Does your computer suddenly freeze for no good reason (at least in appearance) and won’t start working again until you shut it down and restart it manually? Most likely there is some RAM problem. However, giving hasty judgments is not in my nature and it is precisely for this reason that today I want to suggest you dispel all your doubts about it by using one of the special programs to test the RAM that you find in this guide.
Before providing you with all the necessary information, however, it seems to me only right to clarify your ideas on the matter. If you were not aware of it, RAM – an acronym for Random Access Memory and better known as Random Access Memory – is a fundamental component of the computer. It is, in fact, the memory in which all the data relating to the processes that are performed on the PC are temporarily stored and when this is damaged or insufficient, the functioning of the entire system is compromised and problems such as those mentioned above may occur.
Having clarified this, I would therefore say not to delay any longer, to ban the chatter and start to get busy to find out what are the best software for Windows and macOS (as well as for Linux) currently in circulation to check the status of RAM health. So, are you ready? Yes? Great! Let’s begin! Ah, one last thing: considering that, depending on the amount of RAM installed on the computer, the process to test the functioning of the latter can take several minutes (in some cases even hours!) To complete,
Index
- Novabench (Windows / macOS / Linux)
- Geekbench (Windows / macOS / Linux)
- MemTest (Windows)
- Rember (macOS)
- Other programs to test RAM
Novabench (Windows / macOS / Linux)
The first of the programs to test the RAM that I want to suggest you use is Novabench . It is a very simple to use software that analyzes the performance of the RAM, as well as the graphics card, processor and hard drive. It works on Windows, macOS and Linux and is basically free, but eventually it is also available in a paid version (which costs 19 $) that offers some extra features, such as the ability to schedule tests to run.
To download the program on your computer, visit its website , press the Download for Free button and, depending on the operating system used, press the Download for Windows button or the Download for macOS button .
When the download is complete, if you are using Windows , open the software installation package and press the Install button in the window that appears on the desktop, then click on the Next , Install , Yes and Finish buttons .
If, on the other hand, you are using macOS , open the .dmg file obtained and drag the Novabench icon into the Applications folder on your computer, then right-click on it and select the Open item from the context menu and in the window that appears, in order to start the program, however, going around the limitations desired by Apple towards unauthorized developers (an operation that must be carried out only at the first start).
Once the main Novabench window is displayed on the screen, press the Start Tests button , wait for the analysis of the RAM and the rest of the computer hardware to be started and completed and then you can consult the response with all the various details at following.
Geekbench (Windows / macOS / Linux)
When it comes to RAM testing programs, it is practically impossible not to mention Geekbench . It is one of the most popular solutions currently around for testing the performance of computers and mobile devices. It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux and allows you to evaluate the state of the GPU, that of the CPU and to have an accurate picture of the relationship between the performance of the RAM and that of the processor, all without too many technicalities. It is paid (it has prices starting at $ 9.99 per license), but you can try it for free for 30 days.
To download the program on your computer, go to its website and first click on the Download button and on the Download for Windows button or on the Download for macOS button , depending on the operating system you are using.
When the download is complete, if you are using Windows , open the .exe file obtained and, in the window you see appear on the desktop, click on the Yes button . Then click on the Next and I Agree buttons , click on the Next button again , then on the Install button and complete the setup by clicking on the Finish button .
If you are using macOS , on the other hand, open the .dmg package you just obtained and drag the Geekbench icon into the Applications folder on your computer, then right-click on it and select the Open item twice in a row, in order to start the application going to circumvent the limitations of Apple towards the software of non-certified developers (an operation that must be carried out only at the first start). Then press the Agree button , in the window that is shown on your desktop, so as to accept the conditions of use of the program.
Now that you see the Geekbench window on the screen, click on the Later button to start the trial of the program, then click on the Run CPU Benchmark button . If you are using a Mac, you must first select the CPU tab located on the left.
When the test is completed, you will be able to consult the results in the browser window. If you want, you can also create a free account on the Geekbench site, by clicking on the Sign up button located at the top, in order to save all the results of your tests and to be able to consult them later.
MemTest (Windows)
If you have a PC with Windows , another RAM test program that you can consider appealing is MemTest . It is a small free application that allows you to check the correct functioning and the goodness of the computer memory directly from the operating system, without restarting the PC or burning verification systems on CD and DVD. Note that it may also be available in some paid variants (with prices starting from $ 5) that include several extra features, such as the ability to carry out automatic and periodic tests.
To download the program on your computer, go to its website and select the link Download it now! , then click the Click here to download MemTest.zip link on the new page that appears.
Once the download is complete, extract the ZIP archive obtained in any location and start the MemTest.exe file . Then click on the OK button in the window that is shown to you on the desktop and, once the main program screen is displayed, specify the amount of MB of memory to be tested in the appropriate field and click on the Start testing and OK buttons .
Then I wait for the test to be started and completed. If any errors are detected, MemTest will report it and the RAM analysis will be automatically stopped.
Rember (macOS)
Didn’t the solutions to carry out the RAM test on Mac that I have already mentioned to you have been able to attract your attention in a particular way? Then take a look at Rember immediately and you will see that you will not regret it. It is, in fact, one of the best free applications in the category as regards the macOS universe , through which it is possible to examine the memory of Apple computers without leaving the operating system, through a pleasant user interface.
To download the program on your computer, go to its website and click on the Rember vxxxx link at the top.
When the download is complete, open the .dmg file obtained and move the Rember icon to the MacOS Applications folder , then right-click on it, select the Open item from the context menu and press the Open button in the window that appears on the screen, so such as to start the program, however, going around the limitations imposed by Apple on non-certified developers (an operation that must be performed only at the first start).
Now that you see the main screen of the software, indicate the amount of RAM: you can select the All option to test all the memory or you can check the box below and type the amount of MB of RAM to test.
Then, specify how many test cycles to perform using the Cycles field located on the right or if you want to perform the maximum number of cycles allowed, check the Maximum box .
Then click on the Test button to start the analysis. At the end of the process, you will be able to know the response by going to the Report tab of the application.
Other programs to test RAM
None of the programs to test the RAM that I have reported to you has particularly convinced you and, therefore, would you like to know if I can offer you some alternatives ? Of course yes, God forbid! In the list below, in fact, you will find other useful software to test the correct functioning of the memory of your computer that in my opinion you would do well to take into consideration.
- Memtest86( Windows / macOS / Linux ) – is an advanced software that burns to a blank CD or DVD and runs in place of the operating system to run a series of tests on the computer’s memory. It doesn’t have a very attractive user interface (it’s text-only), but it’s much less difficult to use than you fear. It is sufficient, in fact, to start it and wait for the outcome of the check. Basically it’s free, but it is also available in a paid version (at a base cost of $ 44) that includes extra features, such as support for booting on UEFI platforms.
- Windows Memory Diagnostic(Windows) – You don’t necessarily need to download third-party software to test RAM on Windows. In fact, it is also possible to use this utility included “standard” in the system, accessible by searching for the “Windows Memory Diagnostic” tool in the Start menu, which allows you to test the correct functioning of the RAM before starting the operating system.
- PassMark PerformanceTest( Windows ) – it is an excellent benchmarking tool that contains in a single solution all the tools necessary to test the performance of RAM (through various memory access operations), processor (performing mathematical operations, compressions, encryption files, etc.), graphics card (2D and 3D graphics test) and hard disk (read and write). It is only for Windows and is paid (costs $ 29), but can eventually be tried for free for 30 days.
- Apple Diagnosis(macOS) – this is a free diagnostic tool included “standard” in Cupertino computers that allows you to perform tests on the status of the memory, logic board and other components of the Mac, in order to detect any malfunctions due to defective components. I have explained to you in great detail how to proceed in my guide on how to test Mac RAM .
- TechTool Pro( macOS ) – is a popular Mac-specific diagnostic tool that is capable of testing computer RAM, hard drives and SSD drives. It also offers other very useful functions, such as those for cloning and volume optimization and the one to create bootable drives for diagnostics / recovering. It is paid (costs € 114.99).
