Bad RAM again?

[ndriver182]

I've had my Mini for about a year and I've been running OWC RAM since say 1 (2x 2gig). Just before Summer I started getting the gray screen of death periodically when I'd boot up the Mini and would have to take several tries until it would boot up. I put the stock RAM back in and it worked fine again so I RMA'd the RAM back to OWC and they sent me a new set. All was well until yesterday. The same thing happened to me for the first time in ages and it took me three hard resets today when I got home from work to even get it running. I have a bad feeling the same thing is happening all over. Is there anything I can do to examine the RAM (software tests, etc.)? I've been running OWC memory in my Macbook Pro for probably almost 2 years without problems so I don't know if I'm just unlucky or what...

If anybody thinks it could be something other than RAM I'm all ears.

 

[madog]

With the third party RAM installed, go to the Apple Menu and check About this Mac and see how much RAM the system recognizes.

As far as I know, the last Mac Mini only supported 3gb of RAM.

If that is true, then (I have no idea if this theory is correct) perhaps once your RAM is used up on the machine and the chip inside attempts to finally address that 4th gb, it crashes because the board isn't capable of that. Otherwise, because there is that 4th gb it simply refuses to boot up at all and is what is causing all your issues.

Also, when switching/adding RAM to the machine (or any internal hardware) always reset the PRAM by holding:

command-option-P-R

once the machine is powered on or restarted, and HOLD those keys down until you hear the third chime.