okay to stop running memtest?

[lezardsouffle]

Specs:

2x CORSAIR high performance Vengeance memory module 12GB ( 3 x 4GB ) 1600MHz 9-9-9-24, CL9, 1.5V for motherboards using Intel triple channel processors. [Total: 6 x 4GB sticks = 24GB]

Intel® Core™ i7 980 Processor (6x 3.33GHz/12MB L3 Cache)

ASUS Sabertooth X58

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional - 64-bit

I've been getting the BSOD about once a week for the last 18 months. Finally a friend suggested testing my RAM with memtest86. It's been running (version 4.3.7) for 23 hours and I assume since it's reporting data for all ten tests, that it must be running multiple passes of each test, but I don't know how many are done or left. (I didn't change the default settings.) What do these mean?

Pass 42%
Test 92%
Test #7

Secondly, given that every test except #0 shows errors, I think it's clear I have a problem. Will letting the test run all the way to the end tell me any more than the numbers below, or should I stop and start running memtest on individual sticks to find which of the six is bad? Is there a chance it's more than one?

Test 0 Errors 0
Test 1 Errors 829
Test 2 Errors 833
Test 3 Errors 14812
Test 4 Errors 54791
Test 5 Errors 41367
Test 6 Errors 3869
Test 7 Errors 65535+
Test 8 Errors 16895
Test 9 Errors 4203
Test 10 Errors 1063

Thanks.

[David (PassMark)]

I think it's clear I have a problem

Very clear.

There is no point continuing to run the software after the first few errors. You might learn if the situation is just very bad, or if it is extremely bad. But generally degrees of badness don't matter.

It is likely 1 stick is bad. But it can be the case that multiple sticks appear bad if there is some incompatibility issue (or the problem if with the CPU and not the RAM).

[lezardsouffle]

It is likely 1 stick is bad. But it can be the case that multiple sticks appear bad if there is some incompatibility issue (or the problem if with the CPU and not the RAM).

What is the best way to identify the bad stick(s)? Should I remove all but one and run memtest on each stick individually? Any benefit to testing in pairs or batches? Does each stick need to be tested in its current slot, or does it matter? How many passes should I run? Does any error on any test indicate a bad stick, or is the threshold higher than that? Should I expect similar errors to those I got when I ran memtest on all 6 sticks at once?

Thanks.

[David (PassMark)]

See this page to start with
http://www.memtest86.com/troubleshooting.htm
It should answer most questions.

[lezardsouffle]

See this page to start with
http://www.memtest86.com/troubleshooting.htm
It should answer most questions.

The cited page seems to recommend isolating failing modules by removing one at a time and looking for a good test, rather than testing one at a time and looking for a bad test.

But I thought my x58 motherboard featured "triple channel" RAM, which meant I had to install the sticks in sets of three. If I only remove one (leaving 5), is that a problem?

[David (PassMark)]

You have to use your brain as well
If your motherboard doesn't support running with 5 or the 6 sticks, then clearly it doesn't make sense to do that.

With 6 six sticks and a tri-channel board it probably makes sense to test 3 at a time.

[lezardsouffle]

Okay. It turns out the original RAM sticks that came with my system were 12Gb (3x4Gb) G.Skill F3-12800CL9S-4GBNT PC3-12800 1600MHz 4GB XMP Value 240pin DIMM Desktop DDR3 Memory. Then I added the additional 12Gb (3x4Gb) Corsair Vengeance.

The G.Skill sticks were in the A1, B2 and C1 DIMM slots; the Corsair sticks were in A2, B2 and C2 per the instructions in the x58 manual. I removed the Corsair sticks and ran memtest on the G.Skill sticks -- no errors. Then I removed the G.Skill sticks and put the Corsair sticks in their places (A1, B1, C1) -- again, no errors.

So I got on the websites for the motherboard manufacturer (Asus) and the RAM makers, trying to verify compatibility. I couldn't find either of my RAM stick sets listed, but then again, there didn't seem to be *any* 12Gb (3x4Gb) sets listed, so then I thought I wasn't looking things up correctly.

Now I don't know what to do next. The x58 manual does show a configuration for four sticks, so I could test the 3 G.Skill with one Corsair, or 3 Corsair with one G.Skill. Would that indicate compatibility issues? Could it be a problem with one of the "2" slots? If so, how would I test that when the x58 manual says there always has to be a stick in a "1" slot to boot?

Any guidance would be appreciated.

[David (PassMark)]

The RAM compatibility lists produced by most motherboard manufacturers are often incomplete and out of date.

Maybe you have a bad slot. If both sets of sticks tested OK in slots A1, B1, C1, then the next thing to do is test but sets again in the other slots, A2, B2 and C2. Or maybe the reseating of the sticks fixed the problem.

[orioon]

You're CPU is not suitable for that, try to lower the frequency.
It was rated for 1066memory speed, it's nearly 3 years old already.
http://ark.intel.com/products/58664/...-GTs-Intel-QPI

The memory controllers can indeed handle a lot more than Intel specs them for, but you're just pushing it way too much for that configuration!
It at all, you should ask for help in a good overclocking forum, they should be able to help you out.