How to test if your computers hardware is at fault

Do you want the good news or the bad news? It doesn't matter, as they are essentially the same. More than 98% of all support calls are related to issues other than hardware failures. Your computer can run incompatible files and settings smoothly yet still deliver disappointing results. This is unrelated to your hardware. Think of it like watching a TV show that doesn’t meet your expectations. The television is functioning perfectly, but the content has let you down.

This situation carries both good and bad news for your computer. The good news is that all you have to do is wipe your drive and start over, and your computer will run like new. The bad news is that you must wipe your computer and start over before it can return to optimal performance.

How can you ensure which scenario applies to you? If you followed our Computer Speed Up page when you first got your new M-Tech computer, you probably took steps that have lessened your concerns. After tweaking your computer, you were encouraged to create a Windows System Image. If you need to restore it, you can wipe your C drive and restore it to its previous state, complete with all your settings and programs, in just two minutes. If you adhered to your technical advisor's standard suggestion of having at least two drives, part of those tweaks would have included moving your User Library from the C drive to the D drive. This means that the restoration will not affect your data, only the corrupted or bloated C drive.

What if you didn’t follow the recommendations and now find yourself without an easy way to restore your system, but you want to avoid wiping everything in case the issue is hardware-related? Below, you'll find a post from a support email that guides you through steps to test all potential hardware problems that could lead to poor computer performance. 

Let’s be clear: if your hardware tests fine but you are still facing numerous issues that stem from your drive, which can lead to poor performance, there isn’t an easy fix or "magic pill.” Forget about software that claims to resolve these issues; they are, at best, temporary solutions. The only way to rectify the situation is to start by backing up your data (especially if you have only one drive), and then set up your computer from the ground up. Once you've done this, visit the Computer Speed Up page under the Tips and Tricks category on the M-Tech Laptops webpage, and your troubles will be minimal and short-lived.

Now, we will move on to testing the hardware.

We will be testing the computer under load to determine its baseline temperature. Your computer's model typically has an average temperature of 40-60 degrees Celsius at idle or light load, and 83-91 degrees Celsius under full load. The temperature should not exceed 95 degrees Celsius.

To measure the temperature, we will run a stress test on the system. First, download the following programs:

- LinX Stress Test: [linx.en.lo4d.com](http://linx.en.lo4d.com)

- HWMonitor: www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

You will run LinX to stress the CPU and RAM. This test will help identify any potential errors with the CPU and RAM. Meanwhile, you will run HWMonitor to monitor the CPU temperatures while it is being stressed.

Please follow these steps:

1. Close all programs you may have open.

2. Open HWMonitor first (after installing it), and then open LinX.

3. In the HWMonitor window, you will see a temperature monitor for the CPU cores. Keep an eye on this as LinX runs.

4. Once HWMonitor is open, go ahead and open LinX and click "Start Test" to begin the stress test.

If LinX reports any errors during the test, this may indicate a problem with the CPU or a faulty stick of RAM. Additionally, if you notice HWMonitor displaying temperatures over 92 or 93 degrees Celsius, we may need to consider having the computer serviced. If servicing is required, we will need the serial number (which starts with 8)

LinX generally takes a little while to complete, but HWMonitor provides real-time temperature updates, allowing you to see fluctuations instantly.