Is my ram bad? (error on Passmark)

[YellowJersey]

I just bought bought new ram for my PC and decided to run it through Passmark. 45 minutes in, I got an error. Does this mean I should return it? It's still running, but so far it's only one error. What should I do?

[RONOTHAN##]

If RAM has any errors, it's faulty.

 

I'd RMA it. 

[YellowJersey]

Just now, RONOTHAN## said:

If RAM has any errors, it's faulty.

 

I'd RMA it. 

Thanks! I just exchanged it since the last kit I bought was bad. I think I'll go for a different brand this time.

[Pixelfie]

Just now, RONOTHAN## said:

If RAM has any errors, it's faulty.

 

I'd RMA it. 

Could try some stuff before RMA. 

Sometimes a BIOS update can help. If that doesn't help and the RAM is in the correct slots (usually A2 and B2), it's time to RMA.

[Pixelfie]

1 minute ago, YellowJersey said:

Thanks! I just exchanged it since the last kit I bought was bad. I think I'll go for a different brand this time.

Corsair + Ryzen by any chance?

[YellowJersey]

38 minutes ago, Pixelfie said:

Could try some stuff before RMA. 

Sometimes a BIOS update can help. If that doesn't help and the RAM is in the correct slots (usually A2 and B2), it's time to RMA.

What would you suggest I do? This is all a bit new to me. (I did double check to make sure everything was in the right slot)

**Edit: Sorry! I initially read that as meaning tinkering with the bios can help. Derp. I did update the bios, though.

37 minutes ago, Pixelfie said:

Corsair + Ryzen by any chance?

Corsair + 6700k. This is the kit I got (I've gone through two of these now) https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX00115488

[NF-A12x25]

6 minutes ago, YellowJersey said:

Corsair + 6700k. This is the kit I got (I've gone through two of these now) https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX00115488

it might not be the ram, just that the ram isn’t on the QVL for ur mobo. Check your mobo’s QVL and buy the cheapest decent speed kit on there.

[YellowJersey]

@RONOTHAN## @NF-A12x25 @Pixelfie  Should I run Passmark once with XMP off and once with it on? Or does it matter?

[RONOTHAN##]

26 minutes ago, YellowJersey said:

@RONOTHAN## @NF-A12x25 @Pixelfie  Should I run Passmark once with XMP off and once with it on? Or does it matter?

it wouldn't hurt to run once with and once without. It's possible that if you're using a 6700K you've got one with a terrible memory controller (it was first gen memory controllers, weren't particularly amazing, though all the ones I've checked did do 3200MT/s), so running it with XMP off will let it work, yet running it will is putting too much stress on the memory controller so it's failing, though I would be a little surprised if that was, in fact, the case. 

[YellowJersey]

7 hours ago, RONOTHAN## said:

it wouldn't hurt to run once with and once without. It's possible that if you're using a 6700K you've got one with a terrible memory controller (it was first gen memory controllers, weren't particularly amazing, though all the ones I've checked did do 3200MT/s), so running it with XMP off will let it work, yet running it will is putting too much stress on the memory controller so it's failing, though I would be a little surprised if that was, in fact, the case. 

I ran the new ram (went with Crucial this time instead of Corsair) with XMP off and it passed, but it failed when XMP was on. Taking your memory controller point into account, I enabled XMP but manually underclocked it to 3100 instead of 3200. I'm currently running Passmark again to see if that takes enough stress off the memory controller. I think the likelihood of getting three bad ram kits in a row from two different manufacturers is a bit unlikely. I also noticed in the BIOS an "extra stability" mode for the ram. Do you think that would help? I'll report my findings when Passmark finishes. *fingers crossed*

[RONOTHAN##]

4 minutes ago, YellowJersey said:

I also noticed in the BIOS an "extra stability" mode for the ram. Do you think that would help?

Yes and no. It'll probably help get it to pass, but settings like that tend to just set the subtimings to crazy loose setting, so it'll likely hurt performance more than if you'd just left it off and downclocked the memory. 

[mariushm]

You should make a bootable usb stick with memtest and test it like that. 

[YellowJersey]

52 minutes ago, RONOTHAN## said:

Yes and no. It'll probably help get it to pass, but settings like that tend to just set the subtimings to crazy loose setting, so it'll likely hurt performance more than if you'd just left it off and downclocked the memory. 

Noted. Halfway through Passmark with two of four passes cleared! Previously, the error I got was on pass number two. So I might be onto something by tuning my memory down a tad.

40 minutes ago, mariushm said:

You should make a bootable usb stick with memtest and test it like that. 

 Passmark is on a bootable USB stick.

[RONOTHAN##]

39 minutes ago, YellowJersey said:

Noted. Halfway through Passmark with two of four passes cleared! Previously, the error I got was on pass number two. So I might be onto something by tuning my memory down a tad.

Yeah, it sounds like either your motherboard or memory controller just couldn't do 3200MT/s. It happens on some of the earlier chips and boards. 

 

Good luck for the second half of the test though. 

[YellowJersey]

12 hours ago, RONOTHAN## said:

Yeah, it sounds like either your motherboard or memory controller just couldn't do 3200MT/s. It happens on some of the earlier chips and boards. 

 

Good luck for the second half of the test though. 

Success! Woke up this afternoon morning to a passed Passmark test. One step closer to getting this rig up and running!