# Computer problem: Bad RAM? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834 "2003-05-31T21:07:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/1 "2003-05-31T21:07:50Z")
My computer USED to run like a dream, several months ago when I first put it together. Now, it still loads up fast, and what little it does before glitching up runs well. However, it has a problem… anything that requires intense graphics and system resources - like _Morrowind_ and 3D Studio Max - crashes frequently. Recently, within five minutes. Furthermore, the computer has a habit of randomly restarting, even when there is NO program running. And, finally, Internet Explorer crashes VERY frequently. I have a SOYO Dragon Ultra P4X400 motherboard. After some [research](http://www.soyousa.com/kb/kbdesc.php?id=72), I found that there’s a small list of RAM modules that has been tested to be compatible with this motherboard. I do not have one of these RAM modules (it’s a 512 mb stick of PC-2700 RAM, by the way). I’m suspecting that my RAM is what’s causing these problems… does this seem possible? My current plan right now is to replace the RAM (pick up a stick of Kingston 512 mb PC-3200 RAM listed on the above page)… but if it turns out that the RAM isn’t the problem, I’d rather solve _that_ instead. What say you, fellow Dopers? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/2 "2003-05-31T21:12:39Z")
Could be RAM. Could also be a flaky power supply, virus activity, failing processor, processor overheating, corrupt system files and a dozen other less likely things. Overall, I’ll put my money on RAM, only because I’ve seen bad RAM cause things like this fairly often. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/3 "2003-05-31T21:40:14Z")
Another option might be the hard drive, as it’s pretty old (two and a half years) and it’s seen a lot of action (plenty of files have gone through it). Would an old hard drive cause these sorts of problems? I’m planning on replacing that, too, in the near future, by the way… ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/4 "2003-06-01T00:02:53Z")
To identify RAM problems, use [Memtest86](http://www.memtest86.com), a free, open source program that runs from a bootdisk. If it comes up with errors, first try backing off the timings in the BIOS. It may have a “Fail safe defaults” option for you to use. If that doesn’t fix it, the problem is likely the RAM (though, defective processors and motherboards CAN cause problems that manifest as memory errors). If the RAM doesn’t show as defective, then run a [Prime95](http://www.mersenne.org) torture test. This program will identify processor errors and notify you of any that occur. You should also check your temperatures, under 50C max load is normal for the CPU, low 30sC for the case temperature (aka system or motherboard temperature). If any of these are elevated, open the case, point a room fan in, and repeat testing to see if the problems have been reduced or have gone away. If these tests don’t show a cause, then it’s the motherboard. Hard drives can cause errors, but it will manifest as file corruption, NOT reboots or crashes. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/5 "2003-06-01T04:54:07Z")
Hmm… I don’t have a floppy drive in my computer (I’ve never needed one until now!) and I can’t figure out how to make it a bootable CD. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/6 "2003-06-01T05:32:30Z")
[Bootdisk.com](http://www.bootdisk.com) features instructions on how to make bootable CDs. Use the ISO from [memtest86.com](http://www.memtest86.com). ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/7 "2003-06-01T08:22:17Z")
Gee, I would’ve thought it obviously a video card problem. Though most video card problems I’ve had involved the system locking up. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/8 "2003-06-01T15:02:55Z")
" crashes frequently. Recently, within five minutes. Furthermore, the computer has a habit of randomly restarting" Sounds like heat, there have been several posts on heat issues. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/9 "2003-06-01T16:44:50Z")
Well, in an older computer I had bad RAM. It would crash out programs occasionally, especially _Master of Orion II_ whenever a video would start. It’s fairly easy to check for bad RAM, and fairly cheap to replace if needed. ---
**Author:** ![buckgully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/10 "2003-06-01T17:27:31Z")
SPOOFE, I had a Soyo Dragon (but not the same model, it was an SY-K7V) that had what sounds like a very similar problem. It would crash a lot, ususally while doing 3d intensive applications. Any time I’d change anything (remove or add PCI cards, swap memory around, etc) it would work again fine for a couple of days then start crashing again. After much hair pulling and gnashing of teeth it turned out that the mobo was doing weird things with assigning the IRQs on plug-n-play hardware, so that everything would wind up on the same IRQ. You might want to check the irq list by right clicking on my computer-\>hardware tab-\>Device Manger-\>View-\>Resources By Type-\>Interrupt Request (IRQ). I found that virtually everything would wind up on one IRQ, like 10-15 items on IRQ 17 and only standard things on the lower ones. If I set the bios to reserve 17, it would all move down a couple to 15, then 12, then 11, etc. I got so fed up with it that I replaced it with an Asus A7V mobo (that was the only thing I replaced) and it’s been fine ever since. It’s something to check, anyway. The RAM could also be the problem. It may have even been bad ram making my machine behave badly, though the ram works fine in the Asus board. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/11 "2003-06-01T20:03:42Z")
If it happens during the most strenuous times, my first guess would be heat. When a CPU gets too hot, it starts generating errors, which can lead to crashes. Grab [prime95](http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft.htm) and run the torture test. It double checks the work your CPU is doing, so if your CPU is generating errors at high stress, this would detect it. If this test fails at all, you have an unstable system most likely due to stress issues - although not absolutely certainly. ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/12 "2003-06-02T01:30:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE \* > \*\*Hmm… I don’t have a floppy drive in my computer (I’ve never needed one until now!) and I can’t figure out how to make it a bootable CD. Any ideas? \*\* [http://www.memtest86.com/memtest86-3.0.iso.zip](http://www.memtest86.com/memtest86-3.0.iso.zip) is the link for an ISO of a bootable form. ---
**Author:** ![hobbes730](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/97f17d/32.png) [@hobbes730](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobbes730)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/13 "2003-06-02T03:47:18Z")
I used to have a problem very similar to this linked to OpenGL. Half-life, 3D Studio, anything using OpenGL would crash within minutes. It’s happened on multiple computers running different video cards in the exact same manner, and no one I’ve met could tell me why. If you are able to switch to Direct3d or Software rendering, try that and see if it helps. If it does, then you’ve got a problem with your video card…good luck fixing it though 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/14 "2003-06-02T05:03:05Z")
I’d put bad RAM near the bottom of the list. I’d first check CPU overheating and corrupting OS. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/15 "2003-06-02T05:32:58Z")
> [@](#): > > SPOOFE, I had a Soyo Dragon (but not the same model, it was an SY-K7V) that had what sounds like a very similar problem. I considered that, but most reviews say that the Athlon (K7) version of the Dragon is buggy as hell, but that the P4 version is relatively solid. > [@](#): > > [http://www.memtest86.com/memtest86-3.0.iso.zip](http://www.memtest86.com/memtest86-3.0.iso.zip) is the link for an ISO of a bootable form. That’s what I’m talking about. Do I just throw the ISO onto a CD? The ISO along with the other program? I tried both options, and both times the CD just sat in the drive, doing nothing, during bootup. What’s the deal? ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/16 "2003-06-02T05:49:31Z")
Try opening the ISO in Nero and burning it. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/17 "2003-06-02T13:26:37Z")
Well, aside from running a diagnostic (“Proceed Mr. Data.” “Aye aye Captain Picard”), the easiest way to check your memory is to swap it out with some borrowed from a friend for the day, and see if things work better then. It’s much easier to test swap memory than anything else on your system, since you don’t need to adjust any settings at all, just turn it off, take out your current sticks, put some known working ones in, and turn back on. If you put it together yourself you know how to avoid static electricity problems, etc. That said, I would also check the processor’s temperature (you should be able to find a diagnostic for that on the web; I have one but it’s for a different chipset), which could be causing this kind of lock-ups. It’s also possible\* Windows is screwed up, and if the memory and heat are OK, try reinstalling it. I assume you haven’t added any hardware or low-level software right before the problems started, right? - if you’re running anything earlier than WinXP, then “possible” is used here in the sense of “it’s possible the Pope is Catholic” However it still may not be what’s causing problems. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-bad-ram/178834/18 "2003-06-02T15:42:23Z")
[download.com](http://download.com) has all sorts of programs you can download to test anything on your computer. One called ‘Sandra’ seems to do quite a bit.