no errors then move on to test #2 stick in #1 slot.That would mean to me the problem lies within a slot because no errors witheither stick have thrown errors.

Then you move on to #1 stick in slot#2 no errors then stick #2in slot#2 noerrors - repeat the process in slots #3 and then #4 with both sticks until theerrors come up. Running each for 8 passes as you can imagine is very tediousand will test your patience.

But it has to be done simply because if the errors do not come with eitherstick in slot #1 then as I said it points to a faulty slot.

Having said that this does not happen very often it is usually the sticks thatare at fault.

Butone thing is very important you must let the test run for at least 8 passes any less and thefindings are no good. Now if errors come up straight away then you can stop it- see my pics. With more than two sticks the process is even longer as one mayrealize.

Itis a very lengthy and tedious process but worth it if you have errors.