Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (
More info?)
Like everything else, solid state devices are not perfect. They do fail on
occasion. There are a multitude of reasons why. Back in the seventies,
studies at my then employer GE found evidence of minute contamination in the
materials that are used to make a "chip" or "die". Most would (and did)
cause failure in a short period of time. Others caused devices to fail only
if certain operating conditions existed. A very few allowed a device to
function seemingly normally for years before failure. It's actually quite
hard to find/isolate a reason for failure when a failed device is basically
nothing but a "crispy critter" inside it's case. (assuming that an external
cause did not exist)
Speculation on the stick failure would depend upon the construction of the
strip and the chips on it.
(Addressing circuitry, or failure of a single memory chip might easily cause
1/2 of the strip to fail.)
"Jerry" <NoSpamChiefZeke@MSN.com> wrote in message
news:%23Le8AUUPFHA.2728@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>I bought three sticks of 256Mb RAM for use on an ABIT BE6-II motherboard a
>while ago. Recently one of the sticks went bad - memory stopped counting
>after 256 but before 512. Removed stick in #2 slot and everything is ok
>now; system runs fine with 512Mb.
>
> Have no idea as to why - no power problems, no heat issues, etc. Just went
> bad. (Since my background includes 27+ years working on airborne
> electronic equioment while in the US Air Force I was not surprised at a
> failure - it happens.)
>
> "bliss" <blissfull@america.com> wrote in message
> news:%235ruHARPFHA.1500@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>> cars break down, marriages break down, computers break down...
>>
>> just wondering what is the life expectancy of a stick of ram?
>>
>> seems to me that once its placed tightly into its slot, there arent
>> many parts capable of 'breaking down'.
>> as such, can anyone here tell me the life expectance?
>>
>> thanks
>>
>>
>
>