Testing my computer motherboard and CPU for failures?

A bad computer motherboard 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 the POST and 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.

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 and 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 CPUs, 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 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 and CPU

If the motherboard or CPU is bad after trying the above suggestions, we suggest replacing it.