Ram tester

To test RAM:

First, insert the ram into one of the motherboards placed on the wall. Make sure that the bumps are lined up currectly with the holes on the RAM sticks.

Then, use the consoles to switch to the correct computer.to switch from one console to the other, use the console on the bottom.

Once the computer has turned on, enter BIOS. Check the Ram amount that is listed on the main page. Make sure that it is the correct amount. Then, in the advanced area of BIOS, change the RAM type is set to the correct values (e.g. PC66 PC100 PC133, do not use any other values!) Then save and exit BIOS, often with F10.

The computer will boot up into the RAM testing program, then it will automactically start testing. The computer will have to go through two passes before the RAM test is complete. If the test is sucessful, then the RAM is good!

Identifying RAM size and speed

Of course, to test ram, you have to know how big it is and what size it is.

First, find out what kind of ram it is (assuming DIMMs):

* SDRAM has a notch in the middle and a notch on towards one side
* RDR or RAMBUS ram has two notches in the middle and always has em shielding plates
* DDR has one notch in the middle

For RDR and DDR, the speed and size are nearly always put clearly on a sticker on the ram. If it doesn't have one, you will have to plug it into a machine to find out.

For SDRAM, there are many considerations. You will often find that it will list the speed and not the size. In some of those cases, you can look for the size cryptically written as 4x64. In these cases, the actual size is as follows:

* 4x64 is 32 megabytes
* 8x64 is 64 megabytes
* 16x64 is 128 megabytes
* 32x64 is 256 megabytes

If the speed isn't listed, it is probly 66MHz, but not always.

Parity and ECC SDRAM are weird.