RE: [gentoo-user] Dodgy hardware?!?!

["Nelson, David \(ED, PAR&D\)" <David.Nelson2@astrazeneca.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hans-Werner Hilse [mailto:hilse@web.de]
> Sent: 01 February 2007 13:05
> To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org
> Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Dodgy hardware?!?!
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> On Wed, 31 Jan 2007 06:34:01 -0600 Dan Farrell 
> <dan@spore.ath.cx> wrote:
> 
> > On Wed, 31 Jan 2007 23:27:10 +1100
> > Dave Oxley <dave@daveoxley.co.uk> wrote:
> > 
> > > Is there a way of testing the RAM? 
> > 
> > a great way, yes, and it's provided on the gentoo boot cds, even the
> > minimal.  at the isolinux (boot:) prompt, just type memtest-86 and
> > patiently await the completion of just one test.  
> 
> But always remember that, given the hypothesis that the RAM is working
> OK, all memtest can do is to _negate_ this hypothesis. It can never
> verify that hypothesis.
> 
> So it's always worth to start memtest -- after all, it might fail and
> you know for sure that RAM is bad (or memory timing or whatever, but
> it's faulty hardware then). But if it doesn't fail that doesn't mean
> that RAM is alright!
> 
> -hwh
> -- 
> gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list


I would also note that leaving it for a few hours is generally recommended. I have used memtest86 to identify a few bad sticks of ram and all have shown errors within the first few tests, but it cant hurt to run it a little longer.

In addition - if you have multiple DIMMs and find one is bad, run memtest again after removing the faulty DIMM to make sure the others are fine.

As for the graphics card in the system in question - check that the cooling fan is working correctly. I had some awful artifacting in Linux on a card a year or so ago when the GPU fan snuffed it and the GPU was overheating (the heatsink was hot to the touch such that you couldn't hold a finger on it for long!).

--
djn

Disclaimer: I represent no-one else in my emails to this list. Use any advice given at your own risk.

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