RAM check - Followup question

[Garrett Cooper]

Billy Tallis wrote:

>It might be as simple as the bios settings. Which memtest tests gave errors?
>Assuming that you have not upgraded the ram or anything like that, it
>is probably the chipset. What type of chipset do you have?
>
>On 1/27/06, Philip Juels <pjuels at rics.bwh.harvard.edu> wrote:
>  
>
>>Curious...the system is a Dell Optiplex GX270...RAM system is PC3200
>>2x512MB DIMMs in a the dual-channel arrangment.  If I run memtest
>>against this setup, I get numerous errors.  However, if run memtest with
>>only one DIMM installed (either one), I get no reported errors.  Would
>>this still be an issue with the DIMMs or something wrong with the mobo?
>>
>>PJ
>>
>>PS...pardon me for asking a hardware question on a FreeBSD list :-)
>>
>>Philip Juels wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Thanks...I downloaded the iso and memtest confirmed that the system
>>>has memory problems.
>>>
>>>PJ
>>>
>>>Noel Jones wrote:
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>On 1/26/06, Philip Juels <pjuels at rics.bwh.harvard.edu> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>I'm running into random seg faults during KDE and Gnome compilation,
>>>>>and
>>>>>I and others on the list suspect faulty RAM.  Are there any utils out
>>>>>there that can test/diagnose RAM (aside from the laughable BIOS POST).
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>http://www.memtest86.com/
>>>>http://www.memtest.org/
>>>>
>>>>--
>>>>Noel Jones
>>>>        
>>>>
    Check the capacitors on the motherboard. If they are swelled up on 
the top (ie tops not flat), the motherboard should be replaced.
    Dell had a host of issues with a series of motherboards 
pre-installed in systems from a certain period of time (I think 3 years 
ago) on Optiplex systems. We've had to replace 10-25 or so systems 
because of this issue that I know of.
    Also, the issue could be because of a dead RAM slot. Try inserting 
the stick in another slot to see if the issue goes away.
-Garrett