PC diagnostics hardware!

[ci_vti_c]

Hi,

I was wondering does anyone know of any really useful all in one pc diagnostic hardware and software to test motherboards, memory etc.

I know of P.O.S.T cards that you slot in spare PCI slots but i belive these don't test for dead motherboards.


Let me know which tools you guys use

Cheers

 

[MHCG]

Don't know of any all in one testers.

I use a POST card and a powersupply tester. I rarely use them though.

 

[Jory]

POST cards are pretty useless except for telling you why a mobo is not working properly. Usually in our line of business we don't care why the mobo doesn't work, we just replace it because it's broke. I use my power supply tester occasionally and it has saved me some time in the past.

Troubleshooting hardware comes down to experience and there is nothing you can buy to replace that.

On the software side of things I suggest you check out all the repair tools of the week here, and any type of boot disk you can get your hands on. Usually the tools you need are really straight forward. Like memtest86 is obviously to test memory.

 

[14049752]

As for a software package to test things, Eurosoft's PC check is ok but not great. I've used it for the past few years, just because it's easy to pop a disc in, boot up with a script and let it go until tests finish. It's not perfect, it sometimes doesn't fail hard drives that the manufacturer's test fails and has a few minor bugs, but it gets the job done.

As for hardware diagnostic tools, there are memory testing devices that you can buy but they're overly expensive and not worth it for a small computer shop. I shy away from those post-diagnostic pc cards, too. I think they're garbage, at least all of the ones I tried are.
In my opinion, the best (and pretty much only) test for a dead motherboard is known good hardware that you can try in it to confirm it's bad.

 

[ci_vti_c]

Troubleshooting hardware comes down to experience and there is nothing you can buy to replace that.

I know ihave been doing it that way for 15years now, i just thought that there might have been a gadget out there in the larger scale repair centres that speeds diagnosis up rather than relying on experience, as experience normal costs more to employ.

I will have to invent one then (Not Likley)

 

[MHCG]

I know ihave been doing it that way for 15years now, i just thought that there might have been a gadget out there in the larger scale repair centres that speeds diagnosis up rather than relying on experience, as experience normal costs more to employ.

I will have to invent one then (Not Likley)

I'm sure large scale repair centers, if there is such a thing, probably use block diagrams or flow charts for their employees. If computer does this... Then do this.. Else do this

 

[Nathan H]

I use micro 2000's microscope, it pretty good, but it's pricey, and like mentioned on a previous post, it doesn't replace experience

 

[tkrabec]

I've got a microscope ISA tester, I did not use it very often, but it was very helpful on the "will not boot". I have since "upgraded" to a cheap $10 +/- post code reader. Many mother boards now have built in post code readers. Some Dell, Intel, etc.

 

[Crgky127]

IMO known good hardware and a decent PSU tester is all you need, because if you test a known good MB with a PSU, it could blow the MB (emachines anyone? ).