# What's the longest you've let Memtest86+ run for?



## mastrdrver (Feb 3, 2011)

Because I've been wanting to do this for a while I started a little after zero hundred dark on Monday morning and I've left one of my systems just looking for almost 3 days now. Nothing special just a X2 245 with 2x1GB DDR2 800mhz sticks. Flipped the little switch to bump the bclk to 220 and left the timings alone. No errors so far.

I know its a little on the pointless side but I've never seen or read anywhere anyone running Memtest86+ for days. I know its not multithreaded so there is only so much to test but I became interested after reading this:

Link


> Interesting while reading up on memtest86 I found something i didn't catch before, the description of test #4 http://memtest86.com/#details - now in v1.40 it's changed to test #6
> 
> _Test 4 [Moving inv, 32 bit pat, cached]
> This is a variation of the moving inversions algorithm that shifts the data pattern left one bit for each successive address. The starting bit position is shifted left for each pass. To use all possible data patterns 32 passes are required. This test is effective in detecting data sensitive errors in "wide" memory chips._​
> ...



So for 2GB I would need 256 passes correct? Well, just under 3 days and I'm about to complete 150. 



update: see post 26


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## scaminatrix (Feb 3, 2011)

Gawd damn!!
I usually run it for as long as I would usually run my rig. I run my rig for about 16 hours a day, so I'd memtest for 16 hours. But, I don't see any point in memtesting for 16 hours on my front room rig, as it's only turned on for 4 hours a day.


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## micropage7 (Feb 3, 2011)

im too lazy to run the test for hours, the longest is just about 2 hours


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## mastrdrver (Feb 3, 2011)

Well like I said, I was curious. When that happens it just a matter of time.

I leave my system on all the time. About a week is pretty normal for me before a reboot or shutting down because I'm going home over the weekend (2 hour drive).


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## mlee49 (Feb 3, 2011)

Meh I ran for 1 minute and found out that one stick was flaring errors, no need to run a minute longer.


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## n-ster (Feb 3, 2011)

28 mins was the longest I ran it


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Feb 3, 2011)

I don't go by time, I go by passes. I like to have 10 done to call it reasonably stable.


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## Steevo (Feb 3, 2011)

I let it run on my old memory for a few days while I was gone camping.

Other than a basic pass test I have found SuperPI, OCCT, and F@H to be much better at finding those occasional issues that pop up from stability problems.


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Feb 3, 2011)

My reasoning has always been to use memtest to identify if the issue is the memory or the imc. If the memory itself passes then I can use OCCT large data set to test the imc portion.


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## exodusprime1337 (Feb 3, 2011)

i went on vacation last year and left a kit off ddr2 1150 at 1250 5,5,5,10 running for close to 2 weeks!!! oops lol.. passed just fine, ram died 2 weeks later.. was a killer feat though.


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## JrRacinFan (Feb 3, 2011)

Umm guys ... Memtest? What the flock is that?! 


jk

On a serious note, 7 passes, with me being superstitious and all. There is also such a thing as too much stress testing.


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## Solaris17 (Feb 3, 2011)

JrRacinFan said:


> Umm guys ... Memtest? What the flock is that?!
> 
> 
> jk
> ...



officer the impostor is right here.


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## JrRacinFan (Feb 3, 2011)

Solaris17 said:


> officer the impostor is right here.



Now wait hear me out before you "judge" me... (pun intended )

What i am saying is, why waste your time stress testing for more than 1-3hours when you know it's going to be stable past that? I'm talking an even amount up to 1.5Hrs of Prime95+Linpack each.


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## Solaris17 (Feb 3, 2011)

JrRacinFan said:


> Now wait hear me out before you "judge" me... (pun intended )
> 
> What i am saying is, why waste your time stress testing for more than 1-3hours when you know it's going to be stable past that? I'm talking an even amount up to 1.5Hrs of Prime95+Linpack each.



because i stress test new hardware to the max the second i buy it to break it in so when im touching the parts later i dont feel like a criminal. wait what?


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## mastrdrver (Feb 3, 2011)

Really JR. I'm disappointed. What if CP was around?



Solaris17 said:


> because i stress test new hardware to the max the second i buy it to break it in so when im touching the parts later i dont feel like a criminal. wait what?



Don't talk to him man. I think he's the cop. Play it cool. 



On a more serious note......I had a X2 245, MSI 785GTM-E45, and 2GB of DDR2 that all needed testing so I thought I'd get it done all at once plus see if anything really happens if you leave memtest86+ for a few days.

Fwiw I did break my Scythe Slim 120mm 1600 rpm fan. Was going to see how long that lasted mounted on the top of a TT V3 case. Didn't last long. Ended up pulling 2 of the 3 wires out of the connector for the fan trying to disconnect it..............next thing I know it broke itself on the wall. Don't know how that happened......... :shadedshu

Good news is that memtest86+ is still running errorless.


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## JrRacinFan (Feb 3, 2011)

mastrdrver said:


> Really JR. I'm disappointed. What if CP was around?



He would just LOL and be like "Step away from the PC, let me show you how it's done" Some of us good overclockers don't need to stress test much, we can just tell muahahahah


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## micropage7 (Feb 3, 2011)

exodusprime1337 said:


> i went on vacation last year and left a kit off ddr2 1150 at 1250 5,5,5,10 running for close to 2 weeks!!! oops lol.. passed just fine, ram died 2 weeks later..


your ram must be extremely exhausted and got starvation after that


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## Solaris17 (Feb 3, 2011)

JrRacinFan said:


> He would just LOL and be like "Step away from the PC, let me show you how it's done" Some of us good overclockers don't need to stress test much, we can just tell muahahahah



oh boy someone just challenged.


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## DOM (Feb 3, 2011)

Never


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## JrRacinFan (Feb 3, 2011)

Solaris17 said:


> oh boy someone just challenged.



You know I'z jus playin wiff j00....

Back on topic. Really there are some things alot of times you can just tell are stable.


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## erixx (Feb 3, 2011)

hahaha What's the longest? Waiting for the What's the longest of many other things threads? hahaha


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## mastrdrver (Feb 3, 2011)

JrRacinFan said:


> He would just LOL and be like "Step away from the PC, let me show you how it's done" Some of us good overclockers don't need to stress test much, we can just tell muahahahah





Really though I just wanted to let it run for a while. Not necessarily for stress testing most just because of the quote in my first post got me curious to see "what's out there".


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## cadaveca (Feb 3, 2011)

Now you understand why I said about 9.5 hours?





Unfortunately, this isn't really anything new.


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## mastrdrver (Apr 14, 2011)

Can't believe I forgot to post the picture.


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## toastem2004 (Apr 14, 2011)

Well, in our shop we ran memtest till it crashed (sorta). We ran it over night on a system, came back in morn and it had recorded some 800,000 errors. Just to see what would happen, we left it alone till the magic 1 million mark. At that point the program froze and would not respond. hard reset was required.


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## mastrdrver (Apr 14, 2011)

Maybe a x86 error limit


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## freaksavior (Apr 14, 2011)

I've ran it for a full day, monitor blacked out and I forgot it was running, came home from work with it still going.


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## Derek12 (Apr 14, 2011)

Is it necessary to run it for such long time? I run it normally 2-3 passes (2 hours + or -)


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## Arrakis9 (Apr 14, 2011)

toastem2004 said:


> Well, in our shop we ran memtest till it crashed (sorta). We ran it over night on a system, came back in morn and it had recorded some 800,000 errors. Just to see what would happen, we left it alone till the magic 1 million mark. At that point the program froze and would not respond. hard reset was required.



there was that time when the memory was so bad that it produced 1 million errors in about 15 seconds and the entire program tuned funny shades of green and pink with bars and tiles flashing everywhere until everything froze and then the screen just went black.


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## freaksavior (Apr 14, 2011)

Derek12 said:


> Is it necessary to run it for such long time? I run it normally 2-3 passes (2 hours + or -)



No, it is not necessary to run it that long. Usually 2-3 hours is plenty.


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## PaulieG (Apr 14, 2011)

LAN_deRf_HA said:


> I don't go by time, I go by passes. I like to have 10 done to call it reasonably stable.



This. Never found a reason to run it longer than this. Memtest86+ is good at picking up on error within the first few passes. Never had a memory error if it passes 10 without a problem.


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## v12dock (Apr 14, 2011)

At work I ran it for 5 days. I forgot I was running it on the computer


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