Life of Ram

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bliss

cars break down, marriages break down, computers break down...

just wondering what is the life expectancy of a stick of ram?

seems to me that once its placed tightly into its slot, there arent
many parts capable of 'breaking down'.
as such, can anyone here tell me the life expectance?

thanks
 
If a solid state device works through the first 24-48 hours of burning in,
it will likely last "forever".

Transistors that were manufactured in the late 60's are still working fine
in a tiny A.M. radio that I possess. What's to wear out?

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-)

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
It will usually outlast the computer though on rare occasions RAM modules do
fail. Breakdown in solid state components is most often a result of
thermal expansion and contraction.
 
Breakdown is normally through external influence - power spikes or surges. A
battery operated device never has these - hence the fact that they seem to
last forever.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-)

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
I bought three sticks of 256Mb RAM for use on an ABIT BE6-II motherboard a
while ago. Recently one of the sticks went bad - memory stopped counting
after 256 but before 512. Removed stick in #2 slot and everything is ok now;
system runs fine with 512Mb.

Have no idea as to why - no power problems, no heat issues, etc. Just went
bad. (Since my background includes 27+ years working on airborne electronic
equioment while in the US Air Force I was not surprised at a failure - it
happens.)
 
Richard Urban said:
Breakdown is normally through external influence - power spikes or surges. A
battery operated device never has these - hence the fact that they seem to
last forever
Click to expand...

No. Internal component failure in semiconductors can result from the
metal fatigue effect. The different materials in the semiconductor
expand at different rates when they are heated, and this creates
stresses at the points where the materials are joined. Repeated
heating and cooling (stressing and unstressing) can eventually result
in metal fatigue.

This has been demonstrated in situations where computers are
repeatedly powered on and off at short intervals for an extended
period. One report I saw involved a school where the classroom
computers were powered on and off every class (1 hour classes) for 3
years.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm
 
It can also be a little corrosion, before you condemn the
RAM, remove and reinstall it. Examine the contacts for
signs of corrosion.


--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.


| "Richard Urban" <[email protected]>
wrote:
|
| >Breakdown is normally through external influence - power
spikes or surges. A
| >battery operated device never has these - hence the fact
that they seem to
| >last forever
|
| No. Internal component failure in semiconductors can
result from the
| metal fatigue effect. The different materials in the
semiconductor
| expand at different rates when they are heated, and this
creates
| stresses at the points where the materials are joined.
Repeated
| heating and cooling (stressing and unstressing) can
eventually result
| in metal fatigue.
|
| This has been demonstrated in situations where computers
are
| repeatedly powered on and off at short intervals for an
extended
| period. One report I saw involved a school where the
classroom
| computers were powered on and off every class (1 hour
classes) for 3
| years.
|
|
| Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
| --
| Microsoft MVP
| On-Line Help Computer Service
| http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
|
| In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
| http://aumha.org/alex.htm
 
Like everything else, solid state devices are not perfect. They do fail on
occasion. There are a multitude of reasons why. Back in the seventies,
studies at my then employer GE found evidence of minute contamination in the
materials that are used to make a "chip" or "die". Most would (and did)
cause failure in a short period of time. Others caused devices to fail only
if certain operating conditions existed. A very few allowed a device to
function seemingly normally for years before failure. It's actually quite
hard to find/isolate a reason for failure when a failed device is basically
nothing but a "crispy critter" inside it's case. (assuming that an external
cause did not exist)

Speculation on the stick failure would depend upon the construction of the
strip and the chips on it.
(Addressing circuitry, or failure of a single memory chip might easily cause
1/2 of the strip to fail.)
 
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