Can RAM "die"?

Question

Hi-
About 6-8 months ago I bought a 1GB RAM chip to max out my G4 iBook to 1.5, and it worked flawlessly. No problems.
Recently I noticed some strange performance issues, so I checked the Apple System Profiler, and was surprised that now only the on-board RAM was being recognized.
I opened the case and re-installed it (to make sure the connection hadn't come loose), I reset the PRAM, but nothing has worked.
Can RAM just connk out and die like this?
Thanks for our help.

Answer 1

Ed Amp wrote:
Hi-
About 6-8 months ago I bought a 1GB RAM chip to max out my G4 iBook to 1.5, and it worked flawlessly. No problems.
Recently I noticed some strange performance issues, so I checked the Apple System Profiler, and was surprised that now only the on-board RAM was being recognized.
I opened the case and re-installed it (to make sure the connection hadn't come loose), I reset the PRAM, but nothing has worked.
Can RAM just connk out and die like this?
Yes memory modules can just flat out die for several reasons.
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is probably the most common, but usually occurs from handling components. Static electricity builds up and those tens of thousands of volts can break down electronic components. There could be mechanical failure of the board wiring and/or solder joints. The most rare failure would be where the integrated circuits just break down.
There's also the possibility that something in your computer has broken down. Maybe the slot or board wiring to the memory module.