oh no, new memory sticks fail memtest86 tests,...BUT..

[matt]

I paid $200 for a 3 yr old Dell XPS which has 3 GHz cpu,
1 gig memory, and also a very nice video card plus other extras.
It was blue screening every now and then and a memtest showed
up errors (always in test #6 which is the Moving inversions,
32 bit pattern test).

I thought it was almost surely one of the two 512 MB sticks
so I ordered two new 512 MB sticks from Crucial. They came
today and I ran the Memtest86 v1.55 test and now I am seeing
the same test #6 Moving inversions, 32 bit pattern test with
errors. (After 6 hours and 31 minutes, I have 29 errors.)

So what does this mean??? Did Crucial send me a bad stick (or
two),...OR much worse, is there a problem with CPU and or
main board?????????????

Thanks for any help, ideas, suggestions.

 

[Guest]

I paid $200 for a 3 yr old Dell XPS which has 3 GHz cpu,
1 gig memory, and also a very nice video card plus other extras.
It was blue screening every now and then and a memtest showed
up errors (always in test #6 which is the Moving inversions,
32 bit pattern test).

I thought it was almost surely one of the two 512 MB sticks
so I ordered two new 512 MB sticks from Crucial. They came
today and I ran the Memtest86 v1.55 test and now I am seeing
the same test #6 Moving inversions, 32 bit pattern test with
errors. (After 6 hours and 31 minutes, I have 29 errors.)

Measure all voltages with a meter (any digital one is accurate enough),
including CPU core and memory (the latter 2 are not in obvious
locations). Crucial tends to ship good memory, and the most common
problem I've seen with it is wrong SPD information when they use
non-Micron chips.

 

[Charlie Wilkes]

I paid $200 for a 3 yr old Dell XPS which has 3 GHz cpu,
1 gig memory, and also a very nice video card plus other extras.
It was blue screening every now and then and a memtest showed
up errors (always in test #6 which is the Moving inversions,
32 bit pattern test).

I thought it was almost surely one of the two 512 MB sticks
so I ordered two new 512 MB sticks from Crucial. They came
today and I ran the Memtest86 v1.55 test and now I am seeing
the same test #6 Moving inversions, 32 bit pattern test with
errors. (After 6 hours and 31 minutes, I have 29 errors.)

So what does this mean??? Did Crucial send me a bad stick (or
two),...OR much worse, is there a problem with CPU and or
main board?????????????

Thanks for any help, ideas, suggestions.

I'll bet it's a glitch in the system bus. Memtest is a harsh test.
Try running all the software and games you want to use and see if you
have any problems. You got a pretty good deal, but if you start
upgrading to pass the memtest, you might turn it into a bad deal.

Charlie

 

[JAD]

put the memory timings to boot default
check the voltage on the memory supply rail

 

[matt]

put the memory timings to boot default
check the voltage on the memory supply rail

Not sure I understand "put the memory timings to boot
default" Is that in the setup of this early vintage
xps??

I can't access it at the moment but will more thoroughly
look at setup tomorrow.

Do you know where I access the memory supply rail voltage
on this mobo?

Thanks!!

 

[JAD]

in the bios for both

if there is a hardware monitor it should be looking at the voltage outputs
of the PSU


at the bottom of the setup screen there should be a setting for ' load safe
boot defaults' or something similar.

 

[matt]

put the memory timings to boot default
check the voltage on the memory supply rail

how do I put the memory timings to boot default?

Thanks!!

 

[matt]

I'll bet it's a glitch in the system bus. Memtest is a harsh test.
Try running all the software and games you want to use and see if you
have any problems. You got a pretty good deal, but if you start
upgrading to pass the memtest, you might turn it into a bad deal.

Another test Gold memory showed up even more errors.

Thanks

 

[JAD]

try and pull the memory and clean the contacts (taking ESD precautions) with
....well WD40(automatic tranny fluid?) if you have nothing else. set timing
to boot defaults (or whatever the nomencature is in your version of bios)
and stop OC'n.

 

[matt]

I paid $200 for a 3 yr old Dell XPS which has 3 GHz cpu,
1 gig memory, and also a very nice video card plus other extras.
It was blue screening every now and then and a memtest showed
up errors (always in test #6 which is the Moving inversions,
32 bit pattern test).

I thought it was almost surely one of the two 512 MB sticks
so I ordered two new 512 MB sticks from Crucial. They came
today and I ran the Memtest86 v1.55 test and now I am seeing
the same test #6 Moving inversions, 32 bit pattern test with
errors. (After 6 hours and 31 minutes, I have 29 errors.)

So what does this mean??? Did Crucial send me a bad stick (or
two),...OR much worse, is there a problem with CPU and or
main board?????????????

Thanks for any help, ideas, suggestions.

In setup (bios A03), in memory information section, I adjusted AGP aperture
from 256 MB
to 128 MB and saw improvement but still blue screened. I adjusted to 64 MB
and no blue
screen on start.

Now for another memtest. I'll let you know but at least the blue screens
are gone!!!!

 

[matt]

DARN IT. I spoke too fast!!! It could be the power supply. I had a
substitute power supply
in place. It did not make the blue screens go away so I assumed the power
wasn't at fault. But
when I changed the AGP aperture in setup and got a few good starts and no
blue screens, I
figured that was the problem so I removed the substitute ps and reconnected
the old ps. Now I
have to go back and put the substitute ps back in and check it more
thoroughly.
Rats!

 

[Guest]

Another test Gold memory showed up even more errors.

It usually does. The memory is likely either bad or incompatible with
your system.