How to check the processor for operability? Program for testing the processor

The central processor in any computer system is almost the most important component, since it is on it that all operations and calculations are assigned. Therefore, its condition should be monitored so that there is no overheating, physical damage or something else. The question naturally arises as to how to test the processor for operability. To do this, you can use several common methods.

What are the threats of the CPU?

First of all, when talking about possible failures of the processor chip, it should be noted that as a result of its damage the entire computer system will stop working. At best, with partial damage, the computer will behave, to put it mildly, inadequately (causeless hovering, spontaneous reboot, severe overheating, inability to launch programs, etc.).

Ultimately, the system will simply fail, not to mention the fact that a processor malfunction may entail a violation of other "iron" components installed on the motherboard. To prevent such a situation, you need to perform a CPU check at certain intervals. How to test the processor for performance, now and will be considered.

Main symptoms of failure

In any computer, there is a special primary input / output system that stores the basic parameters and settings of all devices installed in the system. It's about the structure of the BIOS and its new modification of UEFI.

When the computer or laptop is turned on, all health parameters are checked, and only then does the start of the operating system start. Many probably noticed the characteristic jerky signal of the system dynamics right after switching on. It indicates that all components are working properly. In case of failure of any of them, a sequence of signals is given out.

Depending on the manufacturer, it is possible to recognize violations in the processor only if the technical documentation is examined. There are also standard combinations. For example, the BIOS AMI produces five short sounds. The Phoenix BIOS uses a combination of four signals. Then a pause, two more signals, again a pause, and four more signals (such a sequence is also called 4-2-4).

As for the launch, in addition to BIOS signals, it is possible that the system can not boot (even with the indication present) or start after which any application hangs.

Physical troubleshooting

The test of Intel or AMD processors can begin with physical intervention. To do this, you need to remove the processor from the socket of the motherboard and check its performance on another computer. If the problem appears and there, it will only be necessary to replace the processor. At best, you can try to apply an additional layer of thermal paste, which reduces the heating of the CPU.

But without special knowledge to conduct such procedures will be quite problematic. Therefore, it is better to use special applications. Any program for testing the processor can be assigned to one of two types: either it is a general test, or only strictly defined parameters are checked (it's not about CPU load control programs at the moment).

CPU Test: General Test

For general testing, such common utilities as CPU-Z or Hot CPU Tester are suitable. When you start the testing process, all the indicators related to the CPU will be determined. But, if CPU-Z is a more informative application, then Hot CPU Tester belongs to the class of test utilities.

The program for diagnosing the CPU Hot CPU Tester in use is very simple. It is enough after starting in the main window to click the Test Test button. After a while, a report will be presented, which can be printed. The only thing that you should pay attention to is that before starting the test it is recommended to close all currently active programs, since braking can be observed in the work of the test application. In this case, one thing is that in the normal mode the verification process has passed without failures, it can already indicate that the processor is OK.

Testing of temperature indicators

If you talk about which program for testing the processor in terms of temperature indicators is preferable, it is especially worth noting such utilities as HWMonitor (section of the application CPUID Hardware Monitor), Core Temp, Open Hardware Monitor and others. Application interfaces are quite similar and do not cause special difficulties in use.

Some of these utilities are portable versions, so first you need an archive program to unpack the contents of the archive, after which the application can be launched without first installing it on the computer. The displayed parameters are also very similar, so it does not matter which of these utilities will be used for checking.

Program for diagnosing the processor in the stress test mode

There is another method of verification, called a stress test. Its essence is to diagnose possible malfunctions in the work of the CPU at critical (peak) loads. For this purpose, the utility called CPU Stress Test or CST for short is best.

Again, the application is a portable version that does not require installation, and at best it will take an archiver program to extract the downloaded archive. This application is very interesting in terms of functionality.

How to check the processor for operation with it? Very simple. You just need to activate the start of the diagnostic process, after which the application, using SSE-commands, immediately begins to increase the load on the processor to 100%, and even with the temperature rise to critical values. As it is already clear, all active programs should be closed for the duration of the check.

In principle, you can use the utility Prime95, which, unlike the first, gives a load not only on the CPU, but on all components in general.

Performance test

Finally, let's see how to test the processor for performance on performance indicators. To do this, it is best to use the unique Super PI application.

It is based on calculating the value of the number "pi" in the range from 16 thousand to 32 million decimal places. How to evaluate the result? Yes, just look at the time spent on the operation and compare it with the performance of similar processors, for example, on the site of the program or the resource of the processor manufacturer. In general, this utility is used by most overclockers engaged in overclocking processors, thus evaluating the performance gain.

Conclusion

It remains to say that it is not worth using one program, because each of them can be designed for strictly defined tests. It is better to conduct a comprehensive test using several utilities. Even applications for general testing or purely informative programs do not give a complete picture of all possible violations in the processor.

What utility to use to accomplish this or that task, it is rather difficult to advise because of the thousands on the Internet today. Here, only some types of programs were considered, so that any user at least got an idea of the general principles of verifying processors and possible tests.

As for the fact that the test shows a negative result, you will either have to contact specialized centers where specialists can take some steps to solve problems, or simply change the processor, because each CPU has its average lifetime, after which no The physical intervention will not make it work as it should be.