5 Ways to Know Damaged RAM on Laptops and Computers

 If you have computer problems, maybe the cause can occur due to damaged RAM. Here's how to find out the RAM is damaged.

If you take care of your device properly, most gadgets and components will remain functional for a long time. However, there will come a time when parts of the electronic components start to go bad and nothing is more vulnerable than a computer's RAM.

This time, we will look at the characteristics of a damaged ram. If you see any of these problems, it may be a sign that your RAM is faulty.

Damaged RAM

1. Decreased RAM Performance

One of the most widely known characteristics of damaged RAM is performance that starts to decrease over time.

If you find that your computer runs perfectly when you first turn it on, but the longer you use it, the slower it performs, it's most likely the cause of your computer's components. Usually seen in high memory intensive applications such as Photoshop, video games, and web browsers.

Of course, faulty RAM may not be the cause of the problem. Because programs that don't work properly can eat up your CPU machine or leak memory. But if you can't pinpoint the cause of the performance drop, it could be due to the RAM health starting to drop.

One test you can use is to restart your computer but not run any applications. If the same thing keeps happening even without any apps running, it might be time to start replacing your old RAM.

2. Frequent Random Crashes

As with performance degradation, just because your computer crashes randomly doesn't mean that your RAM is faulty. However, it does indicate the possibility that something is wrong with your hardware.

If you get a blue screen of death on Windows every time you try and open a certain app, it's likely that app is the culprit, not your hardware. But if you find that crashes occur without warning and randomly, your RAM may be to blame.

You may also find your computer will reboot when it displays the desktop or crash every time you try to install something new.

3. Failed to Load Video Card

When you turn on your computer, you almost always hear a loud beep. This indicates that your device's video and media hardware has been recognized and properly booted.

If you don't hear any beeps, it means it's not loading and bad RAM could be the culprit. You will also be shown a warning message on the screen when the operating system tries to boot.

But that's no guarantee that your RAM isn't working. The problem could also be caused by the video card. On MacOS, three beeps during boot indicate a RAM error has been detected.

4. Corrupt Data Files

You may suddenly find that the files you frequently access and use are corrupted and cannot be opened. As well as being a lesson in the importance of backing up, it's another clear sign that your RAM is failing.

If you find a growing number of corrupted files, and the problem is getting worse over time, RAM is almost certainly to blame. That's because faulty RAM causes your hard drive structure to degenerate, eventually you won't be able to boot your computer at all.

5. Inappropriate RAM Size

You can find out other characteristics of damaged RAM from the status of the RAM memory size read on the computer. For that, try to check the amount of RAM in your system.

If you are using Windows, right-click on the Start menu and navigate to System > About. You will be shown your machine statistics, including the amount of installed RAM.

If you're on a Mac, go to Apple > About This Mac and select the Overview tab. As with Windows, you will be shown some of your computer's statistics, including the amount of RAM.

Does this amount correspond to the amount your machine should have? If you're not sure, do a Google search for your device's product number.

How to Check RAM

As we discussed, if you experience any of the above symptoms it does not automatically indicate a RAM problem. There could be a number of other causes, including a bad power supply, excessive heat, a virus/malware on the computer, a faulty operating system installation, or some other faulty hardware component.

However, if you experience some of these issues on a regular basis, it's a good idea to run some diagnostic tests.

Check RAM Condition In Windows

Windows comes with a built-in memory diagnostic tool. To run it, press Windows Key + R, type mdsched, and press Enter.

You will be asked to restart your computer. It will then run several tests before automatically restarting and returning you to your desktop. Any issues found will be displayed in a notification on the Taskbar.

Or another way you can try Memtest. It has been around for over 20 years and is widely considered the most thorough RAM testing tool.

Check RAM Condition In MacOS

Macs also come with their own built-in memory tester. To use it, restart your device and hold D while booting, then you will be taken to the diagnostic screen.

On newer models, the memory test should start automatically. Users on older versions need to select the Hardware Tests tab, check the box next to Perform extended testing and hit Test.

Memtest will also work on Mac if you want a more thorough overview.

Conclusion

So that's how to find out the RAM is damaged. If you have damaged RAM, there is only one solution to fix it, that is, you have to replace it. Luckily, new RAM isn't that expensive.

If you are not sure how to uninstall or install it, take your computer to a service person or ask for help from your friends who are experts in this field. If you try to do it yourself and make a mistake, you can create new problems.