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MemoryTester — memory and stress testing your Mac
MemoryTester is designed to “stress test” your Mac, particularly memory. Use it whenever you suspect a memory problem and/or to detect flakiness under load.
MemoryTester is available bundled with DiskTester and IntegrityChecker. It is not available separately.
Features
under max load
The MemoryTester program is a command line interface (Terminal) application whose main function is to run a system stress test, to maximally stress a computer’s CPU, memory and disk subsystems.
It also includes a few related commands:
- compute — assesses raw computing power;
- alloc — scarfs up and holds system memory, to help simulate low-memory situations
Why would I want to use it?
Heat is the worst enemy of electronics, and the MemoryTester stress conmand is the most efficient way to heat up the memory, CPU and entire computer, by running it at maximum load.
You simply cannot stress the machine with normal applications that way you can with MemoryTester. If there’s going to be a memory or system failure due to heat, MemoryTester will provoke it. A flaky system might even crash during the test; this is what you want to happen: to reveal problems up front, not in the middle of critical work.
Do be sure to backup your data first, just in case you have a flaky system that might be prone to crashing.
Memory testing
Running a stress test is a good way to check if the new memory is going to work under heavy load, particularly memory of dubious provenance. Save yourself the time and aggravation of sporadic problems, and learn in advance whether that new memory works under duress, or not. See All About Mac Pro Memory for background on memory testing.
For most systems, a test duration of one hour should be sufficient to provoke any latent problems, but a flawless overnight run is the proof in the pudding. Be sure to check for ECC errors after the stress test.
How does MemoryTester work?
Please see the MemoryTester User Manual for complete details, and also the software license.
If a command-line interface makes you uncomfortable, please see Command Syntax Primer.
Utilized by performance-review site barefeats.com
The MemoryTester application has proven itself in testing of memory at barefeats.com. Refer to their Quick Takes page (September 1, 2006). Barefeats.com plans a full review of various memory modules.
Mac OS X compatibility
MemoryTester runs on Apple’s Mac OS 10.4.x (Tiger) and 10.5.x (Leopard). It is a 64-bit program that can test and access all available memory
Command line interface
MemoryTester is run in Terminal as a command line interface. This is deliberate as it minimizes the system “footprint” and allows testing the maximum amount of memory.
How to buy PERMALINK
Please buy using the button on the Software page; MemoryTester is available as part of the MemoryTester suite of tools.
FAQ (frequently asked questions) PERMALINK
Is MemoryTester a 64-bit application?
Yes. On 32-bit system the 32-bit version will run. The 64-bit version can test all available memory.
What makes MemoryTester the best choice?
There is no other tool that will stress test your Mac like MemoryTester can. If your Mac passes an extended test, you can be sure its memory is reliable.
