How to test and safely keep using your RAM

How to test and safely keep using your janky RAM without compromising stability using memtest86+ and the memmap kernel param.

  • linuxgator@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
    24·
    2 days ago

    First rule in computer building is to always buy twice as much RAM as you actually need so you can just remove the bad stick when this happens

    • muusemuuse@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      2·
      1 day ago

      Second rule of computer building is just keep the receipt until after it passes 40 minutes of memtest. Third rule is to ignore rule one, nobody does that.

    • kumi@feddit.onlineOPEnglish
      3·
      2 days ago

      I always heard the first rule as “stay grounded”. Having 1TB of RAM on stock just in case sounds not grounded.

      A spare kit or two should be enough for most folks. With one or two spares of everything else so you can test suspicious parts separate from prod.

      A bit of redundancy and foresight is good but no need to be excessive about it.

        • kumi@feddit.onlineOPEnglish
          2·
          1 day ago

          OK, so let’s cut it down and say we have 4 PCs for someone with a family and home server, each with 4 DIMMs each.

          You are saying the first rule of PC building says that this house should have at least 16 unused DIMMs on the shelf. I’d say 2-4 is reasonable if they are all compatible.

          “Buy two extra of everything” is a good rule and scales for the individual. “Buy double of everything” is not.