If you look after your tech devices properly, most gadgets and components will keep working for a long time.

However, the delicate nature of electronic components means that a time will come when pieces start to falter—and nothing is more susceptible than your computer's RAM.

Today, we will look at some of the signs of bad RAM. If you see any of these issues, it might be a sign that RAM failure is imminent.

Why RAM Failure Matters

Why does it matter if your RAM is about to fail? After all, people soldier on for years with broken smartphone screens or iffy keyboards.

Sadly, RAM isn't something you can ignore—it's one of the most important parts of any computer (read our guide to RAM to learn more). It also has one of the highest failure rates out of all your machine's components.

In simple terms, RAM is responsible for how many apps your machine can run smoothly at any given time. The biggest RAM hogs are typically your operating system and your web browser, but as a general rule, the more complex a program is, the more RAM it will require.

You can think of it as your computer's short-term memory—it stores the data your computer is actively using. Hard drives are the long-term memory used to save stuff that you need to access between reboots.

Here are some of the most common faulty RAM symptoms that you might come across.

1. Diminishing Performance

One of the most tell-tale signs of RAM failure is diminishing performance over time.

If you find that your computer is running perfectly after you first power it up, but the longer you use it, the slower it becomes—you could be in trouble. The problem will be especially noticeable in memory-intensive apps such as Photoshop, complex video games, and web browsers.

Of course, faulty RAM might not be the cause of the problem: a misbehaving program could be eating through your machine's CPU or leaking memory. You can check your system usage, and if you can't pinpoint the cause of the performance degradation, it could be the RAM's health.

One test you can use is to restart your machine but don't fire up any apps. If the same thing keeps happening even without any apps running, it might be time to start shopping for new RAM modules.

2. Random Crashes

blue screen of death

Like the point on performance degradation, just because your computer randomly crashes, it does not necessarily mean that your RAM is faulty. However, it does point to the possibility that it might be faulty.

This is especially true if there doesn't appear to be any consistency to the crashes. For example, if you get the blue screen of death on Windows every time you try and open a certain app, it's likely that the app is the culprit rather than your hardware. But if you find that the crashes occur without warning and at random times, your RAM could be responsible.

You might also find your machine will reboot the moment it displays the desktop or that it crashes every time you try to install something new.

3. Video Card Fails to Load

When you turn on your computer, you'll almost always hear a loud beep. It indicates that your device's video and media hardware has been correctly recognized and booted.

If you don't hear the beep, it means it's not loaded—and bad RAM could be the cause. You'll also be shown an on-screen warning message as the operating system attempts to boot.

Again though, taken alone, it's not a cast-iron guarantee of malfunctioning RAM. The problem could be the video card instead.

If you wonder about faulty RAM symptoms on your Mac, listen carefully while turning it on. Usually, a triple beep signifies a RAM error has been detected.

4. Corrupted Data Files

You might suddenly find that files you access and use frequently are corrupted and cannot be opened.

Aside from being a lesson about the importance of making regular backups, it's another clear sign that your RAM is on the brink.

If you find more and more corrupted files, and the problem is getting worse over time, RAM is almost certainly to blame. It's because the defective RAM is causing your hard drive's structure to degenerate; eventually, you won't be able to boot your machine at all.

5. Incorrect System RAM Display

System RAM display

It's easy to check the amount of RAM your system thinks it has on both Windows and Mac. You can also check the maximum amount of RAM you can install, too.

Right-click on the Start menu on Windows and navigate to System > About. You'll be shown an overview of your machine's vital statistics, including the amount of RAM theoretically installed. If your system displays incorrect data, it might be a sign of bad RAM.

If you're on a Mac, navigate to Apple > About This Mac and make sure the Overview tab is selected. As with Windows, you'll be shown a few of your computer's stats, including the amount of RAM.

Does this amount tally with the amount your machine should have? If you're not sure, do a Google search for your device's product number.

How to Check If Your RAM Is Faulty

As we alluded to a few times, having one of the above symptoms does not automatically point to a RAM problem. There could be hundreds of other causes, including a bad power supply, excessive heat, a computer virus/malware, a corrupted operating system installation, or another faulty hardware component.

However, if you experience several of these issues regularly, it's prudent to run some diagnostic tests, as it could be a sign your RAM is faulty.

Check for Bad RAM on Windows

Windows comes with a built-in memory diagnostic tool. To run it, press Windows Key + R, type mdsched, and press Enter.

You'll be prompted to restart your machine. It will then run some tests before automatically restarting and returning you to the desktop. Any problems found will be displayed in a notification on the Taskbar.

Alternatively, you can try Memtest. It has been around for over 20 years and is widely considered the most thorough RAM testing tool.

Check for Bad RAM on macOS

Macs also come with their own built-in memory tester. To use it, restart your device and hold down D while it boots, then you'll be taken to the diagnostics screen.

On newer models, a memory test should start automatically. Users on older versions will need to select the Hardware Tests tab, tick the checkbox next to Perform extended testing (takes considerably more time), and hit Test.

Memtest will also work on Macs if you want a more thorough review. Check our full guide on testing your Mac's memory for more.

Do You Have RAM Problems?

Even if you're confident your system is constantly showing signs of RAM failure, don't rush into buying new RAM for your computer. First, check your RAM using the methods that we've shown above.

If your RAM has indeed gone bad, there's only one solution. Replace it. To avoid more problems, you should take your computer to a professional. But if you're tech-savvy enough, you can replace the RAM modules yourself.