How to check the functionality of your computer without third-party programs. Computer testing online

Computer performance is the absolute or relative speed of its individual components or the system as a whole. The user needs such data mainly to assess the capabilities of the PC when performing various tasks. For example, in games, programs for rendering images and videos, coding or compiling codes. In this article we will look at performance testing methods.

Checking your computer's performance can be done in several ways: using standard system tools, as well as using special programs and utilities or online services. They allow you to evaluate the performance of both specific nodes, for example, a video card or processor, and the entire computer. They mainly measure the speed of the graphics subsystem, CPU and hard drive, and to determine the possibility of comfortable gaming in online projects, it makes sense to determine the Internet speed and ping.

CPU performance

CPU testing is carried out when overclocking the latter, as well as under normal operating conditions in the case of replacing the “stone” with another, more powerful one, or vice versa, a weak one. The test is carried out using programs or Cinebench. To evaluate stability under maximum load, .

Video card performance

To determine the performance of the graphics subsystem, special benchmark programs are used. Of the most common, we can mention. Typically used for stress testing.

Memory performance

Testing a computer's RAM is divided into two types - checking performance and identifying problems in modules.

Hard drive performance

When checking hard drives, the speed of reading and writing data, as well as the presence of software and physical bad sectors, is determined. For this, the programs CrystalDiskMark, CrystalDiskInfo, Victoria and others are used.

Comprehensive testing

There are ways to check the performance of the entire system. This can be software from third-party developers or a standard Windows tool.

Among third-party programs, we can highlight a program that is capable of testing all hardware components of a PC and assigning them a certain number of points.
The “native” utility gives its assessment to the components, based on which their overall performance can be determined. For Win 7 and 8, it is enough to perform certain actions in the snap-in "Properties of the system".

In Windows 10 you need to run "Command line" on behalf of the Administrator.

Then enter the command

winsat formal –restart clean

and press ENTER.

At the end of the utility, you need to go to the following path:

C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\DataStore

Double click to open the file indicated in the screenshot.

The selected block will contain information about system performance ( SystemScore– overall score based on the lowest score, other items contain data on the processor, memory, graphics subsystem and hard drive).

Online check

Online testing of computer performance involves the use of a service located on the global network. Let's look at the procedure using an example UserBenchmark.

Internet speed and ping

The data transfer speed over the Internet channel and signal delay depend on these parameters. You can measure them using both software and services.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are quite a few ways to check system performance. If you need regular testing, then it makes sense to install some programs on your computer. If you need to evaluate performance once, or the test is not carried out regularly, then you can use the service - this will allow you not to clutter the system with unnecessary software.

09.09.2016

The article provides programs that allow you to conduct both comprehensive testing of a computer and individual subsystems. All programs support modern hardware and software, including Windows 8.1.

In some cases, assessing PC performance, the results provided by the computer's built-in test tools are not enough. Then you need to use professional testing tools. They perform a more detailed assessment of the performance of the computer's hardware and allow you to obtain detailed information about the system.

Despite the similarity in purpose of such utilities, their significant diversity is hidden, differing in implementation, ease of use, set of diagnostic tools and program functionality. There are both highly specialized ones, designed for a detailed study of one of the computer subsystems, and those that make it possible to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis of the system and subsystems separately.

Test modules allow you to determine the composition of a computer system and make decisions on ways to improve its performance. Analysis of the systematized information displayed on the screen about the existing system can give the user a specific answer to the causes of problems that occur when working with the computer.

It offers today's most popular computer testing utilities, providing the user with information about the functioning of hardware and software. At the same time, the main requirements were accessibility, a high degree of information content and functionality.

These are the programs (to download the program, click on it):

AIDA64

A full test of the computer is carried out using the professional AIDA64 utility, which provides the user with system information, as well as configuration and diagnostic data for the equipment used. Modern versions of the program are produced by FinalWire Ltd, Budapest, Hungary. The latest product build 5.00.3300 dates back to December 2014. The company produces products on a commercial basis, but the AIDA64 Network Audit or AIDA64 Business version can be tested within a month on a computer with a free license by filling out the order form presented on the developer’s website and receiving a key for use and download link via email. The AIDA64 v5.00 utility is currently also available for smartphones and tablets.

The program allows you to check your computer completely; detailed information about the scan results is presented in a report that opens, which can be saved in html, csv or xml formats. The computer test results contain information about the hardware and the full composition of the software, namely the operating system, drivers, startup, installed and launched programs under the Microsoft Windows operating system. The AIDA64 utility shows all running processes, as well as hotfixes (patches) and licenses, and retrieves hardware information at a relatively low level using its own database, which contains information about approximately 21,000 devices. The program can collect information from remote computers over a TCP/IP network.

The utility's interface allows you to set the Russian language, which makes it accessible to the Russian-speaking population.

Start page AIDA64 v5.00
AIDA64 v5.00 Graphics Process Benchmark
AIDA64 v5.00 system stability test (click to enlarge)
AIDA64 v5.00 processor test (click to enlarge)

Hard drive testing

PC3000DiskAnalyzer

PC performance also depends on the performance of the hard drive. Testing a computer's hard drive can be done, for example, using the free PC3000DiskAnalyzer utility.

The program names of the executable files are PC3000DiskAnalyzer.exe, PrfChartView.exe and ReportViewer.exe.

The utility supports popular media, such as: HDD, SATA, SCSI, SSD, external USB HDD/Flash.

The utility is launched by the file PC3000DiskAnalyzer.exe, the window that opens asks you to select the type of hard drive that is supposed to be scanned. Next, the main program window appears.

PC3000DiskAnalyzer window for selecting disk type

Start testing the disk by pressing the “test/run” button, or by pressing the F9 key. Next, you are asked to select one of the testing options:

Verification;
Reading;
Record;
HDD RAM cache test.

Test window

The “verification” and “read” options are quite safe, while the “write” and “HDD RAM cache test” modes can lead to data loss. To check the disk in a gentle mode, “verification” is quite enough. The mode allows you to check the speed indicators of your hard drive, find bad sectors, and determine which of them respond quickly and which have errors. The output diagram shows the errors present on the disk and the sectors that are responding with a delay.

Testing RAM

MemTest

The MemTest utility tests the RAM of computers running on the x86 and x86-64 platforms. Two versions of the program are common: MemTest86 and MemTest86+. The versions were written by different authors, but the idea of the test is the same: compare write and read data, this is done in two passes. The check is carried out from low to high ranks and vice versa.

The utility does not require an operating system and is carried out by its own bootloader. The utility is easy to use and has high operating speed. The program identifies deviations and instability of the computer and will help debug the system after changes made related to replacement or overclocking, introducing the equipment to its maximum operating mode. The latest version 5.01 was released in 2013, although the authors made changes a little later. The utility can be downloaded from the official website.

Monitor testing

Nokia Monitor Test

The most famous set of computer tests used to check the quality of TFT and CRT monitors is the Nokia Monitor Test. Tests allow you to check and configure:

Focus degree;
No geometric distortions;
Image saturation;
Brightness and contrast of the picture;
Presence of dead pixels;
And some other parameters.

The program is accompanied by reference information, the program is free, its most popular version is 2.0, you can download it from the website.

Nokia Monitor Test main window

Testing video cards

FurMark

Window for launching the FurMark program

The FurMark program is designed for testing personal computer video cards. It determines whether the overclocked video card is stable and how efficient the cooling system is. A distinctive feature of FurMark is the use of a stress test function that ensures the maximum load on the card.

Its features:

Free product;
Compact, fast tests;
Testing for the required resolution, up to 4K;
Measuring video card parameters and determining the load for the cooling system;
Almost all video cards are supported.

FurMark testing window

Graphics testing

3DMark

Computer tests 3DMark 11, developed by the Finnish company Futuremark, are aimed at determining the performance of graphic components and a comprehensive assessment of a personal computer when playing computer games. Its main purpose is to test stability and evaluate the performance of a personal computer video card. The program is developed for hardware and software platforms that support the MS Windows family of operating systems, in particular it supports Windows 8.1.

The latest versions of the program, in addition to the video card, also test the central processor for gaming artificial intelligence tasks and the physics engine. It is essentially a computer game that is non-interactive for the user.

Most releases of the program divide tests into two groups: gaming and specific synthetic ones. The first represent a non-interactive, almost full-fledged computer game that works in real time and uses a game engine. Unlike a full-fledged user, he does not influence the gameplay and does not control the progress of the game or the virtual camera; his task is to observe. The test measures the number of frames and the frame rate per second. The next type of test is calculation-based and evaluates only those GPU units that perform specific operations, such as shaders, texturing, rasterization, etc.

The latest version 1.0.5 of the program was released on April 19, 2013. The basic version of the program with unlimited test use time can be downloaded for free from the official website of the program.

3DMark 11 launch window

Bottom line

Having tested the computer using these means, the user is able to independently assess how efficient his computer is, whether his computer is capable of running powerful games, video editing, and working with 3D graphics.

The first thing you should find out if your computer is “sick” is the nature of the disease, because the cause can be either software or hardware. And if you can deal with software errors yourself, following our advice from, then with hardware faults you will have to contact the service or replace faulty PC components yourself.

1 RAM fault

In the MemTest86+ utility, designed to test the performance of RAM modules, testing is carried out from the DOS operating environment, and not from Windows

If signs of a problem indicate a malfunction of the RAM modules, just run the memtest86+ test from a USB flash drive or bootable CD. If red error messages appear on the blue interface of a running utility, the faulty memory modules should be replaced. Typically, with slight damage to the RAM, errors may not appear immediately, but during system operation when performing memory-demanding tasks: for example, such as unpacking large archives.

2 HDD diagnostics

If programs freeze when performing file operations, there is a possibility that this is caused by problems with the hard drive. In this case, you need to check the HDD using the Checkdisk utility built into Windows. You can launch it by going to “My Computer”, right-clicking on the corresponding HDD partition, selecting “Properties” and the “Service” tab, clicking on the “Run scan” button.

Also, if you suspect problems with your hard drive, you need to check the output of the built-in S.M.A.R.T diagnostic utility. To do this, use the free utility “Speccy”.

3 Overheating of system components

The easiest way to determine that your computer is overheating is to go into the BIOS (or UEFI interface on modern motherboards) and in the “Health” or “Power” section look at the CPU and chipset temperature indicators. If the values exceed 50-60°C at rest, then the problem is most likely overheating.

You can also find out information about temperature using the already mentioned “Speccy” utility, which shows the temperature of all sensors on your computer, including the processor, memory, motherboard and video chip.

To correct the situation, as a rule, most often it is enough to simply clean the PC components from dust using a can of compressed air and a vacuum cleaner. If the computer is under warranty and sealed, then you can blow out the cooling radiators with compressed air through the ventilation holes. In rare cases, if the computer has been in service for several years, it makes sense to disconnect the heatsink and replace the thermal paste of the central processor and video card. As a rule, this must be done after 3 years of using the PC.

4 Motherboard failure

If traces of electrolyte are visible on the motherboard capacitors, then it is better to immediately replace it with a new one

The most difficult problems to diagnose are those caused by failure of motherboard components. In this case, a physical examination will help you. If there are traces of temperature effects on the surface (change in color of the coating) or there are electrolyte stains on the cross-section of the capacitors, it is better to replace such a board immediately. If a physical inspection of the motherboard did not help, but you are sure that it is faulty, try, if possible, connecting guaranteed working components (CPU, RAM, power supply) to it from another PC to check its functionality.

Good opportunities for diagnosing hardware problems are provided by the Ultimate Boot CD. By burning it to a CD or USB flash drive, you can load it at any time and diagnose individual systems of your PC.

5 Don't forget about backups

Before you start trying to fix your computer, we strongly recommend that you back up your data and transfer personal information from the system partition. It is also advisable to activate the creation of operating system restore points. In Windows 8, this is done through the extended “System Properties” menu: keyboard shortcut Win+X -> System -> Advanced system settings -> System protection. In this tab, enable system disk protection and then click the “Create” button. After this, when the system boots, you can press the F8 button to get to the system recovery menu and use the created checkpoint.

6 What can you do yourself?

If any hardware part breaks down, if the device is under warranty, you should take it to service. Otherwise, the most you can fix yourself is to replace the memory modules and hard drive, as well as vacuum and blow out the components of the system unit with compressed air in case of overheating. For other problems, it is better to contact specialists.

PHOTO: manufacturing companies; diosmic, Gewoldi, ermingut, ludinko/Istockphoto.com

The need to test the performance of a particular computer component arises infrequently. Provided, of course, that you are not doing this professionally. And yet, no, no, and there is a need to check how fast the new one is, to compare with other owners of similar configurations the “parrots” shown by the newly installed video card, to be proud of the performance of the latest generation processor. We'll talk about what utilities you might need to test your computer's performance.

Why testing is needed

I have already mentioned one of the reasons - to check how much faster the system works with new components, for example, after an upgrade. Or you just got your hands on a device and you don’t mind running benchmarks on it. But sporting interest is only one side of the issue.

Such testing allows, among other things, to seriously load the system, both as a whole and its individual components. This can be useful for identifying the source of problems if the computer is prone to random freezes, reboots, blue screens, etc. This is not just a performance test, but also a stability test.

This can also help you choose the optimal driver that achieves maximum performance; testing allows you to make sure that the cooling system is doing its job. For example, when replacing a processor with a newer and possibly hotter one, the old cooler may no longer cope with the increased load. Of course, the processor will not burn out, but it may start to slow down. Why is this necessary? Is this what the upgrade was for?

In general, such a check is useful in different situations. And in order to carry it out, you need the appropriate tools. In this case, specialized utilities and software packages. Next, I will indicate a list of popular and frequently used means. The list, of course, does not pretend to be complete, and if I missed anything interesting, write in the comments. Let's put together an optimal set of programs, make a “gentleman's” set of needs for testing computer hardware.

Test procedure

Just a few words about how to test a computer. This is not a revelation, but I’ll remind you anyway.

First, you need to update device drivers (if any). It is highly advisable to get them (drivers) from the websites of equipment manufacturers. Personally, I am not a fan of using various programs that provide driver sets or automatically monitor and update them. Still, the process of what is installed there on your computer should be controlled independently.

Secondly. The correct power plan should be installed in the system in order to prevent certain devices from stopping, as well as to exclude any restrictions in the processor operating parameters, etc.

Third. Turn off all programs running in the background so that nothing interferes with the tests. Naturally, you should not use your computer while the verification process is in progress.

I guess that's all. Well, also be patient and prepare for the fact that you will have to spend some time on all these activities.

System check

PCMark 10

One of the most popular packages for checking the system as a whole. The program is paid. The basic free configuration has limitations and can only perform general testing. The extended version costs $29.99. At the end of the tests, a certain numerical result is displayed that can be compared with other systems; the test results are available on the Internet.

Link to the program.

PassMark PerformanceTest 9.0

Another set of tests to evaluate system performance. Initially, 32 standard tests are available, divided into 5 groups, as well as 8 custom tests. The results can also be compared with others online.

The program is paid, but there is a 30-day trial period for free use.

Link to the program.

CPU check

SuperPi

A small free utility that calculates Pi to a certain decimal place. The program has not been updated for a long time, but it is quite suitable for testing speed, although there is a limitation - the calculation is performed in one thread, i.e., at best, one processor core is loaded.

Link to the program.

wPrime

Similar to the previous program, it calculates the number Pi to a certain decimal place, but, unlike it, it works in multi-threaded mode, which allows you to load all processor cores. The program is also free.

Link to the program.

Cinebench

A very popular processor test, it is good, in particular, because it simulates the execution of some real work, since a 3D scene is rendered. The program is free and works on both Windows and iOS.

Link to the program.

Geekbench

Cross-platform benchmark for testing processor and memory. It is possible to publish your results or compare them online with existing ones. The program is paid, but there is a free trial period.

Link to the program.

Checking video cards

3D Mark

One of the most famous test packages for checking video cards. Although the program is paid, there is a free trial period. Based on the test results, a certain value is displayed that reflects performance.

Unigine Heaven

Free GPU testing program. Scenes are rendered in real time, which allows you to evaluate performance. There are several tests available.

Download program.

Game tests

This is not the name of the test package. The best test for a video card is the games themselves, and some of them have a built-in benchmark, for example, Hitman, Metro 2033 and a number of others.

Memory testing

AIDA64

In reality, this is a whole package of utilities for testing computer components, as well as displaying detailed information about it. Memory test is one of the features of this program. Versions available for Windows, iOS, Ubuntu, Android, Windows Phone. AIDA64 is paid, but there is a free period of use.

Download program.

Memtest86+

The program is quite old, but remains relevant. Unlike others, it allows you to create a bootable CD or flash drive and run the test without loading the OS. This program is useful when there is a suspicion that the RAM is not working correctly. If the system has several RAM sticks, it is best to test them one at a time.

Download program.

Drive testing

Crystal Disk Benchmark

A free utility that allows you to evaluate the performance of your drive. Can be used with both HDDs and SSDs.

Download program.

Anvil's Storage Utilities

A program for comprehensive testing of drives. Several tests are performed in different modes. The results are shown both in MB/s, IOPS, and in certain points given to the device under test. Allows you to compare the performance of different drives under different loads.

Many people, before buying a computer, are tormented by the question of how to choose the right laptop or personal computer and whether their performance is enough to solve the tasks. If you are not very knowledgeable about the characteristics of processors, motherboards and video cards, then this article is just for you.

Evaluating computer performance in Windows 7.

In the Windows 7 operating system, it is possible to evaluate the performance of a computer, taking into account its configuration. The resulting assessment will help you see the overall picture of your computer's performance and capabilities. This is very convenient, for example, in a store, after spending only 7-10 minutes, you can compare the ratings of two laptops you like and then choose the best one among them. Or, when buying a PC in a store yourself, without the manager’s assurances, find out the approximate characteristics of the computer and how suitable it is for you.

The resulting overall score, for example, 5.9 points on two different computers will not tell us anything, but will only lead us even more into the dark regarding the choice of a particular PC.

How Windows 7 evaluates your computer's performance.

Computer performance is assessed on a scale from 1.0 to 7.9 points, respectively, the higher the value, the better.

The assessment is affected
1. Performance and number of processor cores.
2. Amount of RAM
3. Video card memory capacity and performance
4. Hard drive type and connection interface*

* Computer performance increases above 5.9 only if you use an SSD or high-speed HDD 10000rpm or 15000rpm as the main disk.

This is quite enough for a superficial assessment of the computer's capabilities. Now let's figure out how to evaluate the points received, whether there are many or few, and what criteria exist.

Let's go to Start->Control Panel->System and Security->System->Windows Experience Index

Office productivity. If the computer is intended for working with office programs (Word, Excel) and browsing web pages (Internet), working with mail, etc., you should pay attention first of all to the processor and memory ratings (preferably a value of at least 5.0 ). Graphics – for office work, a score of 2.0 or more is sufficient. If you want to comfortably use all the multimedia capabilities of Windows 7 and the Aero style, the graphics rating must be at least 3.0.

Game option. You want to buy a computer for gaming and for programs that use graphics resources (editing and digital video encoding), important evaluations will be the central processor, memory and, of course, graphics. The recommended value is at least 7.0 for each of the 3 named components.

Games involve three-dimensional graphics, which every year require more and more video card performance to process them. Therefore, today a Graphics rating below 7.0 points is not sufficient for comfortable playing modern games with good screen resolution.

Using your computer as a Media Center. The computer will be used as a media center, which means processor and RAM ratings are important (at least 4.5 points), graphics - a rating of 3.0 or higher is sufficient.

The overall performance rating for a Windows 7 computer is based on the lowest-performing PC device. In this case, it is a hard drive (image below). Nowadays, the weak link in computer performance is the hard drive, the speed of which lags behind the capabilities of the processor and video card. Therefore, do not be too upset if the overall score between you and your friend with a weaker configuration is the same - only 5.9 points.

How to improve your computer performance rating?

2. Overclock the processor or video card. Overclocking some processor models allows you to achieve a performance increase of about 20%, and overclocking video cards - up to 10%. Which in total gives a noticeable increase in computer performance.

After replacing hardware or overclocking, you need to re-evaluate the system.
Start->Control Panel->System and Security->System->Windows Experience Index-> Repeat assessment