Reference number: CH001089

Testing my computer motherboard and CPU for failures?

Question:

Testing my computer motherboard and CPU for failures?

Reasoning:

Users may need to test their computer's motherboard and/or CPU because they're encountering issues with their computer that could be attributed to bad or failing motherboard and/or CPU.

Answer:

A bad computer motherboard and/or CPU can cause an assortment of different issues on your computer. Below are just a few of the possible issues you may encounter. It is important to remember that the issues below can also be caused by more than just a bad motherboard and CPU.

1. Computer does not boot, instead you get a beep code. See our POST / Beep code page for additional information about beep codes.
2. Random computer crashes causing General Protection Fault error messages, Illegal Operations, Fatal Exceptions, etc.
3. Computer randomly reboots. Additional information and additional causes to a computer randomly restarting can also be found on document CH000605.

There are several different ways to test your computer's motherboard and CPU to determine if it's bad or has flaws that are causing issues with your computer. Below is a listing of these recommendations.

Software / Hardware solutions

Below is a listing of a software programs available that are designed to test your computer's motherboard and CPU. However, with the complexity and wide variety of computer motherboards and CPU's, these programs may not detect every possible failure.

• Hot CPU Tester - Our software recommendation for testing a computers motherboard and CPU. This is a great tool.  Easy to run and use for looking for failures with your computer. In addition to testing a computer, this program also includes a burn-in feature for new computers or computers with a new motherboard and/or CPU.

In addition to the above solutions, there are other fantastic 100% commercial products. Below is a listing of some of these products.

• PC-doctor - A fantastic but not cheap solution often used for service centers and technicians to diagnose computer hardware issues including motherboard issues.
• PC Diagnostics - Another company that offers both hardware and software solutions for testing the majority of the hardware in your computer including the motherboard.
• Ultra-X - Another great collection of products that can help test computer hardware including the motherboard.

Replace the motherboard / CPU

If you have found the motherboard or CPU to be bad and/or still believe it's bad after trying the above suggestions, we suggest replacing it. Additional information and buying tips on computer motherboards can be found on our buying tips page.

Additional information:

• See document CH001088 for additional information about testing other computer hardware for failures.