Computer testing software. Program for identifying computer hardware Aida64. Visual inspection of power supply unit

How to identify the components located inside the computer and view their parameters? How to check a processor or video card for performance and absence of overheating? It is enough to use testing and diagnostic software.

Alternative programs: Catzilla, Unigine Superposition, Unigine Heaven, 3D Mark 11

PCMark is, in turn, a popular tool for checking the overall performance of a computer. The tests include, but are not limited to, applications such as office worksheet operations, 2D graphics operations, Internet browsing, and video conferencing.

In the latest version, however, they abandoned the media test (SSD or HDD). Only the Basic version is free.

If you want to test how your computer handles a virtual reality task and handles games designed for glasses Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, VR Mark will come in handy. As with other Futuremark programs, only the Basic version is free.

The tool is equipped with three tests, of which one is basic (Orange), for VR games using DirectX 12 (Cyan) and the most demanding ones (Blue).

Alternative program: SteamVR Performance Test

CPU-Z – for hardware identification

The main and most popular program for identifying processors, motherboards (including UEFI version BIOS), memory (including SPD) or graphics cards. We get the exact preview equipment data.

You can also test the processor in mono- and multi-threaded applications, and compare the results with other processors in the database. If you want to know what exactly is on your computer and how it works, this is the first application you should install.

Thanks to CPU-Z you can easily check, for example, at what frequency and delays the RAM operates, as well as the processor clock speed in real time. It is worth noting the fact that an Android version is available.

Alternative programs: Crystal CPU ID, Speccy

GPU-Z is the main program for identifying video cards and their characteristics, including their current frequency. A basic test is available in the application, which allows you to “quickly” verify that the video card is working correctly.

It is worth noting, however, that the test in this program will not give confidence that, for example, when overclocked, the video card will work completely stably. To do this, it is worth using more advanced products, for example, a stress test in the 3D-Mark program.

Alternative program: GPU Caps Viewer

Cinebench is a benchmark tool based on the Cinema 4D engine to test CPU performance. It does this by creating a 3D scene - the test can be done using all threads central processor or just one thread. This gives a good idea of the capabilities of the processors.

Cinebench also has a built-in graphics card test that uses a complex 3D scene that, using a car chase example (made by renderbaron), measures performance graphics card in OpenGL mode.

Alternative programs: LuxMark (3D graphics rendering with using the CPU or GPU), CompuBench (3D graphics rendering using GPU)

OCCT 4.5.1 – stability and temperature check

Alternative programs: FurMark, Prime95 or for temperature monitoring SpeedFan, RealTemp and CoreTemp.

MemTest86 is great program to check the correct operation of the RAM. This is one of those components stable work which is very important for computer performance.

The program starts with bootable flash drive(or CD/DVD if someone else uses them).

Alternative program: Prime95

Prime95 – stability or temperature test under load

Another great program for testing the stability or temperatures of computer components under high load. We can choose between tests that load the most, for example, RAM or CPU.

Alternative programs: OCCT, MemTest86

It's hard to point out just one the best program to test the performance of storage media (hard HDDs and SSD), but if you already have to do it, then CrystalDiskMark will be your favorite. It allows you to check the performance of media, both in the case of reading/writing sequential data and for small files.

It gives a good idea of real characteristics node being tested. If you are interested not only in performance (but, for example, also SMART readings, the ability to download new firmware or perform Secure Erase operations), it is worth taking an interest in the applications included with the manufacturers' disks. For example, in the case of SanDisk, the SanDisk SSD Dashboard program is available, and in the case of Samsung, Samsung Magician is available.

Alternative programs: AS, AS SSD, manufacturer's programs included

Checking (diagnostics) of a computer or laptop– a mandatory operation when overclocking their components. Residents who do not use the overclocking option may need to test their computer when purchasing new system. This is especially true when the hardware is taken “by hand”, i.e. without any special guarantee. In this case, it is necessary to carry out diagnostics processor, video card, memory etc. to make sure stability of a computer or laptop under load.

Computer stability test usually performed by long-term load on its components. For each of the nodes being checked, they usually use their own diagnostic program. It would seem that you can launch one resource-demanding game and the processor, video card and memory will be automatically checked, but this is not so. Typically, games place a large load on the graphics system, and the central processor may not be used at full capacity. As a result, the CPU was left without testing under maximum load. That is why there are independent diagnostic programs.

Please note that testing (of any component) should take as long as possible: a couple of minutes is usually not enough even to simply warm up before maximum temperature diagnosed hardware. You can be more or less sure about stability only after 10-15 minutes of operation of the unit at the maximum temperature. Those. after launched diagnostic program, it is necessary to monitor the temperature of the component being tested, and after its temperature has stopped rising, at least 10-15 minutes of its operation without failures are necessary. It usually takes up to 5 minutes to warm up.

How to check the processor.

Previously, the site already posted information about, which creates the maximum load on the CPU and warms it up well. This is one of the best utilities of its kind. In principle, there are many similar programs that, in addition to a stability test, are also utilities from the “benchmark” section for assessing CPU performance.

Quite suitable for checks And modern archiver WinRAR, which has a built-in function for assessing the performance of a computer’s computing capabilities and no errors at the same time (“Tools”-“Benchmark” or “Alt+B”). In addition, it also loads the memory well, so if its operation is unstable, the error counter will be different from zero. Now many archivers have a similar benchmark function - including a popular and quite good one archiver "7-Zip".

CPU temperature monitoring under maximum load may reveal a problem such as insufficient cooling. In rare cases, the maximum permissible temperature reaches 95 degrees. Usually somewhat lower. So if you see readings from the corresponding sensors close to these values, you should replace the cooling system CPU (in best case scenario– enough to replace the thermal paste under the radiator).

Checking the video card.

Checking the video card– the most spectacular stage computer diagnostics or laptop. Unlike boring tables in CPU test utilities, at this stage the monitor will please the eye of amateurs computer games all sorts of fantastic characters, landscapes or simply beautiful abstract figures that will require all the power of the video card.

One of the most popular programs for checking a video card - “FurMark”. In addition to the fact that the utility copes with its tasks perfectly, it takes very little disk space. Those who are unable to remember the name of this program can always find it in the search engine for the query “ hairy donut”, since this is exactly what the picture on the monitor looks like during the diagnostic process. By the way, for temperature monitoring graphics chip, memory frequencies and the GPU itself there is no need for third party utilities– “” displays this data on the screen on top of the “donut”. This is exactly what software product we used in the assessment temperature regime video cards " " from Asus. A definite plus is that FurMark is free program , which can be downloaded from the official website.

« 3DMark" is another extremely popular program whose main function is. The history of this utility goes back to the distant past, what is happening on the monitor is breathtaking, and you can’t take your eyes off the magnificent graphics highest quality in the latest versions of this software for the latest and fastest graphics adapters. Some versions include not only GPU checking, but also CPU stress testing, so if there is a categorical lack of time for testing, you can limit yourself to a complete run of all the tests from the proposed "3DMark" utility set (bypassing separate CPU testing [ but at least 3-5 minutes in LinX is still desirable]). The disadvantages of 3DMark include the impressive amount of disk space it takes up and the need to pay some amount to forgive additional tests, and not just basic ones. Except free "3DMark Basic Edition" the developer offers a “3DMark Advanced Edition” for $25, and a “3DMark Professional Edition” for a whopping $1000.

How to check RAM.

If there are malfunctions in the operation of modules random access memory problems usually appear when testing other components, but there are also specialized verification programs. We have repeatedly mentioned in articles about “”, which includes suitable utilities. One of them is "". If you select this item in the BootMenu, then RAM check will start automatically in a few seconds. Immediately after downloading, the program will prompt you to select safe mode(F1) or multi-threaded (F2).

During the process, the upper right area of the screen will display progress, the number of complete passes and a count of errors found. If bad blocks are found, a list of them will be displayed at the bottom of the screen. After successful completion of a full pass through the entire available memory area, the test will automatically start over, and the message “ Pass complete, no errors found, press Esc to exit" Pressing "Esc" will restart the computer.

Can carry out diagnostics and means operating system. Windows 7 has a built-in " Checker Windows memory " Find it through the built-in search menu " Start"or manually: "Start" - "Control Panel" - "System and Security" - "Administrative Tools" - "Windows Memory Checker". When you select this item, the system will prompt you to reboot. After a reboot, the built-in testing mechanism will automatically start. After the test is completed, the computer will automatically restart into Windows, and you will see a message in the notification area with diagnostic results.

How to check your hard drive.

Unlike other components of your computer Storage System may have a cost several times higher than the rest of the hardware. More precisely, it is not the drives themselves that are very expensive, but the data that is stored on them. In view of this, it is recommended to check not only the drive being installed in the system, but also regularly monitor the condition hard drive, at least looking through the values from S.M.A.R.T. The number that says the most about a disk's reliability is "reassigned" sectors (« Reallocation Sector Count") - This bad sectors, who were replaced by spares from the reserve area. View SMART You can use most disk checking programs.

Many PC owners are faced with various errors and computer malfunctions, but cannot determine the cause of the problem. In this article, we will look at the main methods for diagnosing a computer, allowing you to independently identify and fix various problems.

Keep in mind that high-quality diagnostics of a computer can take the whole day; set aside a day in the morning specifically for this, and do not start everything in the late afternoon.

I warn you that I will write in detail as for beginners who have never disassembled a computer, in order to warn about everyone possible nuances which can lead to problems.

1. Disassembling and cleaning the computer

When disassembling and cleaning your computer, do not rush, do everything carefully so as not to damage anything. Place components in a pre-prepared safe place.

It is not advisable to start diagnostics before cleaning, since you will not be able to identify the cause of the malfunction if it is caused by clogged contacts or the cooling system. Additionally, diagnostics may fail to complete due to repeated failures.

Unplug the system unit from the outlet at least 15 minutes before cleaning so that the capacitors have time to discharge.

Perform disassembly in the following sequence:

Disconnect all wires from the system unit.
Remove both side covers.
Disconnect the power connectors from the video card and remove it.
Remove all memory sticks.
Disconnect and remove cables from all drives.
Unscrew and remove all discs.
Disconnect all power supply cables.
Unscrew and remove the power supply.

There is no need to remove the motherboard, processor cooler, or case fans; you can also leave the DVD drive if it works normally.

Carefully blow off the system unit and all components separately with a powerful stream of air from a vacuum cleaner without a dust bag.

Carefully remove the cover from the power supply and blow it out without touching the electrical parts and the board with your hands or metal parts, as there may be voltage in the capacitors!

If your vacuum cleaner does not work on blowing, but only on blowing, then it will be a little more difficult. Clean it well so that it pulls as hard as possible. When cleaning, it is recommended to use a soft bristled brush.

You can also use a soft brush to remove stubborn dust.

Thoroughly clean the processor cooler heatsink, having first examined where and how much it is clogged with dust, since this is one of the common reasons CPU overheating and PC crashes.

Also make sure that the cooler mount is not broken, the clamp is not opened and the radiator is securely pressed to the processor.

Be careful when cleaning fans, do not let them spin too much and do not bring the vacuum cleaner attachment close if it does not have a brush, so as not to knock off the blade.

After cleaning, do not rush to put everything back together, but move on to the next steps.

2. Checking the motherboard battery

The first thing after cleaning, so as not to forget later, I check the battery charge on the motherboard, and at the same time reset the BIOS. In order to pull it out, you need to press the latch with a flat screwdriver in the direction indicated in the photo and it will pop out on its own.

After this, you need to measure its voltage with a multimeter, optimally if it is within 2.5-3 V. The initial battery voltage is 3 V.

If the battery voltage is below 2.5 V, then it is advisable to change it. The voltage of 2 V is critically low and the PC is already starting to fail, which manifests itself in resetting the BIOS settings and stopping at the beginning of the PC boot with a prompt to press F1 or some other key to continue booting.

If you don’t have a multimeter, you can take the battery with you to the store and ask them to check it there, or just buy a replacement battery in advance, it’s standard and very inexpensive.

A clear sign of a dead battery is the date and time on the computer constantly disappearing.

The battery needs to be changed in a timely manner, but if you don’t have a replacement on hand right now, then simply do not disconnect the system unit from the power supply until you change the battery. In this case, the settings should not be lost, but problems may still arise, so do not delay.

Checking the battery is a good time to full reset BIOS. This resets not only the BIOS settings, which can be done through the Setup menu, but also the so-called volatile CMOS memory, which stores the parameters of all devices (processor, memory, video card, etc.).

Errors inCMOSoften cause the following problems:

computer won't turn on
turns on every other time
turns on and nothing happens
turns on and off by itself

I remind you that before resetting BIOS system the unit must be unplugged from the outlet, otherwise the CMOS will be powered by the power supply and nothing will work.

To reset the BIOS, use a screwdriver or other metal object to close the contacts in the battery connector for 10 seconds; this is usually enough to discharge the capacitors and complete cleaning CMOS.

A sign that a reset has occurred will be an erroneous date and time, which will need to be set in the BIOS the next time you boot the computer.

4. Visual inspection of components

Carefully inspect all capacitors on the motherboard for swelling or leaks, especially in the processor socket area.

Sometimes capacitors swell down instead of up, causing them to tilt as if they were just slightly bent or unevenly soldered.

If any capacitors are swollen, then you need to send the motherboard for repair as soon as possible and ask to resolder all the capacitors, including those located next to the swollen ones.

Also inspect the capacitors and other elements of the power supply; there should be no swelling, drips, or signs of burning.

Inspect the disc contacts for oxidation.

They can be cleaned with an eraser and after that be sure to replace the cable or power adapter that was used to connect this disk, since it is already damaged and most likely caused oxidation.

In general, check all the cables and connectors so that they are clean, have shiny contacts, and are tightly connected to the drives and motherboard. All cables that do not meet these requirements must be replaced.

Check that the wires from the front panel of the case to the motherboard are connected correctly.

It is important that the polarity be observed (plus to plus, minus to minus), since there is a common ground on the front panel and failure to observe the polarity will lead to a short circuit, which is why the computer may behave inappropriately (turn on every other time, turn off itself or reboot) .

Where the plus and minus in the front panel contacts is indicated on the board itself, in the paper manual for it and in the electronic version of the manual on the manufacturer’s website. The contacts of the wires from the front panel also indicate where the plus and minus are. Typically the white wire is the negative wire, and the positive connector may be indicated by a triangle on the plastic connector.

Many even experienced assemblers make a mistake here, so check.

5. Checking the power supply

If the computer did not turn on at all before cleaning, then do not rush to assemble it; first of all, you need to check the power supply. However, in any case, it won’t hurt to check the power supply; maybe it’s because of it that the computer is crashing.

Check the power supply fully assembled to avoid electric shock, short circuit, or accidental fan failure.

To check the power supply, short the only green wire in the connector motherboard with any black. This will signal to the power supply that it is connected to the motherboard, otherwise it will not turn on.

Then plug the power supply into the surge protector and press the button on it. Don't forget that the power supply itself may also have an on/off button.

A spinning fan should be a sign that the power supply is turned on. If the fan does not spin, it may be faulty and needs to be replaced.

In some silent power supplies, the fan may not start spinning immediately, but only under load; this is normal and can be checked while operating the PC.

Use a multimeter to measure the voltage between the contacts in the connectors for peripheral devices.

They should be approximately in the following range.

12 V (yellow-black) – 11.7-12.5 V
5 V (red-black) – 4.7-5.3 V
3.3 V (orange-black) – 3.1-3.5 V

If any voltage is missing or greatly exceeds the specified limits, then the power supply is faulty. It is best to replace it with a new one, but if the computer itself is inexpensive, then repairs are allowed; power supplies can be done easily and inexpensively.

Power supply startup and normal voltages good sign, but in itself does not mean that the power supply is good, since failures can occur due to voltage drops or ripples under load. But this is already determined at subsequent stages of testing.

6. Checking power contacts

Be sure to check everything electrical contacts from the outlet to the system unit. The socket must be modern (suitable for a European plug), reliable and not loose, with clean elastic contacts. The same requirements apply to the surge protector and the cable from the computer's power supply.

Contact must be reliable, plugs and connectors must not dangle, spark, or be oxidized. Pay close attention to this, as bad contact often causes failure of the system unit, monitor and other peripheral devices.

If you suspect the quality of the outlet, surge protector, power cable of the system unit or monitor, then change them as quickly as possible to avoid damage to the computer. Do not delay or save on this, as repairing a PC or monitor will cost much more.

Also, poor contact is often the cause of PC malfunctions, which are accompanied by sudden shutdown or a reboot with subsequent failures on the hard drive and, as a result, disruption of the operating system.

Failures can also occur due to voltage drops or ripples in the 220 V network, especially in the private sector and remote areas of the city. In this case, failures may occur even when the computer is idle. Try measuring the voltage in the outlet immediately after the computer spontaneously turns off or restarts and watch the readings for a while. This way you can identify long-term drawdowns, from which a linear-interactive UPS with a stabilizer will save you.

7. Assembling and turning on the computer

After cleaning and inspecting the PC, carefully reassemble it and carefully check that you have connected everything you need. If the computer refused to turn on before cleaning or turned on only once, then it is advisable to connect the components one by one. If there were no such problems, then skip the next section.

7.1. Step-by-step PC assembly

First, connect the motherboard power connector and the processor power connector to the motherboard with the processor. Do not insert RAM, video card or connect disks.

Turn on the power of the PC and if motherboard everything is fine, the processor cooler fan should spin up. Also, if a beeper is connected to the motherboard, it usually sounds sound code, indicating a lack of RAM.

Memory installation

Turn off the computer with a short or (if that doesn’t work) long press of the power button on the system unit and insert one stick of RAM into the colored slot closest to the processor. If all the slots are the same color, then just go to the one closest to the processor.

Make sure that the memory stick is inserted evenly until it stops and that the latches snap into place, otherwise it may be damaged when you turn on the PC.

If the computer starts up with one stick of memory and there is a beeping sound, then a code usually sounds indicating that there is no video card (if there is no integrated graphics). If the beep code indicates problems with the RAM, then try inserting another stick in the same place. If the problem continues or there is no other bracket, then move the bracket to another nearby slot. If there are no sounds, then everything is probably fine, continue further.

Turn off the computer and insert the second memory stick into the slot of the same color. If the motherboard has 4 slots of the same color, then follow the instructions for the motherboard so that the memory is in the recommended dual channel mode slots Then turn it on again and check whether the PC turns on and what sound signals it makes.

If you have 3 or 4 memory sticks, then simply insert them one by one, turning the PC off and on each time. If the computer does not start with a certain stick or produces a memory error code, then this stick is faulty. You can also check the motherboard slots by moving the working strip into different slots.

Some motherboards have a red indicator that lights up in case of memory problems, and sometimes a segment indicator with an error code, the explanation of which is in the motherboard manual.

If the computer starts, then further memory testing occurs at another stage.

Installing a video card

It's time to test the video card by inserting it into the top PCI-E slot x16 (or AGP for older PCs). Don't forget to connect extra food to the video card with the appropriate connectors.

With a video card, the computer should start normally, without beeps, or with a single sound signal, indicating normal completion of the self-test.

If the PC does not turn on or emits a video card error code, then it is most likely faulty. But don't rush to conclusions, sometimes you just need to connect a monitor and keyboard.

Connecting a monitor

Turn off the PC and connect the monitor to the video card (or motherboard if there is no video card). Make sure that the connector to the video card and monitor is connected tightly; sometimes tight connectors do not go in all the way, which is the reason for the absence of an image on the screen.

Turn on the monitor and make sure that the correct signal source is selected on it (the connector to which the PC is connected, if there are several of them).

Turn on the computer and a graphical splash screen and text messages from the motherboard should appear on the screen. Usually this is a prompt to enter the BIOS using the F1 key, a message about the absence of a keyboard or boot devices, this is normal.

If the computer silently turns on, but there is nothing on the screen, there is most likely something wrong with the video card or monitor. The video card can only be checked by moving it to a working computer. The monitor can be connected to another work PC or device (laptop, player, tuner, etc.). Don't forget to select the desired signal source in the monitor settings.

Connecting a keyboard and mouse

If everything is fine with the video card and monitor, then move on. Connect the keyboard first, then the mouse, one at a time, turning the PC off and on each time. If the computer freezes after connecting a keyboard or mouse, it means they need to be replaced - it happens!

Connecting drives

If the computer starts with a keyboard and mouse, then we begin to connect the hard drives one by one. First, connect the second drive without the operating system (if you have one).

Do not forget that in addition to connecting the interface cable to the motherboard, you also need to connect the connector from the power supply to the drive.

Then turn on the computer and if it comes to BIOS messages, then everything is fine. If the PC does not turn on, freezes or turns itself off, then the controller of this disk is faulty and needs to be replaced or repaired to save the data.

Turn off the computer and connect the DVD drive (if any) with an interface cable and power supply. If problems arise after this, then the drive has a power failure and needs to be replaced; repairing it usually makes no sense.

At the end, we connect the main system drive and prepare to enter the BIOS for initial setup before starting the operating system. We turn on the computer and if everything is fine, move on to the next step.

When you turn on your computer for the first time, go to the BIOS. Typically used for this Delete key, less often others (F1, F2, F10 or Esc), which is indicated in the prompts at the beginning of the boot.

On the first tab, set the date and time, and on the "Boot" tab, select first boot device your hard drive with the operating system.

On older motherboards with a classic BIOS it may look like this.

On more modern ones with graphics UEFI shell a little different, but the meaning is the same.

To exit the BIOS and save the settings, press F10. Don't get distracted and watch what happens full load operating system to notice possible problems.

After the PC has finished booting, check whether the fans of the processor cooler, power supply and video card are working, otherwise there is no point in further testing.

Some modern video cards may not turn on the fans until a certain temperature of the video chip is reached.

If any of the case fans does not work, then it’s not a big deal, just plan to replace it in the near future, don’t be distracted by it now.

8. Error analysis

This is where diagnostics essentially begin, and everything described above was just preparation, after which many problems could go away and without it there was no point in starting testing.

8.1. Enabling Memory Dumps

If blue screens of death (BSOD) appear while your computer is running, this can make troubleshooting much easier. A prerequisite for this is the presence of memory dumps (or at least self-written error codes).

To check or enable the dump recording function, press the “Win + R” key combination on your keyboard, enter “sysdm.cpl” in the line that appears and press OK or Enter.

In the window that appears, go to the “Advanced” tab and in the “Boot and Recovery” section, click the “Options” button.

In the “Record” field debugging information"should be "Small memory dump".

If so, then you should already have dumps of previous errors in the "C:\Windows\Minidump" folder.

If this option was not enabled, then dumps were not saved, enable it at least now to be able to analyze errors if they recur.

Memory dumps may not be created in time during serious failures that involve rebooting or shutting down the PC. Also, some system cleaning utilities and antivirus programs can remove them; you must disable the system cleaning function during diagnostics.

If there are dumps in the specified folder, then we proceed to their analysis.

8.2. Memory dump analysis

To analyze memory dumps in order to identify what leads to failures, there is a wonderful utility “BlueScreenView”, which you can download along with other diagnostic utilities in the “” section.

This utility shows files in which a failure occurred. These files belong to the operating system, device drivers, or some program. Accordingly, based on the file’s ownership, you can determine which device or software caused the failure.

If you cannot boot your computer into normal mode, then try to boot into a safe mode by holding down the “F8” key immediately after disappearing graphic splash screen motherboard or text messages BIOS.

Go through the dumps and see which files appear most often as the culprits of the failure, they are highlighted in red. Right-click on one of these files and view its Properties.

In our case, it is easy to determine that the file belongs to the nVidia video card driver and most of the errors were caused by it.

In addition, some dumps contained the “dxgkrnl.sys” file, even from the name of which it is clear that it refers to DirectX, which is directly related to 3D graphics. This means that it is most likely that the video card is to blame for the failure, which should be subjected to thorough testing, which we will also consider.

In the same way, you can determine that the fault is caused by a sound card, network card, hard drive, or some program that penetrates deeply into the system, such as an antivirus. For example, if a disk fails, the controller driver will crash.

If you cannot determine which driver or program a particular file belongs to, then look for this information on the Internet by the file name.

If failures occur in the driver sound card, then most likely it has failed. If it is integrated, then you can disable it through the BIOS and install another discrete one. The same can be said about the network card. However, network failures can be caused, which is often resolved by updating the driver network card and connecting to the Internet via a router.

In any case, do not make hasty conclusions until the diagnostics are completely completed; maybe your Windows is simply faulty or a virus has entered, which can be solved by reinstalling the system.

Also in the BlueScreenView utility you can see the error codes and inscriptions that were on blue screen. To do this, go to the “Options” menu and select the view “ Blue Screen in XP Style" or press the "F8" key.

After that, switching between errors, you will see how they looked on the blue screen.

By the error code you can also find the possible cause of the problem on the Internet, but by the ownership of the files this is easier and more reliable. To return to the previous view, you can use the “F6” key.

If errors always appear different files and various error codes, then this is a sign possible problems with RAM in which everything crashes. We will diagnose it first.

9. Testing RAM

Even if you think that the problem is not in the RAM, still check it first. Sometimes a place has several problems, and if the RAM fails, then diagnosing everything else is quite difficult due to frequent PC failures.

Running a memory test from a boot disk is prerequisite, so as to obtain accurate results in the operating room Windows system It’s difficult on a faulty PC.

In addition, “Hiren’s BootCD” contains several alternative memory tests in case “Memtest 86+” does not start and many more useful utilities for the test hard drives, video memory, etc.

You can download the “Hiren’s BootCD” image in the same place as everything else – in the “” section. If you do not know how to properly burn such an image to CD or DVD disc, refer to the article where we looked at, here everything is done exactly the same.

Set BIOS to boot from DVD drive or use " Boot Menu"as described in, boot from Hiren's BootCD and run "Memtest 86+".

Testing can last from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the speed and amount of RAM. One full pass must be completed and the test will go around the second round. If everything is fine with the memory, then after the first pass (Pass 1) there should be no errors (Errors 0).

After this, testing can be interrupted using the “Esc” key and the computer will reboot.

If there were errors, you will have to test each strip separately, removing all the others to determine which one is broken.

If the broken bar is still under warranty, then take a photo from the screen using a camera or smartphone and present it to the warranty department of the store or service center(although in most cases this is not necessary).

In any case, it is not advisable to use a PC with broken memory and carry out further diagnostics before replacing it, since various incomprehensible errors will appear.

10. Preparation for component tests

Everything else, except RAM, is tested under Windows. Therefore, in order to exclude the influence of the operating system on the test results, it is advisable to do, if necessary, temporarily and the most.

If this is difficult for you or you don’t have time, then you can try testing on an old system. But, if failures occur due to problems in the operating system, some driver, program, virus, antivirus (i.e. in the software part), then testing the hardware will not help determine this and you may go down the wrong path. And on a clean system, you will have the opportunity to see how the computer behaves and completely eliminate the influence of the software component.

Personally, I always do everything as expected from start to finish as described in this article. Yes, it takes a whole day, but if you ignore my advice, you can struggle for weeks without identifying the cause of the problem.

The fastest and easiest way is to test the processor, unless of course obvious signs, that the problem is in the video card, which we will talk about below.

If your computer starts to slow down some time after turning it on, freezes when watching videos or playing games, suddenly reboots or turns off under load, then there is a possibility of the processor overheating. In fact, this is one of the most common causes of such problems.

At the cleaning and visual inspection stage, you should have made sure that the processor cooler is not clogged with dust, its fan is spinning, and the radiator is securely pressed against the processor. I also hope that you did not remove it when cleaning, as this requires replacing the thermal paste, which I will talk about later.

We will use “CPU-Z” for a stress test with warming up the processor, and “HWiNFO” to monitor its temperature. Although, it is better to use for temperature monitoring proprietary utility motherboard, it is more precise. For example, ASUS has “PC Probe”.

To begin with, it would be a good idea to find out the maximum allowable thermal envelope of your processor (T CASE). For example, for my Core i7-6700K it is 64 °C.

You can find out by going to the manufacturer’s website from an Internet search. This is the critical temperature in the heat spreader (under the processor cover), the maximum allowed by the manufacturer. Do not confuse this with core temperature, which is usually higher and is also displayed in some utilities. Therefore, we will focus not on the temperature of the cores according to the processor sensors, but on the overall temperature of the processor according to the readings of the motherboard.

In practice, for most older processors, the critical temperature above which failures begin is 60 °C. The most modern processors can operate at 70 °C, which is also critical for them. You can find out the actual stable temperature of your processor from tests on the Internet.

So, we launch both utilities – “CPU-Z” and “HWiNFO”, find the processor temperature sensor (CPU) in the motherboard indicators, run the test in “CPU-Z” with the “Stress CPU” button and observe the temperature.

If after 10-15 minutes of the test the temperature is 2-3 degrees below the critical temperature for your processor, then there is nothing to worry about. But, if there were failures during high load, then it’s better to run this test for 30-60 minutes. If your PC freezes or reboots during testing, you should consider improving cooling.

Please note that a lot also depends on the temperature in the room; it is possible that in cooler conditions the problem will not appear, but in hotter conditions it will immediately make itself felt. So you always need cooling with a reserve.

If your CPU is overheating, check if your cooler is compatible. If not, then you need to change it; no tricks will help here. If the cooler is powerful enough, but can’t handle it a little, then you should change the thermal paste to a more effective one; at the same time, the cooler itself may be installed more successfully.

Among inexpensive but very good thermal pastes, I can recommend Artic MX-4.

It must be applied in a thin layer, having first removed the old paste with dry material and then with cotton wool soaked in alcohol.

Replacing thermal paste will give you a gain of 3-5 °C; if this is not enough, then simply install additional case fans, at least the most inexpensive ones.

14. Disk testing

This is the longest step after the RAM test, so I prefer to leave it for last. To begin with, you can conduct a speed test of all drives using the “HDTune” utility, for which I give “”. This sometimes helps to identify freezes when accessing the disk, which indicates problems with it.

Look at the SMART parameters, where the “disk health” is displayed, there should be no red lines and the overall disk status should be “OK”.

List of main SMART parameters and what they are responsible for you can download in the “” section.

Full test surfaces can be produced using the same utilities from Windows. The process may take 2-4 hours depending on the size and speed of the disk (about 1 hour for every 500 MB). At the end of the test there should be no broken block, which are highlighted in red.

The presence of such a block is an unequivocal death sentence for the disk and 100% warranty case. Save your data faster and change the disk, just don’t tell the service that you dropped your laptop

You can check the surface as follows: regular hard disks (HDD) and solid state drives(SSD). The latter really don’t have any surface, but if the HDD or SSD drive will freeze every time during the test, which means that the electronics are most likely faulty - it needs to be replaced or repaired (the latter is unlikely).

If you are unable to diagnose a disk under Windows, the computer crashes or freezes, then try doing this using the MHDD utility from the Hiren’s BootCD boot disk.

Problems with the controller (electronics) and the disk surface lead to error windows in the operating system, short-term and complete freezes of the computer. Typically these are messages about the inability to read a particular file and memory access errors.

Such errors can be mistaken for problems with the RAM, while the disk may well be to blame. Before you panic, try updating the disk controller driver or, conversely, returning the original one Windows driver as described in .

15. Testing the optical drive

To check an optical drive, it is usually enough to simply burn a verification disc. For example, using the “Astroburn” program, it is in the “” section.

After burning a disc with a message about successful verification, try copying its entire contents on another computer. If the disk is readable and the drive reads other disks (except for hard-to-read ones), then everything is fine.

Among the problems with the drive that I have encountered are electronic failures that completely freeze or prevent the computer from turning on, breakdowns of the retractable mechanism, and contamination of the lens laser head and head breakage as a result of improper cleaning. In most cases, everything is solved by replacing the drive; fortunately, they are inexpensive and even if they have not been used for several years, they die from dust.

16. Body check

The case also sometimes breaks, sometimes the button gets stuck, sometimes the wiring from the front panel falls off, sometimes it shorts out in the USB connector. All this can lead to unpredictable behavior of the PC and can be solved by thorough inspection, cleaning, a tester, a soldering iron and other available means.

The main thing is that nothing short-circuits, as evidenced by a non-working light bulb or connector. If in doubt, disconnect all wires from the front panel of the case and try working on the computer for a while.

17. Checking the motherboard

Often, checking a motherboard comes down to checking all components. If all components individually work normally and pass tests, the operating system is reinstalled, but the computer still crashes, the problem may be with the motherboard. And here I can’t help you, diagnose it and identify a problem with the chipset or processor socket Only an experienced electronics engineer can do it.

The exception is the crash of a sound or network card, which can be solved by disabling them in the BIOS and installing separate expansion cards. You can resolder the capacitors in the motherboard, but, say, replacing the north bridge is usually not advisable, since it is expensive and there are no guarantees; it is better to immediately buy a new motherboard.

18. If all else fails

Of course, it is always better to discover the problem yourself and determine The best way solutions, since some unscrupulous repairmen try to pull the wool over your eyes and rip off your skin.

But it may happen that you follow all the recommendations, but cannot identify the problem, this has happened to me. In this case, the problem is most often in the motherboard or in the power supply; there may be a microcrack in the PCB and it makes itself felt from time to time.

In this case, there is nothing you can do, take the entire system unit to a more or less well-established computer company. There is no need to carry components in parts if you are not sure what is wrong, the issue will never be resolved. Let them sort it out, especially if the computer is still under warranty.

Computer store specialists usually don’t worry, they have a lot of different components, they just change something and see if the problem goes away, thus quickly and easily fixing the problem. They also have enough time to conduct tests.

19. Links

Transcend JetFlash 790 8GB
Hard Western drive Digital Caviar Blue WD10EZEX 1TB
Transcend StoreJet 25A3 TS1TSJ25A3K

Why does my laptop slow down? You can determine the causes using diagnostic utilities. You can download them from official websites, and installation is free or shareware (suggested test period, during which you can use the program for free).

Utilities for diagnosing laptop problems

AIDA64

The most popular utility among its kind. It is able to check all the parameters of the PC hardware by pointing to “ weak spots" in system. Works like with desktop computers, as well as with laptops/netbooks.

This is a product from the developers famous program Everest (no longer officially supported by the company).

Run AIDA64 to check all your computer components - the program can check the status of more than 150 devices. Test results are issued immediately useful recommendations. The program is available in two versions: Extreme and Business Edition. You can choose the one most suitable for your purposes.

The software is distributed free of charge for 30 days, after which you need to either uninstall it or purchase a license.

SpeedFan

Designed to check the condition of computer hardware components, including the hard drive, cooling system or motherboard. Shows the temperature of components in operating mode. The interface may seem complicated for a beginner, but after spending more time with the program and understanding its functions, you will find that it is quite convenient. SpeedFan can handle fairly complex problems by presenting information in the form of visual diagrams, graphs and diagrams.

Advanced users can additionally install the Prime95 utility as an application to SpeedFan. The work of these two programs in tandem allows you to monitor the condition of the laptop, as well as test tests for its individual components.

The utility is distributed free of charge.

MemTest

If your laptop is slow, it would be a good idea to check the RAM load. The MemTest utility can handle this.

What can this program do?

Diagnose operating system problems.
Check the quality of receiving and storing user data.
Test the operation of each RAM module separately.

Victoria 4.47

A multifunctional program that allows you to test and configure the configuration of all individual parts of the system: hard drive, optical drives and even the periphery. List of some functions of Victoria 4.47:

Formatting low-level HDDs.
Partitioning the hard drive into subpartitions with a given amount of memory.
Diagnosis of possible problems with connected devices.
Creation and recording virtual images disks.
Read information about the hard drive.
Monitoring noise during laptop operation.
Full monitoring of device status.
Detection of surface defects of optical discs.

This is not all of the utility's capabilities: it can even recover some information from damaged media using the method of copying arbitrary disk sectors.

MHDD

Is your laptop slow? Test results will tell you what to do and how to fix the problem. work hard disk using MHDD.

The program tests not only individual sections of the hard drive, but also its entire surface. Thanks to this, we get the maximum accurate information O state of rigid disk and identify the causes of problems.

What's special about this utility?

Speed of work.
The ability to independently set a password for the hard drive or its partitions.
Adjustment of acoustic noise.
Restoring damaged parts of an optical disc.
Diagnostics of several media at once.

Computer testing is necessary to quickly identify any problems in the system, both at the software and hardware levels.

If the test program shows a result that is different from normal, this indicates that one or more devices are not working correctly.

To get a more accurate diagnostic result, you should check your computer with several different programs.

Diagnostics using the Aida64 utility

This program is able to provide a report on the results of the work of all system components (hardware and programs). The utility is the most popular program for testing personal computers and laptops.

The application interface is very simple, so each user can conduct tests of the required component or the entire system as a whole.

The application interface is presented in Russian.

We will conduct a general scan of your computer for performance and possible problems using this application.

To begin the testing process, follow the instructions:

Open the program and click on the “Test” tab, which is located in the lower left corner of the program, as shown in the figure;

The testing tab presents all possible options scanning components such as memory. You can also diagnose the memory writing process and memory latency.
To test one of the elements, select it and then click on the “Start” button at the top of the toolbar;

Next, the program will show the processor power in comparison with others popular models and the main characteristics of the system, as well as possible problems;

Follow the instructions below to get a detailed system report:

Go to the main program window and click on the “Report” button, which is located on the main toolbar;

The Report Wizard will open. Click on the next button for more detailed settings outgoing report;

Select the report direction. It can be composed of software or hardware components. In this case, the hardware report will consist of diagnostic results of hardware partitions;

Then select the report format that is convenient for you and wait for the final document to be generated;
Example text format The initial report on hardware partitions is shown in the figure below.

Processor testing. CPU Tester Software

CPU testing can show it detailed parameters. Also, using such a test, you can determine existing problems with the central processor that are slowing down the computer.

Advice! If you have recently purchased a computer, it is advisable to test the processor and other hardware components to ensure that all hardware specifications provided by the manufacturer are correct.

You can test the processor using the program CPU Tester.

This utility has powerful functionality for testing the device’s processor and determining its basic parameters. The program is also able to identify problems and malfunctions and indicate their nature. The utility is also available online.

During testing, it is necessary to close all running programs and games, because they will additionally load the processor and final result testing will not correspond to reality.

After closing all running programs, click on the “Run Test” button to begin the process of conducting and generating testing of the central processor.

After the testing process is completed, the program will open a new custom window, which will list all the diagnostic results and processor parameters, as shown in the figure below. If desired, the report can be printed.

IN in this example The test shows that the processor operates stably, without any glitches.

Power supply testing

If your personal computer heats up too quickly, while all the fans are cleaned and working stably, you need to check the health of the power supply. It is necessary to check the voltage supply to the power supply.

Open the computer lid and disconnect the power supply from the case;

Computer power supply

Advice! To then fix the power supply in its original place, you can take a photo of its original position.

Connect the power supply to your network and test the switch.

To check the operation of the power supply at the software level, you can use speedfan program, which is capable of regulating the operation of the unit and controlling the operating modes of computer fans.

Testing RAM. Memtest program

To test RAM, it is best to use the Memtest utility, which is designed to regulate the operation and identify faults in the computer’s memory.

Testing is carried out as follows:

Download and install software for testing on the developer's website www.memtest.org;
Then you need to create a bootable disk or flash drive. Disk testing will be carried out in RAM, so it will be possible to determine its performance;
You need to boot your computer from the newly created disk. You can configure the boot order of devices in the computer BIOS.
If the testing process lasts a very long time and does not stop, this indicates that the system is working normally and there are no malfunctions in the computer’s RAM.
If any problems are found, the testing process will be stopped and the user will be notified of the errors found. Then the process of starting your operating system will begin. personal computer or laptop.

Monitor testing. IsMyLcdOK program

Monitor testing is carried out to find non-working or, as they are also called, “broken” pixels. Such pixels are unable to transmit color or information, so they will be visible on low-resolution screens.

A large number of such pixels indicate that the monitor is of poor quality or defective.

The best utility for checking your monitor image is IsMyLcdOK. This application allows the user to quickly determine the quantity dead pixels display.

The testing process is as follows: the screen is completely colored in specific color, the user needs to click on any place with the mouse so that the crane is colored new color.

This color change helps the naked eye identify bad pixels.

Testing your computer's performance in MAXON CINEBENCH R15

Testing Your Computer - Detailed Guide