Test the system for the presence of devices. Computer hardware testing

Knowing the potential of a computer is very convenient when we plan to do something special with it - from installing resource-intensive applications, through overclocking, to expanding or replacing components.

Photo source: Jeff Hester / CC BY-NC-SA

Diagnostic program useful, for example, if you need to expand memory - this is one of the simplest and most common computer upgrades. If you don't know what memory should I buy?, then the advice is simple - the same one that you already have, and the programs presented below will tell you this. For example, Speccy will also tell you how many free slots the computer has for additional memory, and if they are all already occupied - in this case we will have to replace current memory modules of higher capacity.

The programs from this section will provide invaluable help if we are waiting for the release of our favorite game with amazing graphics and want to check whether the computer will match it technical requirements. The applications presented here display detailed information about your computer's components. Some measure device temperatures during operation and are able to display information in the tray. Some of them are testing programs that allow you to check the operation of computer components under a certain load.

Opportunity monitoring the status of your computer and getting information about its configuration without resorting to paper instructions, this is an amazing advantage modern electronics. When we only need to monitor the temperature and fan speeds, it is enough to use SpeedFan, which, by the way, will help in diagnostics hard drive and SSD. CPU-Z and GPU-Z are simple applications who will provide full information about the processor, video card and memory - this data will be appreciated by people planning to replace equipment or wanting to compare their computer with other machines.

To find out all the secrets of your computer: not only the main components, but also the periphery, operating system And software, use programs such as Speccy, AIDA64 Extreme or HWiNFO--. Latest application is also a great alternative to SpeedFan, eliminating the need to install multiple tools at the same time.

The last group of diagnostic applications, which we include Passmark Performance Test and CrystalDisk Info, allows us to check the performance of our computer components.

CPU-Z/GPU-Z diagnostics

Diagnostic programs showing additional information about computer components.

pros:

Accurate information about the processor, memory, Motherboard BIOS fees.
Current processor and memory clock speed.
Useful for beginners and advanced overclockers.
Exact GPU specification.

Minuses:

No temperature measurements

English language

Price: free

Speccy - component information

pros:

Accurate information about nodes.
Elegant and intuitive interface.
Selected variable parameter can be displayed as a tray icon.
Available in portable version.
Bypasses the UAC window and can start with the system.

Russian language
Distribution type: freeware
Price: free

Information about computer nodes in HWiNFO--

A program that displays information about nodes. Generates reports and allows you to check and compare the performance of computer components.

pros:

Shows a lot of data.
Supports temperature sensors.
Displays operating parameters as dynamically changing icons in the system tray.
Supports old and new hardware versions, including server configurations.

English language
Distribution type: freeware
Price: free

AIDA64 Extreme - a powerful diagnostic tool

AIDA64 Extreme has long been known as powerful tool computer diagnostics. Displays information about components, programs and drivers, temperature. Allows you to run tests.

pros:

Complete information about all computer hardware and software configurations.
Convenient wizard for creating reports.
Allows you to test stability under heavy load.
Basic set tests.

Minuses:

In the demo version, some of the results are hidden.

Russian language
Distribution type: trial
Price: approx. 40$

PassMark Performance Test - component testing

A program for testing computer components. You can get a detailed analysis of them. Test results can be compared with the results of other users.

pros:

Shows basic facts.
Wide range of possibilities comparison of test results.
Lots of tests for various components.
Ability to customize tests.
You can copy summary data about the equipment to the clipboard.

English language
Distribution type: trial
Price: approx. $27

CrystalDiskMark - a simple disk testing tool

CrystalDiskMark is a compact and easy-to-use testing tool hard drives. Checks the speed of writing and reading data in a short test. Presents measurement results in a convenient and attractive form.

pros:

Performs measurements for various sizes test samples.
You can set the number of test passes, the results are average.
Tests read and write speed: continuous, sequential.

English language
Distribution type: freeware
Price: free

SpeedFan - monitoring legend

This is a legendary application whose main task is to monitor voltages, component temperatures and fan speeds, as well as control the operation of the cooling system.

pros:

Displays component temperatures in the system tray.
Visually signals that the permitted operating parameters have been exceeded.
Able to control the rotation speed of fans when the equipment allows such adjustment.
Equipped with a tool to monitor SMART hard drive data.

Russian language
Distribution type: freeware
Price: free

At first glance, most home users do not need to know the hardware of their computer, but this is only provided that someone in your household takes care of hardware-related issues. And if you are unlucky, then some basic information on this issue you'll have to look for it yourself. The fact is that sooner or later you will have to upgrade your PC. Of course you can replace one system unit to another, more modern one. But, perhaps, in quite a number of cases it will be sufficient to replace (or supplement) it individual components- let's say, just buy more memory. But to adopt the right upgrade strategy, you should clearly know what Hardware you have installed, and understand what your computer is missing for more fast work: processor power, memory, hard drive speed, etc. Finally, let's assume that you purchased new computer or upgraded the old one - it is obvious that you should quickly find your bearings and understand whether the computer really works stably and whether the filling of its system unit corresponds to what was stated at the time of purchase, without disassembling the unit itself, on which there may be a seal. Therefore, any user should have simple information and diagnostic tools at hand that would provide information about the available hardware (processor, video adapter, ports, printers, sound card, memory, etc.). They also made it possible to evaluate the performance (special benchmarking tests are used for this purpose) and stability (that is, to conduct so-called stress testing) of the computer. We will focus on programs that provide solutions to such problems in this article.

⇡ Everest 5.30 (Ultimate Edition)

Developer: Lavalys Consulting Group, Inc.
Distribution size: 9.7 MB
Spreading: shareware Everest is a well-known information and diagnostic solution designed for diagnosing hardware and software computer resources and computer testing. Provides detailed information about both the computer as a whole and all its subsystems, and can also be used to test individual components for performance and test the entire system for stability. The utility is regularly updated and therefore supports the vast majority of modern processors, motherboards, hard drives and other components. IN currently the program (there is a Russian-language localization) is presented in two editions; the Everest Ultimate Edition is designed for the general user (previously there was another edition Everest Home Edition offered for free - last free version 2.20). The demo version of the program works for 30 days, but not all tests work in it; the cost of the commercial version of the Everest Ultimate Edition is $39.95. The main Everest window is divided into two zones. On the left there is a tree-like menu of sections, which provides access to the main modules of the program; on the right, information on the selected section or module is displayed. There are many sections - as many as 15. The most relevant from the point of view of home users are the following: “Computer”, “Motherboard”, “Operating system”, “Display”, “Multimedia”, “Data storage”, “Network”, “Devices”, "Programs", "Security", "Configuration" and "Test". The "Computer" section contains aggregate information about hardware components, the system and BIOS, as well as data on processor overclocking, power supply features, the status of system hardware monitoring sensors, etc. Other sections provide more detailed information about the hardware and software components of the system. It makes sense to add subsections that you have to access quite often to the "Favorites" tab for more quick access to them.

By expanding the "Motherboard" section, you can find out more details O central processor, system board, memory, basic system input/output (BIOS), etc. The "Display" section combines modules that provide information related to graphical interface systems - information about the video adapter and monitor, desktop settings, available video modes, installed fonts, OpenGL, etc. Through the "Multimedia" section you can get information about multimedia capabilities systems - multimedia devices and installed audio and video codecs. The Data Storage section provides information about the hard drives and optical drives, as well as the logical and physical structure of hard drives, values and statuses of SMART parameters of hard drives.

The "Devices" section provides information about devices installed in the system. The relevant information can be presented in the traditional format Windows form(subsection " Windows devices") or in more detail (other subsections) with information about physical interface devices and system resources they use.

The "Operating System" section contains detailed information about Windows (including installation date and license key), system services, processes and installed drivers, and also provides lists of AX and DLL files and data on the non-stop operation of the computer. The "Network" section provides access to data about network adapters, properties network connections, network resources and Internet settings. The "Programs" section displays information about installed applications, scheduled tasks, programs launched when the computer starts, file association settings, etc.

Through the "Security" section you can get information about the security level of the operating system, see a list installed updates, and also find out what protection applications (antivirus, firewall, anti-spyware and anti-Trojan software) are used on the computer. And in the “Configuration” section it’s easy to clarify regional settings, look at environment variables, a list of modules in the control panel and a list system folders and also see the contents system files and records of events that took place. The "Test" section includes a set of tests that evaluate memory performance (read/write/copy speed, latency measurement for memory and cache stress testing) and CPU performance and FPU (multi-threaded testing). Both tests compare performance with other systems, including the newest ones. Any benchmarking test is launched using the "Update" command from the context menu.

Three more benchmarking tests are available through the "Service" menu: "Disk Test" (measuring the performance of hard drives, optical drives and USB drives), “Cache and Memory Test” (measuring the bandwidth and latency of the processor cache and memory), “Monitor Diagnostics” (checking the display quality of LCD and CRT monitors). And also “System Stability Test” for simultaneous stress testing system memory, processor and local disks in real time, while the heating state of the system is controlled by constantly monitoring the dependence of the processor temperature on its load. In addition, the Tools menu opens the Everest CPUID panel, providing a compact display of processor, motherboard, memory and chipset data.

The built-in report wizard (menu "Report") allows you to generate a report based on the received information and diagnostic data (all or only some) text format or HTML or MHTML formats (reports in MHTML format include icons). The created report can be immediately printed and sent via e-mail or saved to a file.