I was trying to sell my old laptop, but I didn’t use it for a while and wasn’t fully sure if the computer was working correctly. So before posting an ad, I wanted to ensure that the next owner wouldn’t have any surprises and the ad description would be accurate.
Beside the onboard diagnostics available through the BIOS of most computers, there are some additional tests that can be ran. This post focuses in applications for Windows operating systems.
Disk
I test my disks with HDTune to find bad sectors, SMART errors, check the time the drive was in use and even benchmark the performance of the write and read speeds.
Memory
To test the memory modules installed in the computer, I use TechPowerUp’s MemTest64, it will perform several tests, according to the predetermined number of loops or hours and the results are quite straight forward to understand. The only downside is that if you keep using other applications its very probable that the computer will crash. As a benefit, it will give you results quickly, because its much faster than other memory tests that can take hours.
CPU
If your computer has an Intel processor, you can use the Intel Processor Diagnostics Tool to run a few basic tests that will confirm if the processor is in good shape quickly. I will even work on computer with 2 CPUs (yes 2 CPUs not 2 cores).
Battery
To confirm how long the laptop will run off its battery, Passmark’s BatteryMon, will count the amount of time the laptop spent on the battery and will even generate a plot graph with the discharge curve.
Stress test
A CPU stress test pushes the computer to the maximum usage over a long time, showing how stable the computer is and if its cooling is still efficient. I recommend always setting a time limit before running any stress test. I often use Prime95.
Port and charger test
Its also very important to check if every USB, ethernet, HDMI, audio and other ports are working correctly by plugging in the correct cables or devices.
It also very important to verify if the laptop charges in stable manner when the charger is connected to its port. A couple of light shakes will confirm if the connectors and plug are in good condition.
These are just some options for testing the laptop’s main components. To guarantee the best and most realistic results, try to run the tests a few times and compare the results.
