pc voltage

[nighthawk]

i just installed a harware doctor program and is telling me that my -12v voltage is exceting the max limits. it is going from -12.? to -13.?do i need to wory about it? what can i do to fix it if so. i have been having a lot of memory trouble, could this be the problem?

[lonewolf]

Regular PC memory doesn't use 12V. 12V is used mostly for powering disk drives and fans and biasing audio. Getting 13V on your 12V circuit shouldn't cause you any problems, but any more than that probably will. If memory is giving you trouble, try pulling it and cleaning the contacts with contact cleaner spray and reinstalling it.

[tornandfrayed]

Describe your memory problems in more detail.

[nighthawk]

the memory i installed origonally worked good for about a year then my system started crashing and so forth. it was giving me memory errors so i used one of those memory testing boot cds and it failed badly. i purched another stick and installed it throwing out the old and it worked good for a little while till the system started crashing and so forth. i ran the memory test boot cd again and it faled. i purchesed another stick of memory and it worked good for a while but again the same thing happened. i again did the same thing thinking there is no way i could get that many sticks of memory to fail in a row. guess again. just recently i had issues with the on board video going in and out so i broke down and purchesed a new mother board. video is fine now but i still need to replace the memory. i am hoping the board took care of the problem. the board came with some sort of pc doctor program and everytime i open it up it starts flashing warnings about the -12 volt thingy exceding the limits. i dont know. i am beging to think that im not supposed to have a nice running system.

[lonewolf]

Depending on the RAM's spec, you could need anywhere from 1.6V to 3.3V +-0.1V. This voltage supply is regulated on the motherboard. If the motherboard was supplying lower voltage than spec, the higher current would fry the RAM.

Chances are, you fixed the problem with the new motherboard, but it might be prudent to spend $30-$40 on a new power supply.