How long do you wait to see if RAM caused a kernel panic?

[quagmire]

So last night my iMac kernel panic'd 2 times in short order. Hoping it is caused by the RAM going bad, I removed the two 8 GB sticks from Crucial. Up to 6 PM tonight, the computer ran fine with no issues with the original 2x8 GB sticks from Apple. I put in one of the Crucial sticks( so a total of 24 GB currently) and so far again no issues. Probably tomorrow( or tonight before going to bed) I will swap the Crucial sticks to see if the other one is the bad one.

Though usually how long do you go to see if RAM is causing the issue? Or should it cause a kernel panic pretty quickly if it is indeed bad RAM?

 

[h9826790]

You may run Apple Hardware Test to test your RAM, rather than just wait under OSX.

Also, did you check your console to see what cause the kernel panic?

 

[quagmire]

Well I installed the other Crucial stick last night before going to bed. Before leaving my place, turned the computer back on. Just came back and it had another kernel panic. So I think one of the Crucial sticks is bad.

EDIT: The diagnostics test also confirmed it was bad RAM. Going to remove the Crucial RAM and do the test again just to confirm it is the bad stick.

 

[scaredpoet]

I've had some recent bad luck with defective RAM from Crucial too, causing the issues you have. Not sure what's going on there, they used to be really high quality but something seems to have changed as of late.

In any case, it definitely sounds like a bad stick. Crucial should cover you under their lifetime warranty though.

 

[quagmire]

Yeah definitely a bad stick of RAM from Crucial. Diagnostics test passed with just the original 2x 8 GB sticks from Apple and passed with the other stick from Crucial in the computer as well ( which I had installed in the same slot so it rules out a bad memory slot vs the stick).

 

[jg321]

So last night my iMac kernel panic'd 2 times in short order. Hoping it is caused by the RAM going bad, I removed the two 8 GB sticks from Crucial.

Just out of curiosity, how long has it been running OK with the Crucial sticks in? Days/Weeks/Months?

 

[quagmire]

Just out of curiosity, how long has it been running OK with the Crucial sticks in? Days/Weeks/Months?

Installed the RAM on June 3rd. Ran fine until Tuesday.

 

[jg321]

Installed the RAM on June 3rd. Ran fine until Tuesday.

Thanks for getting back! Yes that makes sense then. I've never seen RAM "go bad", but seen lots of it faulty from the start. For whatever reason yours was OK for a month or so, but I'd still class it as an early life failure.

Hope you get sorted soon!

 

[quagmire]

Thanks for getting back! Yes that makes sense then. I've never seen RAM "go bad", but seen lots of it faulty from the start. For whatever reason yours was OK for a month or so, but I'd still class it as an early life failure.

Hope you get sorted soon!

Already requested for a replacement from Crucial. Just need to ship the bad stick back and then they will get the replacement out.