RAM-buying rules of thumb?

-edited- this started as me asking advice about whether a pair of double-sided RAM should be working in conjunction with a pair of single-sided. the former being known reputable RAM and the latter being Chinese sold and 2 out of 5 total sticks have failed on minimal use.

What I never expected was the wild goose chase. I assumed single-sided RAM meant it was low density. Not always true. Web resources dealing with RAM are so hard to come by, and even opinionated, out of an abundance of caution I'm making all 4 sticks the known good name brand by a reputable US dealer.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2016 12:20AM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

My understanding is for the same amount in capacity, a memory stick with less memory chips should be denser.

Regardless, I would ONLY buy RAM from a local store that I can return with a full refund within a given period of testing. The reason is simply because RAM is susceptible to an electrostatic discharge that most of the time caused by improper handle. Long ago, I bought one 512 MB memory stick for my 32-bit PC from a local Chinese store. The owner pulled out the RAM (sealed in its original plastic case) while inside his storage room and carried it over to me in the sales room over a carpeted floor. Immediately, I told him that this RAM had been damaged due to the electrostatic discharge and he did not believe what I said. So, I had no choice but to take it home with a 100% money back guarantee. At home, I did some tests on my Linux computer using this memtest86 program to find out some problems with the memory stick. I took my computer to the store to show it to the person what the problem was and he told me I damaged the memory stick during installation. So, I pulled out the memory stick and asked him to test it on the same (Windows) computer that passed the memory test. And sure enough, his (Windows) computer did not find the problem. So, this time he replaced the memory stick (still sealed in its original factory plastic case) and I carefully inserted into my computer memory slot. I did the tests in front of him and passed the memtest86 program.

Nice example. I live where it snows all winter, which means dry air and lots of people with ESD problems like that. Many drink alcohol all winter, so a computer repair guy is a very tough job around here. They can't be told it's the same reason balloons are sticking to them and the part they're holding is likely whacked now.

Anyway no matter what I go into a computer for, I always touch the metal of the case, then turn off the power at the power supply, then don't move at all whilst on the carpet.

AND RAM just arrived, and using a RAM analyzer it's Samsung chips, exact same numbers across the board, and one more safety net I'm happy to have lived to tell you about :-) This is my second happy RAM order from A-Tech, here in the States. If you live in the States, all I can say is, I'm very happy with them.

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JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
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> AND RAM just arrived, and using a RAM analyzer

Can you please tell me the software of your RAM analyzer? Is it an open-source package?

I think it's Windows-only, and this is for a desktop with Windows 7, Hackintosh Snow Leopard 10.6.8, and soon to be next version of AV Linux x64.
The app is called RAMMon (free for personal use), and it's got every number I could ask, timings, speeds, even true manufacturer.
For instance the two pairs of sticks I bought from A-Tech, the first pair are Nanya Technology and the second pair branded Samsung.

Every number is identical except those two names and date of manufacture. The low quality brand I got from China last summer were branded Micron and advertised as New Micron. I have no idea is they sold me used RAM or what. The sticks burned fast though.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/29/2016 11:27PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

I always touch the metal of the case, then turn off the power at the power supply, then don't move at all whilst on the carpe

Rubber sheet - Industrial mats - Playground Mats

Delorisheinen Wrote:
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> I always touch the metal of the case, then turn
> off the power at the power supply, then don't move
> at all whilst on the carpe

Murphy's Law

A lot of you Linux guys and gals automatically work in an environment where rubber mats are standard, but for me I've fixed an estimated 1,000 computers and almost all were house calls, with carpet. And loud people. Drunks and worse.

To help people understand Murphy's Law even better, here's an example. About 20 years ago I put well over $10,000 in audio gear into a rack. I sourced rubber to help float the front panel of rack units. I kept getting ground spikes and static weird noises. In frustration I took a multimeter to the rubber and discovered the Armor All I used as a protectant acts as a semiconductor! So I ripped that out and sourced more rubber, this time from used inner tubes from a car garage. I didn't add Armor All (of course). To my surprise it had similar problems! Take out the multimeter again and it turned out this batch of rubber had some kind of metallic ingredient in it! Third time was the charm, but it goes to show, you can never underestimate the unforseen!

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JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
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> A lot of you Linux guys and gals automatically
> work in an environment where rubber mats are
> standard,

Not for me!
Where i work, if i wear leather soled shoes the static shocks i get are beyond a joke.

Anti-static strap or a piece of bare copper wire loosely on the wrist and attached to the product metal chassis is the standard for me. as long as im at the same "potential" as the device alls good.

Wow! Yeah on top of my carry toolbox are two accessories, one is a wall plug with only 10 feet of ground wire (when I soldered the Pogo v4's resistor), and a wrist wrap. So I'm pretty serious about that one step, as I see we all are. Good to know.

Also I don't mean to sound like I fixed computers at a carpet shop, but when I was in AITP we'd fix computers for the less fortunate (I went on to be even lesser fortunate LOL) and daycares and all that. Lots of carpet. Good times, good times.

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I use an antistatic brush to clean electronics (air isn't always enough). Did I win something? :)

Not one made by these guys, but just to give a general idea of what they are http://www.gordonbrush.com/anti-static-brushes.html

>A lot of you Linux guys and gals automatically work in an environment where rubber mats are standard,

I live in places where carpets don't traditionally cover the whole floor. Hotter parts of EU, carpets would turn into massive biohazards here.

bobafetthotmail Wrote:
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> I use an antistatic brush to clean electronics
> (air isn't always enough). Did I win something?
> :)

You win the prize for "best tool in the kit" :)

+1 for that! All I've got are old toothbrushes (clean and sterilized) for one-use electronic needs.

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