Yes, use the Apple Hardware Diagnostics, it comes with every Mac made since about 1999.
Insert the install/restore CD/DVD that came with your Apple Mac/PowerBook. Use the disc labeled "Apple Hardware Diagnostics" if your Mac came with more than one disc. Restart the computer while holding down the "D" key. D for Diganostics.
If memory is your primary concern, run the extended diagnostics right away, skip the quick tests. If you have 1 GB installed, the test could take over an hour or more.
Diagnostics aren't perfect and sometimes faulty memory is only faulty half the time. Intermittent problems are especially hard to catch in the diagnostics, so you might need to run them more than once. Perhaps once in the morning when your PowerBook is cold, and then again later in the day after running it hard for several hours.
Of course the best test is to reinsert your old memory and see if there's any difference.
I generally use Crucial memory in all of my systems (Mac and PC) but I have personally seen a case where a CRT iMac G3 passed the diagnostics but was corrupting downloads when using some PNY memory bought at BestBuy. The iMac worked fine with the original "Apple" Samsung memory and it worked fine with some memory bought from Crucial.