[rescue] Ultra 1 newbie q'ns

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 @ 00:43 -0600, Jonathan C. Patschke said:

> As best as I can tell, the failures are thermally-related.  The
> systems don't get unreasonably hot, but they do run at 100% CPU load
> all the time, so the memory doesn't live in the typical
> web/e-mail/Office environment.  Maybe the memory's just not rated to
> be beat on that soundly.  When the systems cool off, the memory is
> usually fine until I run an exerciser on it for a few hours.  In any
> case, it's not a product I could recommend to anyone else.

ValueRAM is just market-speak: it's not "cheap RAM", it's just
Kingston's name for their "normal" memory modules sold with only a
simple warranty. It's mostly made for OEMs and end users.

Their "branded" line comes with more extensive support, cross-ship RMAs,
and other services for server usage.  That's probably what you should
have used.

HyperX is their name for memory tested beyond specifications.

However...

Are you certain your systems are not overheating?

ValueRAM is garanteed to work within specifications (which includes
heat) so if you know your system is not overheating, why not give them a
call and ask them if they expect it should run 24/7?

As long as aren't pushing it beyind specs, it really should work, at
least I would think so.

Of course, if *I* were building server to generate money for myself,
I'd use HyperX or their branded line of memory, just for the added
reliability and warantee.

But really, ValueRAM isn't cheap.  It's well tested, made with standard
specifications, and uniform matched parts.

Cheap RAM is almost random specs and often non-uniform chip batches.
I've seen two different brands of chip on one module before. What they
do is rewrite the SPD ROMs to match whatever hodge-podge of parts they
use, and whatever speeds they manage to get it to run at.

> As a contractor, I bill by the hour.  What they 'saved' in memory prices
> has nearly been consumed in my labor diagnosing memory problems.  The
> old adage of "you can pay up front, or you can pay later" holds true
> with cheap RAM just as it does elsewhere.

True.



-- 
shannon "AT" widomaker.com -- ["It's a damn poor mind that can only think
of one way to spell a word." -- Andrew Jackson]