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How to test new RAM?

ohla313

ohla313

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 24, 2010
778
0
My Crucial 8GB RAM came in the mail today and I am eager to install it but am not sure how I should go about testing the RAM? What is the process in doing so?

Thanks!
 
Install it. Turn on you Mac. Does it boot? First test passed. Go to Activity Monitor and see how much is registering on the Memory tab.
 
ohla313 said:
My Crucial 8GB RAM came in the mail today and I am eager to install it but am not sure how I should go about testing the RAM? What is the process in doing so?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

If the memory is really bad your MBP will either not see it or you will experience crashes, KPs, and other bizarre issues.

To really test the memory you can try some suggestions here.
 
Great! thanks guys! I was worried cuz I looked at the link you posted and it was telling to try memtest86? But I will jut install and see instead.
 
memtest86 is an excellent tool which comes on a cut down linux iso which you burn to disc and then boot. It then proceeds to hammer you RAM, testing for errors.
 
This is weird....after I installed the new RAM it still shows 4GB RAM. What did I do wrong??
 
^perfect! that was it. I re-seated them and it is now showing 8GB of RAM on my system. But another problem arose...

For some reason I lost 4GB of hard drive space after this install.. What caused this??
 
Last edited:
The best way to test memory is to use Apple Hardware Test disc comes with the computer. Choose extended test to do a full memory test.
 
ohla313 said:
^perfect! that was it. I re-seated them and it is now showing 8GB of RAM on my system. But another problem arose...

For some reason I lost 4GB of hard drive space after this install.. What caused this??
Click to expand...

you lost hard drive space because osx stores image of the ram on the hard disk every time it goes to sleep. Since the physical ram went from 4GB to 8GB, the sleep image had to do the same.
 
riptideMBP said:
you lost hard drive space because osx stores image of the ram on the hard disk every time it goes to sleep. Since the physical ram went from 4GB to 8GB, the sleep image had to do the same.
Click to expand...

oh so this is completely normal? I never knew that before. Thank you!
 
jim2008 said:
The best way to test memory is to use Apple Hardware Test disc comes with the computer. Choose extended test to do a full memory test.
Click to expand...

And if you hit the "L" key you can enable looping in Apple Hardware Test
 
so this is on the Snow Leopard install disc that came with my Mac?
 
ohla313 said:
so this is on the Snow Leopard install disc that came with my Mac?
Click to expand...

Boot the DVD in your drive and start up holding the "D" key.

Yes, D, as in Diagnostics. Not C.



Alternatively, you could try just holding down D on startup without any disc in your drive. I believe some macs have the hardware test built-in. I know mine can do it, even without the DVD.
If that doesn't work, then use the DVD (make sure to use the one that came with your computer. If you picked up a retail Snow Leopard DVD it probably won't work)
 
but this should all be done in case the RAM is making the computer act funny? I haven't experienced any problems yet. I re-seated the RAM and it shows up as 7.75 total RAM.
 
An Apple 'genius' told me yesterday that installing your own RAM on a Mid-2009 MBP would void the warranty... surely that is BS, right? RIGHT!

I feel like Apple stores are becoming less useful and full of nerdy fanboys, who know ***** about computers and actually problems...
 
NeverhadaPC said:
An Apple 'genius' told me yesterday that installing your own RAM on a Mid-2009 MBP would void the warranty... surely that is BS, right? RIGHT!
Click to expand...

Tell him to go and read the user guide that comes with it then, where there are instructions for upgrading both RAM and hard disk.
 
ohla313 said:
but this should all be done in case the RAM is making the computer act funny? I haven't experienced any problems yet. I re-seated the RAM and it shows up as 7.75 total RAM.
Click to expand...

it's show 7.75 total RAM because some of the RAM is being used by the integrated GPU.

completely normal.
 
ohla313 said:
^perfect! that was it. I re-seated them and it is now showing 8GB of RAM on my system. But another problem arose...

For some reason I lost 4GB of hard drive space after this install.. What caused this??
Click to expand...

as riptideMBP mentioned... u lost 4 GB on the hard drive because when ur macbook goes into hibernation mode, it saves all the content that's on the RAM into ur hard drive.

this is because once power is out (no battery and/or no AC power) RAM is volatile memory and it will be erased (unlike SSDs or HDDs) and to not lose ur content Mac OS X saves ur RAM content on the HDD (or SSD).
 
pay?!? Click on the link that says free download on the memtest86 page and burn the iso to disc and boot from it. Job done.
 
fat jez said:
No probs, I thought they had decided to start charging for it :)
Click to expand...

okay for some reason i ran both memtests86 and memtest86+, but they both do not work on my MBP 2011 2.3 Ghz i7.

The both freeze and don't do anything...

Is this happening to anyone else?
 
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