▷ Ram memory test: best applications to check it?

We continue our hardware tutorials and in this case we are going to learn to do a RAM memory test to check the integrity of our installed modules when our PC is giving us problems. It is a very simple method to carry out and that could save the life of our PC or at least avoid further damage.

Index of contents

Surely you all know the Windows BSOD (Blue Screen on Death), we can leave it on a blue screen for friends. All of us who have had Windows in some of its versions and have been more curious than usual, will have obtained this beautiful screen from time to time, which is not normally a good sign for our PC, especially if it occurs continuously.

When do we need to do a RAM test?

As we say, blue screenshots are part of the history of Windows, although it is true that a huge number of them do not have much to do with RAM, there are times when they do. In Windows 10 we have already seen that there are many less than in Windows XP for example, so the fact that they come out is reason enough for us to be alarmed.

One of these blue screenshots is called " Memory Management " error, its "look" has evolved with the systems, but what this error basically notifies us is that our RAM has a problem. It is also possible that it appears when we are overclocked the memory itself and its JEDEC profile. It will be one of the moments when we have to use one of these tests that we will see.

But there is also the possibility of not obtaining errors of this type, and simply noticing a much slower operation than usual of our team, unzipping files and making their elements illegible for no reason, or similar causes that we have honestly never had until now.

In any of these cases, it is worth checking our hardware, for example, the temperature of our processor, hard drives and of course, RAM.

Perform a RAM memory test from the Windows system itself

Before looking at the different programs that we have on the Internet to carry out this type of RAM memory test, it is worth making special reference to the easiest way and how of all. Windows 10 (and earlier) has a utility called " Windows Memory Diagnostics ", which is basically a RAM memory test integrated into our own system. Let's see how to use it.

We have different methods to open this test in Windows, although the fastest way will be to place the command " MDSCHED " in the " run " window of Windows, which we can open with " Windows + R"

At this point, we will have two options, either restart directly and start the process, or postpone it until the next restart. In any case, keep in mind that this application will run before the PC starts.

The process will then begin and we will be notified if problems have been found in the memory cells. It will not be a very detailed result, but at least we will know of the existence of some problem.

Recommended programs to test RAM memory

The Windows program is not bad, and it is also trustworthy, but we have some other programs that show us more information and it is also possible to do it with the operating system on. Let's see the best under our personal opinion.

MemTest64

The guys at TechPowerUp know how to make good programs, and an example of this is the GPU-Z program that gives us all the information on our graphics card. Well, in addition to this one, they also have a diagnostic program for RAM that works like a charm. Download it for free from its website.

Memtest64 runs a series of tests on RAM memory filling it with data and interacting with the page file of the operating system. Through this stress process, the program will search the memory cells for corrupt data.

The good thing about this test is that we can do it directly from the operating system, without restarting, and also we will not need to install the application. If we wish, we can also analyze only a certain amount of memory and it is compatible with all processors.

Memtest86

Surely the diagnostic program best known to the hardware community and the longest running.

The peculiarity of this program is that it runs from a USB drive, which we will have to put on our PC before starting it and then select it to start the small system. We know that the procedure is a bit tedious, but it is undoubtedly one of the most complete applications and that offers better testing results.

At the time of downloading the application from the official website, we will obtain a file in which, in addition to Memtest86, we will also have a small program that will allow us to create the bootable USB with it.

The process is as simple as selecting the USB drive, and hitting " Write " to begin the procedure. The next thing will be to insert the USB in the PC and select it from our UEFI boot menu. Normally the Esc or F8 key is used to start this menu. We must bear in mind that the latest version of Memtest86 in version 8 will only work with computers with BIOS UEFI, anyway, this explains it very well on the page. For older teams we will have another version available also for free.

The program is extremely complete, and we will have the ability to use a mouse and keyboard. With it we can select the options of the test in an extremely detailed way. In addition, it is an application that is regularly updated and compatible with all types of 32 and 64 bit processors, as well as all types of RAM. The best we have.

VMmap

VMmap is not an application intended to test the integrity of RAM memory, but it can be complemented with any of the above because it is capable of showing us graphically indicators of the use of RAM memory divided into processes and threads

The true utility lies in discovering if in this space that is occupied by memory we have suspicious data or an abnormally high load. So it will be a good way to search for memory-hosted viruses or similar bugs. It is also a completely free application that you can download from the Microsoft website. Do not forget that it is not necessary to install it either and that it should be run directly in the operating system.

What we will have to do when opening it, is to click on " File " and choose one of the processes that are running on our system. The application will show absolutely all the information that is hosted in the RAM of this process. It is aimed at more advanced use, since most things will surely go to the Chinese area, but it will be an infallible method to detect anomalies.

Results and possible actions to carry out

When carrying out a RAM memory test we will have to see if the program in question diagnoses us with an error. In such a case, the most important thing will be to identify which module it is, to isolate it from the rest, what does this mean? Well, it means removing it from our motherboard. Errors in RAM memory cells are normally reproduced to others, and can cause cascading failures until we run out of the complete module.

Or maybe the error intensifies and finally our computer does not start. Remember that the BIOS itself does a basic diagnosis at startup to determine if the RAM is operational and working correctly.

We could also change the slot module and check again through the software that the error persists. If so, we can directly send the memory step by step and hold it until it breaks completely. They are usually physical failures and are impossible to recover.

If you want to see more tutorials and articles related to RAM, here are some:

Best RAM memory on the market

If you have any questions or want to point something out, leave us a comment. Do you think the best applications are the ones we have chosen? Do you know of any other RAM memory testing program?