Does old SDRAM Deteriorate?

[Random73421]

I was given 2 old machines. Each had a formatted hard drive, and Windows 2000 Pro would not install on either. They had 64MB (P2 266Mhz) and 256MB (P3 1GHz) of PC100 SDRAM. I got lots of "corrupt CD or file" errors while trying to install. if it did complete, even after those errors, Windows would be very unstable and crash constantly.

SO, I found 2 old sticks of 64MB PC100 and put a stick in each.

Now, Windows installed flawlessly. Ran flawlessly. Updated flawlessly. Neither have crashed at all so far.

WTF? They both got Windows installed when they were built, with the RAM that is now faulty. Memtest failed the 256MB one and said the one with 64MB was fine (?! Obviously it was not.)

Also, why does Hewlett-Packard put PC100 RAM in later P3 systems? I have fixed 2 systems for people, 933MHz and 733GHz Pentium 3s, each made by HP. I mean... the CPUs support a 133MHz memory bus...

Maybe one of you can answer my curiosities.

-Random

 

[DaSaint]

well odds are u got a bad memory module, ive seen mem modules go bad in power outtages so it could have happened any time b4 u got them. also take into mind that when Major Name Companies install OS's onto hard drives they load them from Images, so they arn't really installing the OS from the CD they are doing it from a Preloaded Software image which is more cost efficient because it saves time.

the HP Question is because its cost efficient at the time. PC100 was a lot Cheaper than PC133 and if your talking about building Hundreds of thousands in computers that adds up when $$$ comes into play. the boards support the PC100 but it does create a bottleneck in the Memory bus since the CPU can Operate at higher speeds than the ram.. its also at the time a ploy for them to sell more memory for those systems. "To Give the People The Best of the Best" well that costs lotsa $$$$

hope that helps

 

[madthumbs]

ram can go bad just like cpus