Motherboard testing. Testing the system board. Setting BIOS parameters Testing the motherboard operation

Hi all. In today's article we will talk about a complete diagnosis of all devices in your computer. I will show and tell you how to independently diagnose a computer and all its component devices:

• HDD.
• RAM.
• Video card.
• Motherboard.
  
• CPU.
• Power unit.

We will check all this in this article and for each of the computer devices I will make a video in which I will clearly show how to diagnose a particular device.

In addition, using diagnostics, you will be able to determine whether you should completely replace the device or whether you can repair it; we will also analyze the main problems of devices that can be determined without diagnostics. Well, let's start with the most important question that interests everyone - HDD/SSD disk diagnostics.

HDD and SSD disk diagnostics.

Disk diagnostics are done in two directions, Smart is checked hard systems or solid-state drive and check the disk directly for bad or slow sectors. In order to check the SMART HDD and SSD, we will use the program. You can download it from our website in the download section.

Well, now let’s go directly to the disk diagnostics itself, after downloading the program, run the file of the required bit depth and look at the main window if you see a blue icon with the caption good or in English good means with yours SMART disk everything is in order and further diagnostics need not be carried out.

If you see a yellow or red icon with the words carefully, bad, then there are some problems with your disk. You can find the exact problem below in the list of essential SMART diagnostic items. Wherever there are yellow and red icons opposite the inscription, it will indicate that it is in this part that your disk was damaged.

If your disk has already exhausted its lifespan, then there is no point in repairing it. If you have found several bad sectors, then there is still a possibility of repair. I will talk about repairing bad sectors further. If there are many bad sectors on the disk, more than 10, or many very slow sectors, then it is not worth restoring such a disk. After some time, it will still crumble further, it will need to be constantly restored/repaired.

Software disk repair.

By repair I mean the relocation of bad and slow sectors on the disk. This instruction is only suitable for HDDs, that is, only hard drives. For SSD this operation will not help anything, but will only worsen the condition of the solid-state drive.

Repairing will help extend the life of your hard drive a little more. To restore bad sectors we will use the HDD regenerator program. Download and run this program, wait while the program collects data about your drives; after the data has been collected, you will see a window in which you will need to click on the inscription - Click here to bad sectors on demaget drive surfase directly under Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10. Click You need to quickly click on the inscription in OS 8 and 10, so the window will quickly disappear, in 7 everything is fine. Next, click NO. Then select your drive from the list. Click the start process button. A window will appear like command line in which you will need to press 2, Enter, 1, Enter.

After the completed operations, the system will begin scanning for bad sectors and moving them to unreadable disk partitions. In fact, bad sectors do not disappear, but in the future they do not interfere with the operation of the system and you can continue to use the disk. The process of checking and restoring the disk may take a long time, depending on the size of your disk. When the program is finished, press button 5 and Enter. If you encounter any errors while testing and fixing bad sectors, it means that your disk cannot be recovered. If you have found more than 10 bads - bad sectors, then restoring such a disk does not make sense, there will always be problems with it.

The main signs of disk failure are:

Video on how to diagnose HDD/SSD:

RAM diagnostics

This time we will conduct diagnostics of RAM. There are several options in which you can check the RAM, this is when your computer is still turning on and working somehow, and when you can no longer turn on the computer, Only the BIOS loads.
The main signs that the RAM is not working:

• When loading resource-intensive applications, the computer freezes or restarts.
• When using the computer for a long time, more than 2 hours, Windows begins to slow down, and as time increases, the slowdown increases.
• When installing any programs, you cannot install them, the installation fails with errors.
• Sound and video jamming.

The first thing we will look at is how to check the RAM if your Windows boots. Everything is very simple, in any operating system starting from Windows Vista you can type a checker in the search Windows memory. The shortcut that appears is launched as administrator and we see a message stating that you can reboot and start the scan right now or schedule a scan the next time you turn on the computer. Select the value you need. After the computer restarts, the RAM test will automatically start immediately. It will be held in standard mode, wait until the end of the test and you will find out if everything is okay with your RAM. In addition, after you have already loaded Windows, in the event viewer you can open the Windows logs, select the System item and find the memory diagnostic event in the list on the right. In this event you will see all the information about the diagnostics performed. Based on this information, you can find out whether the RAM is working.
The next option for diagnosing RAM if you cannot boot Windows. To do this, you need to burn it to disk or to bootable USB flash drive program and run it from BIOS. In the window that appears, a test to check random access memory (RAM) will be automatically launched. Wait until the test is completed and if there are any problems with your memory, the test window will change from blue to red. This will indicate defects or failure of the RAM. That's all, you have learned how to diagnose RAM.

Video on how to check the RAM:

Video card diagnostics

The main signs of a video card defect:

• The computer hits the blue screen of death.
• Artifacts appear on the screen - multi-colored dots, stripes or rectangles.
• When loading games, the computer freezes or restarts.
• When using a computer for a long time in a game, performance decreases and the game begins to lag.
• Video jamming, video playback failure, problems with flash player.
  
• No smoothing in text or when rewinding documents or web pages.
• Changing the color scheme.

All these are signs of some kind of video card defect. Testing a video card should be divided into two stages: checking the graphics chip and checking the video card memory.

Checking the graphics chip of the video card (GPU)

To check the graphics chip, you can use various programs that put a load on this chip and identify failures under critical load. We will use the program, and FurMark.
Launch Aida at the bottom of the tray near the clock, right-click and select system stability test. In the window that appears, check the box next to GPU Stress Test. The test will be launched below and you will see a graph of temperature changes, fan speed, and current consumption. To check, a 20-minute test is enough; if at this time the lower field with the graph turns red or the computer reboots, then there are problems with your video card.
Let's launch OCCT. Go to the GPU 3D tab, do not change the settings and press the ON button. Next, a window will appear with a furry donut, which is a visual test. The test will take 15-20 minutes. I recommend monitoring the temperature and monitoring the power readings; if multi-colored dots, stripes or rectangles appear on the screen, this will indicate that there is a problem with the video card. If the computer turns off spontaneously, this will also indicate a defect in the video card.
Now we have analyzed the diagnostics of the video card processor, but sometimes there are also problems with the video card memory.

Diagnostics of video card memory

For this diagnostic we will use the program. Unpack the program and run it as administrator. In the window that appears, put a checkmark next to the inscription signal if there are errors and press the start button. A check of the video card's RAM will be launched; if any errors are detected with the memory, the program will emit a characteristic sound signal, on some computers the signal will be a system one.
That's all, now you can diagnose the video card yourself. Check the GPU and video card memory.

Video card testing video:

Motherboard diagnostics

The main signs of a motherboard malfunction:

• The computer hits the blue screen of death, reboots and turns off.
  
• The computer freezes without rebooting.
  
• The cursor, music and video (freezes) get stuck.
  
• Connected devices disappear - HDD/SSD, drive, USB drives.
  
• Ports, USB and network connectors do not work.
• The computer does not turn on, does not start, does not boot.
• The computer works slowly, often slows down or freezes.
• The motherboard makes various sounds.

Visual inspection of the motherboard

The first thing you need to do to diagnose the motherboard is to conduct a visual inspection. motherboard. What you need to pay attention to:

• Chips and cracks - if such damage is present, the motherboard will not turn on at all or will turn on only once.
• Swollen capacitors - due to swollen capacitors, the computer can turn on after 3, 5, 10 attempts or after a certain time, it can also go out for no reason and slow down.
  
• Oxidation - the computer may turn on every once in a while and slow down. It may not turn on at all if the tracks are completely oxidized.
• Warmed up chips, there will be small burnt spots or holes on the microchips - because of this, the computer may not turn on or the ports, network cards, sound or USB will not work.
• Scratches on paths are the same as with chips and cracks.
• Burnt around chips and ports leads to complete inoperability of the motherboard or its individual parts.

Software diagnostics of the motherboard

If your computer turns on and boots into Windows, but there are strange glitches and slowdowns, it’s worth doing software diagnostics of the motherboard using the program. Download and install the program, launch it, right-click on its icon at the bottom of the tray near the clock and select “service” - “system stability test”. Check the boxes next to Stress CPU, Stress FPU, Stress cache, and uncheck the rest. Press the "Start" button, the computer will freeze, and the test will begin. During the test, monitor the temperature of the processor and motherboard, as well as power. We carry out the test for a minimum of 20 minutes and a maximum of 45 minutes. If during the test the bottom field turns red or the computer turns off, then the motherboard is faulty. Also, the shutdown may be due to the processor, uncheckStress CPU and check again. If you find overheating, then you need to check the cooling system of the motherboard and processor. When the power supply fluctuates, problems are possible with both motherboard Same with BP.

If the computer starts but Windows does not load, you can check the mainland through a boot test. It needs to be written to a disk or flash drive. I will show you in more detail how to use it in the video.

Diagnostics of the power supply unit (PSU)

The main signs of a faulty power supply:

• The computer does not turn on at all.
• The computer starts for 2-3 seconds and stops working.
• The computer turns on 5-10-25 times.
• When under load, the computer turns off, reboots, or displays a blue screen of death.
• When under load, the computer slows down a lot.
• Devices connected to the computer spontaneously disconnect and connect (screws, drives, USB devices).
• Squeak (whistle) when the computer is running.
• Unnatural noise from the power supply fan.

Visual inspection of power supply unit

The first thing to do if the power supply is faulty is to do a visual inspection. We disconnect the power supply from the case and disassemble the power supply itself. We check for:

• Burnt, melted elements of the power supply unit - make sure that all the elements are intact; if you find burning or something obviously melted, we take the power supply unit for repair or replace it with a new one.
• Swollen capacitors - replace swollen capacitors with new ones. Because of them, the computer may not turn on the first time or may die under load.
• Dust - if dust is clogged in the fan and radiators, it must be cleaned, because of this the power supply under load may turn off due to overheating.
• Burnt fuse - when there is a voltage drop, the fuse often burns and needs to be replaced.

We checked everything but the power supply is behaving badly, let's see.

Software diagnostics of power supply

Software diagnostics of the power supply can be carried out using any test program that gives maximum load on BP. Before doing such a check, you need to determine whether all elements of your PC have enough power from the power supply. You can check this like this: run the AIDA 64 program link above and go to the site for calculating the required power of the power supply. On the website, we transfer the data from Aida to the appropriate fields and click the Calculate button. This way we will be sure exactly how much power the power supply will be enough for the computer.

Let's proceed to the diagnosis of PD itself. Download the program. We install and launch it. Go to the Power Supply tab. Check the box to use all logical cores (does not work on all computers) and press the ON button. The test lasts an hour, and if during this time the computer turns off, reboots, or displays a blue screen, there are problems with the power supply (Before checking the power supply, you must first check the video card and processor to avoid the test being incorrect).

I won’t show you how to diagnose a power supply with a multimeter, because there is a ton of this information on the network, and even to do such diagnostics better for professionals. I will show you testing the power supply in more detail in the video below:

Testing motherboard. Setting BIOS Settings

Program topic: Personal computer motherboard.

Goal of the work: study the test program (Aida or CPU-z); study the basic settings of the basic input/output system.

Lead time: 2 hours

Equipment: educational personal computer.

Software: operating system, presentation, test programs.

Theoretical basis

Utility(English) utility or tool) - an auxiliary computer program as part of the general software to carry out specialized typical tasks related to the operation of equipment and operating system(OS).

Utilities provide access to features (parameters, settings, settings) that are not available without their use, or make the process of changing some parameters easier (automate it).

Utilities can be included in operating systems, bundled with specialized equipment, or distributed separately.

BIOS

BIOS(Basic Input-Output System - basic input-output system) - small program, located in read-only memory (ROM) and is responsible for the most basic functions interface and settings of the equipment on which it is installed. In other words, we can say that BIOS is the basis for the operation of a computer system, since it is responsible for the most basic functions of a computer (similar to the system of reflexes in a person).

The most widely known among computer users is the motherboard BIOS, but BIOS are present in almost all computer components: video adapters, network adapters, modems, disk controllers, printers. The motherboard BIOS is responsible for initializing (preparing for work), testing and launching all its components.

The operating system and application programs work with the computer hardware through the BIOS, which translates operating system commands that the user can understand into a language that the computer can understand.

Motherboard BIOS

Physically, the BIOS is a set of read-only memory (ROM, Read Only Memory) chips located on the motherboard. Therefore, the chip is sometimes called ROM BIOS.

If you look under the cover of the system unit, you will find on the motherboard a chip with a holographic sticker with an inscription and logo indicating the BIOS manufacturer. Nearby there will definitely be a round battery that powers the CMOS chip (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor - volatile memory used to store BIOS settings).

BIOS Setup Utility

Among the programs contained in the BIOS is the BIOS Setup Utility, which allows you to change data stored in CMOS memory using a menu system.

To ensure the correct operation of the operating system and application programs, using the BIOS Setup Utility, parameters of all computer components are entered, from RAM and processor operating frequency to the operating mode of the printer and other peripheral devices. By correctly configuring the contents of your computer's BIOS, you can increase its performance by up to 30%.

Comment: careless user actions, as a rule, cannot lead to physical damage computer - it can only stop booting. This is easy to fix. Modern BIOSes have fairly extensive auto-configuration tools, so the user's role in setting the “correct” parameters can be minimized. Recently, the “Load optimized parameters” option has appeared in the parameter setup program. Selecting this item allows the user to set “default settings” parameters for existing equipment.

How to enter BIOS Setup Utility

The BIOS Setup Utility is not available to the user while the computer is running. Entering the BIOS Setup Utility is usually accomplished by pressing a key while the computer is booting. There are also BIOS versions whose settings are entered using other keys or their combinations.

In this laboratory work To enter the BIOS, the most common option (key) will be used.

Work order

1 part

On personal computer turn on the program for testing the motherboard and fill out the table (for example, the CPU-Z program)

2 Part

Based on theoretical material

1. Find out the type and BIOS version/UEFI.
2. Find out the BIOS creation date /
3. The installed and maximum supported memory size.
4. Determine the parameters of drives connected to the channels of a standard IDE/SATA controller.
5. Determine the current order of drive polling during boot.
6. Change the order of polling drives during boot so that the CDROM is polled first, then HDD. Other media are not polled.

Report

The report must contain:

Hello, dear reader! In this article we will conduct Stress test computer for stability program OCCT (OverClock Checking Tool) at the time of writing this article itself latest version — 4.4.1.

Using the program OCCT we will be able to test the following components of our PC:

Program OCCT when passing the test, it puts the maximum load on the tested components of our PC. And if the testing ended without errors, then your PC and cooling system are fully functional and are not going to fail yet!

First, download the program, or install it from the Official Website.

The installation is standard, after launching the downloaded installation file in the first window click “Next”, in the second click “I Accept”, in the third “Next” and in the fourth window - the “Install” button

After installation, you will see this program icon on your desktop OCCT

We launch the program from the shortcut. And something like this window appears in front of us.

Why approximately? Because the program window changes depending on the settings, my program is already configured, and after all the settings you will end up with the same program window, and then you will be “taught” to change it according to your interests.

So, let's start setting up the program OCCT.

In the main window of the program, click on this button

We get to the settings window

In this window, the most important thing is to set the temperatures at which the test will be stopped; this is necessary to prevent any component from failing due to overheating.

ADVICE– If you have a fairly new PC, then the temperature can be set to 90°C. The latest components have quite high operating temperatures.

But if your PC is 5 or more years old, then set the temperature to 80°C. Later produced parts are very sensitive to overheating.

The best option is to look at the maximum permissible temperatures of your hardware on the manufacturer’s website.

Overclocked components do not pass the test! Program OCCT gives such a load that the temperature exceeds 90°C and stops the test.
From 90°C to 100°C and above is a critical value at which the parts on your components will begin to unsolder from their seats if they do not have time to burn out earlier.

But there is no need to be afraid of burning the system! “I repeat” The main thing is to check all the fans (cooler) for functionality before passing the test. V system unit and clean the cooling system from dust.

And spend computer stability test definitely necessary! To prevent PC failure (let’s say at the time of writing some extremely important material for you) didn't come as a surprise.

After solving the issue of temperatures, in the last column of settings, which is called “Real time,” we check the boxes for the graphs that we want to see when passing the test.

Now that you've sorted out the settings, you can close them. Now go back to the main program window.

The main program window contains four tabs. CPU:OCCT, CPU:LINPACK, GPU:3D and POWER SUPPLY.

Processor, RAM, and Motherboard Test - CPU:OCCT

Here, first, set the values: For convenience, I numbered them.

1. Test type: Infinite - The test will run without time until you stop it. Auto - The test will take place according to the time set in point 2. Duration.

3. Periods of inactivity– Time before the start of the test, and after the end. The report of which you will see in the program window after running the test.

4. Test version– The capacity of your system. My program itself determined the bit depth when it was first launched.

5.Test mode– Here we select one of three sets from the drop-down menu: Large, Medium, and Small.

• Big set – Processor, RAM, and Motherboard (chipset) are tested for errors.
• Average set – The CPU and RAM are tested for errors.
• Small set– Only the Processor is tested for errors.

6. Number of threads– Set the number of threads that your processor supports. My program itself determined the number of processor threads.

Let's move on to the second tab CPU:LINPACK

CPU Test – CPU:LINPACK

Regarding points 1. 2. 3. I think everything is clear. See above in the first test

Point 4. Leave unchanged.

5. Check the box if you have a 64-bit processor and system.

6. AVX – Linpack compatible. This parameter is determined for each processor separately.

I will not fully describe the microarchitecture of processors here; this is a separate topic, and I think not every user will be interested in delving into it.

7. Use all logical cores – Check the box so that our processor uses its full potential, including logical cores (if any).

Everything is clear here, let's move on to the next tab.

Video card test – GPU:3D

As for points, everything is unchanged 1. 2. 3. I think everything is clear. See above in the first test

4. Place DirectX version, which your Windows supports.

DirectX 9- shader model 2.0 Windows XP and more old windows
DirectX 11- shader model 5.0 Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8

5. Select your video card.

6. Set the resolution of your monitor.

7. Check the box. If you, like me, have 2 video cards installed, combined in SLI mode.

8. If the checkbox is checked, the heating of the video card will be lower and error detection will be more effective.

9. We do not check the box if we want to use all the memory of the video card.

10. For video cards from Nvidia, value 3 is better. For video cards from ATI, value 7 is better.

11. Set the number of frames per second. Value 0 is disabled. You can set the value to “0” to check how much FPS your video card can produce.

Everything is set up here too, let’s move on to last tab—POWER SUPPLY

PSU (Power Supply) Test

The settings are almost the same as on the tab GPU:3D

Here the principle of the test is this: The whole system works as best as possible. full power, trying to strain our power supply to the maximum.

P.S. When making settings, at the bottom of the main program window there is a field where hints appear when you hover over a customizable item