How to test the RAM of your PC?

You experience crashes when loading Windows? Untimely reboots? Blockages or other error messages related to memory? You should test the RAM (or RAM) of your computer. It may be she who is involved.

RAM is one of the most important components in a computer. Without RAM, your PC can not work. Its role is to store the data before and during processing by the processor. The speed and amount of memory you have installed in your computer play a key role in your system's performance. The better you get it

If a RAM strip flops, it can cause a multitude of problems. : corrupted data, blue death screens (BSOD), crashes or other unexplained behavior. This is one of the most frustrating computer problems because the symptoms are often random and difficult to pin down.

Fortunately, there are free tools and software that can check the integrity of RAM arrays. We will see all this together in the rest of this article. Let's go !

Windows Memory Diagnosis

Windows 10 includes a module to check the computer's RAM problems. This is probably the first tool you should try if your PC gets started on Windows.

1. Click the search icon (next to the Start menu) on the taskbar, and type the following keyword: memory.

2. In the search pane, click the Windows Memory Diagnostics application.

3. In the new window that appears, click Restart Now and check for any problems (recommended).

4. Your computer will then restart to scan the memory. You will get the results of the scan at the next restart.
Test the RAM on your PC with MemTest64

To check the integrity of the RAM modules, you also have the free tool MemTest64. This software was developed by TechPowerUp, the company behind GPU-Z. The program does not require any installation and has a really easy to use graphical interface. You click on Begin Test and let it run. The memory is tested using various detection algorithms.

MemTest64 TechPowerUp

RAM test and diagnostic with MemTest86

If Windows totally refuses to start, you will have to use the big means! To test the RAM of your PC without it starting, use the free software MemTest86. The latter is installed on a bootable USB key. Here's how.

1. Download MemTest86 Free Edition from the developer's official website.

2. Unpack the ZIP archive of MemTest86 where you want, for example on the desktop.

3. Have a USB flash drive (empty) and connect it to your computer.

4. Double-click the executable file imageUSB.exe that you previously uncompressed.

5. We will now make the USB stick bootable. From the imageUSB by PassMark Software application, check the box that corresponds to your USB key.

6. Next, click the Write to UFD button. If a message appears, click Yes.

7. Once your USB flash drive is ready, plug it into your broken computer.

8. Turn on your computer, and immediately press the key to access the Boot menu. Typically Esc (Esc), F8, F12 keys are used to access the Boot menu.

9. Choose the USB key as boot device. The memory test is then started automatically. That's all !

Note that the MemTest86 tool detects possible memory problems but does not display the memory module in question. In the event of an error, you must remove a RAM strip and start an analysis again. If you no longer have an error, the bar you removed is defective.