[Tfug] Memtest question

[Bexley Hall]

Hi Earl,

> I have 2 computers that seem to be working OK.  I decided to run 
> Memtest on boh of them.  I use Ubuntu and run Memtest86 from
> Grub on both.

Ah, that was your ffirst mistake -- *looking* for trouble!  :>

> One is a Dell Poweredge 500 SC with I GB ECC memory. 
> I just began setting this one up as a small printer and file 
> server.  Memtest shows problems immediately.  Is this a problem
> with EDD memory and Memtest?

What do you mean by "problems"?  Is it complaining of a bad
address, range of addresses, can't see *any* memory, etc.?

> The other is a P4 with DDR memory.  It doesn't
> indicate errors but only
> runs to 20% of the testing and locks.  I have uptimes
> of 4 or 5 days with
> this machine.  There is an occasional total lock up
> with DVDs using VLC;
> this is usually with a bad DVD.  Could this be the DDR
> memory?

Does it lock up with any *other* apps?

I have mixed opinions about the Dells I've seen come into WC.
An alarming number of them have had bad caps.  At first, I thought
this was confined to consumer desktops machines.  But, I have been
seeing it on the servers as well.  (E.g., the PE2500's all have
had this problem).

It might be worth taking a good visual look at the machine before
you spin your wheels chasing problems.  The bulk decoupling around 
the CPU is a prime candidate as the operating temperature in that
area is typically higher *and* the ripple currents as well.

If bad caps are found, unless you are terribly fond of the
machine, off to WT with it (recapping is just too much work
and far too easy to lift foils).