Has anyone here used Memtest-86 v3.0 or do they have ideas for a better RAM tester. My computer reboots at random and has been doing so for a while now. I ran memtest and it said in the first 12 minutes of running it gathered over 12,000 errors. My problem is that I hear it's not 100% accurate and I dont want to buy a bunch more RAM if I dont have to and I dont want to take it to a computer shop. My temps are staying at about 46c so I dont think it's heat related. I figured I would ask the REAL experts for advice or thoughts....Thanks in advance.

Forgot to ask if a bad video card could cause all the reboots too?

I trust memtest...but you can try DocMemory...it's available for free online

I take it you are leaning toward bad RAM too huh?

Doc memory tester Doesn't hurt to double check.

You say it's been rebooting "for a while now"...was there a time when your system was stable? If so, what have you done since then that may have caused your prob? Have you upgraded any hardware? your RAM? You don't give any details about your memory...is it PC133 or DDR? How much do you have & how many sticks? Let's say, for example, you have 512mb...2 x 256...& memtest constantly reports errors at 318mb. That should mean that stick # 1 is good, & stick # 2 has a prob, because the error occurs after 256mb. Remove stick # 2 & try running with just stick # 1.

"My problem is that I hear it's not 100% accurate" There is nothing freely availible more reliable than memtest (to my knowledge). There are several instances in which memtest86 is not entirely accurate. These include Athlon systems in which the RAM is not performing properly (i.e. cheap), and only occur in the 5th and 8th tests. This is not so much memtest's fault - the RAM does meet the motherboard specifications. Also, there are some systems that are improperly allocated by memtest, meaning memtest thinks there is more RAM than there actually is. In these cases large, continuous blocks are marked as bad. These conditions are not at all the norm. Memtest is an extremely well-tested program. Thousands of professionals beyond this forum use memtest. Cheap RAM is rampant. The problem has expounded by increasingly condensed modules, which are more susceptable to damage and defect. Also, way too much RAM is mismarked and mishandled. The fact that you have serious issues with Windows (which appear to be transparent to the OS) suggests a hardware problem. Memtest confirms it. Really you have two tests (Windows and memtest) that both point to the same results. With the evidence in hand I would suggest new RAM from Crucial or Kingston. If you can put in RAM yourself, do not bother with a tech shop.