Memtest86 is a free, standalone memory testing software for x86 and Arm computers. It boots from USB flash drives to test your computer’s RAM for faults, using algorithms that have been in development for over 20 years.
Unreliable RAM can cause a multitude of problems. Corrupted data, crashes and other unexplained behavior. 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).
Does MemTest86 check RAM and CPU?
No, MemTest86 is a memory-only testing tool for x86 and Arm PCs. MemTest86 boots from a USB flash drive and tests the RAM in your computer for faults using a series of comprehensive algorithms and test patterns.
Does Memtest86 affect RAM?
Memtest86 will load your CPU up to 100% during testing, because data read or written to RAM will pass through the CPU, but it should not harm your processor or RAM.
How many errors in Memtest86 are acceptable?
MemTest86 executes a series of numbered test sections to check for errors and there should be 0 errors. You can read a description of each of the test sections here.
Can MemTest86 fix errors?
Memtest86 only detects physical errors in your system memory, but cannot fix any errors. If your RAM is bad from a memtest, you should first update your motherboard’s BIOS or consider buying new RAM.
Is MemTest86 compatible with Linux?
MemTest86 does not require any operating system for execution. The version of Windows, Linux, or Mac used on your machine is irrelevant for execution.
MemTest86 supports all current technologies:
- 13 different RAM testing algorithms – including row hammer fault detection*
- All RAM types supported (DDR2, DDR3, DDR4, DDR5, SODIMM, XMP, ECC)
- Self-booting off USB or Network (PXE)* boot, without needing DOS, Linux nor Windows
- Optimized for UEFI-based x86/ARM systems
- Native 64-bit code (since version 5)
- ECC error detection & injection*
- Secure Boot verified – Code signed by Microsoft
- Graphical interface with mouse input
- Save logs and create customizable HTML reports
- Full test automation via configuration file
- Support for memory blacklisting in Windows (badmemorylist) and Linux (BADRAM)
- Multi-language support (Chinese, German, Russian, Spanish & more)
MemTest86 is relied on for industrial use (PC/CPU/motherboard/RAM manufacturers) and consumer use (system builders, overclockers, computer enthusiasts).
What’s New
As MemTest86 V10 supports only the newer UEFI platform, older PCs without UEFI support would be unable to boot MemTest86. In order to run MemTest86, PCs with legacy BIOS platform must use the older V4 release of MemTest86.
Fixes/Enhancements Preliminary support for obtaining memory settings for Intel Core chipsets:
- 2nd gen (Sandy Bridge)
- 3rd gen (Ivy Bridge)
- 4th gen (Haswell)
- 5th gen (Broadwell)
- 6th gen (Skylake)
- 7th gen (Kaby lake)
- 8th gen (Coffee Lake)
- 9th gen (Coffee Lake Refresh)
- 10th gen (Comet Lake/Ice Lake)
- 11th gen (Rocket Lake/Tiger Lake)
- 12th gen (Alder Lake)
- 13th gen (Raptor Lake) Core chipsets
- Preliminary support for obtaining memory settings for Intel Core Ultra chipsets:
- 1st gen (Meteor Lake)
- 2nd gen (Arrow Lake)
- Lunar Lake
- Preliminary support for obtaining memory settings for Intel Xeon scalable chipsets:
- 1st gen (Skylake-SP)
- 2nd gen (Cascade Lake-SP)
- 3rd gen (Ice Lake-SP)
- 4th gen (Sapphire Rapids-SP)
- 5th gen (Emerald Rapids-SP)
- Preliminary support for obtaining memory settings for Intel Atom X Series (Elkhart Lake) chipsets
- Preliminary ECC support for the following Intel chipsets:
- 10th gen core (Ice Lake)
- 1st gen core ultra (Meteor Lake)
- 5th gen Xeon scalable (Emerald Rapid)
- Atom X Series (Elkhart Lake)
- Preliminary support for module decoding for Intel 10th gen core (Ice Lake) chipsets
- Added support for reporting various ECC error types (eg. IBECC/Scrub)
- Fixed rounding of DDR5 latency timings
- Fixed offsetted temperatures for AMD 19h family chipsets
- Suppress CPU errors due to UEFI firmware issues once already displayed
- Display “SPD FAIL” block error message when SPDMATCH check fails after test completion
- Updated localization strings (courtesy of Nagisa)
- Updated ImageUSB to v1.5.1006
- Updated blacklist
