What are the symptoms of bad RAM? How can I test and resolve?

If you are experiencing random freezing/crashes/blue screens, then you may have bad RAM. Please follow the following steps for additional diagnostic testing.

How to Test RAM With Passmark Memtest86

PassMark's Memtest86 is a reliable tool for testing memory without the need for an operating system, meaning it will work on Windows machines as well as Linux computers. It runs off a bootable USB stick, and although it looks complicated, it is very straightforward to use.

1. Download Passmark Memtest86.
2. Extract the contents into a folder on your desktop.
3. Insert a USB stick into your PC. Back up any data on it, as Passmark's tool will format the USB stick.
4. Run the "imageUSB" executable.
5. Select the correct USB drive at the top, and press 'Write'

6. Double-check whether everything is correct before proceeding. Writing will take a few moments, depending on the speed of your USB stick.
7. Restart your computer, and enter the boot menu through pressing F2, Del, F8, F10 or whichever key your system uses. It will say on your post screen.
8. Boot off the USB stick.
9. Press "Config."

10. Select "(S)tart Test" in the Memtest86 home screen.

Now let the application run the test until completion or until errors appear. You can monitor the progress of the test at the top of the screen.

Depending on your memory size, testing can take from 20 minutes to a few hours. If errors appear, there is no point in continuing testing. 

A screen with errors looks like this: