MemTest86 - Official Site of the x86 and ARM Memory Testing Tool

industry standard for memory diagnostics

MemTest86 is the original, free, stand-alone memory testing software for x86 and ARM computers.

Boots from USB flash drives to test the RAM in your computer for faults.

Utilizing algorithms that have been in development for over 20 years.

Industry standard since 1994.

Features

PassMark MemTest86 supports all current technologies:

14 different RAM testing algorithms - including row hammer fault detection^*
All RAM types supported (including DDR5) in a variety of form factors (including CDIMM and CAMM2)
Self-booting off USB or Network (PXE)^* boot, without needing DOS, Linux nor Windows
Optimized 64-bit native code for UEFI-based x86/ARM systems (since MemTest86 v5)
ECC error detection & injection^*
Faulty DIMM/chip location^*
Collect RAM settings including clock speed, timings, channel mode and voltages
Secure Boot verified – Code signed by Microsoft
Graphical interface with mouse input
Save logs and create customizable HTML reports
Full production line test automation via PXE network boot and configuration file
Support for memory blacklisting in Windows (badmemorylist) and Linux (BADRAM)
Multi-language support (Chinese, German, Russian, Spanish & more)

*Please refer to the Feature Comparion Table for edition inclusions.

The History of MemTest86

1994 - 2002

2002 - 2004

2004 - 2013

2013 - Today

MemTest86 was originally developed by Chris Brady (BradyTech Inc) with a first release in 1994. However, it is interesting to note that some of the testing algorithms used have been under development since 1981 and were previously implemented on Dec PDP-11, VAX-11/780 and Cray XMP architectures. Since then, there have been more than a dozen new versions released. Support for 64bit, new CPU types, symmetrical multiprocessors and many other features have been added during this period. MemTest86 was released as free open source (GPL) software

Between 2002 – 2004 (during the time period of the MemTest86 V3.0 release) the code was 'forked' by Samuel Demeulemeester (now part of the French CanardPC publishing group) into another version of the software calledMemTest86+. The naming was unfortunate as it now leads to much confusion between users. Nevertheless, bothMemtest86s subsequently continued to be developed.

The original MemTest86 was continued to be developed across 2004 to 2013, with multiple updates made - most notably the Version 4.0 release. In Feb 2013, PassMark Software took over the maintenance of the MemTest86 project from Chris. This was around the time that a lot of technological changes were occurring. The 64bit era was here, DDR4 was coming, UEFI had already arrived and Microsoft's Secure boot technology threatened to prevent MemTest86 from booting on future PC hardware.

Starting from MemTest86 v5, the code was re-written to support self-booting from the newer UEFI platform. The software still remains free to use without restrictions. The MemTest86 v4 project is still maintained and remains open source, for use on old machines with BIOS. However, from V5 with the latest release being 9.0 the software is being released under a proprietary license. Development on the MemTest86+ version seems to be discontinued as there have been minimal updates since 2013

Why use MemTest86

Unreliable RAM can cause a multitude of problems. Corrupted data, crashes and other unexplained behaviour.

Bad RAM is one of the most frustrating computer problems to have as symptoms are often random and hard to pin down. MemTest86 can help diagnose faulty RAM (or rule it out as a cause of system instability).

MemTest86 is relied on for industrial use (PC/CPU/motherboard/RAM manufacturers) and consumer use (system builders, overclockers, computer enthusiasts).

Optional Extras

USB Drive

Management Console

ECC Tester

Make your own MemTest86 USB drive, or purchase our ready to use USB stick with the Pro Edition pre-installed and configured.

The PassMark Management Console Web server application allows test system information, test status and test result information to be managed centrally for MemTest86 tests.

The PassMark ECC Tester is a DDR4 DIMM interposer, designed to inject single and double bit errors in real-time, to challenge and test the error detection and correction mechanism of machines that have CPU, motherboard and RAM sticks with ECC support.