Quick Links
Concluding that your box has a hardware problemis just the first step.
Have the manufacturer fix the PC for you – figuring it out is their problem.
Mostblue screens of deathyou’ll encounter on modern versions of Windows will likely be triggered by hardware failures.
It’s possible that your graphics card is failing if you hit such an issue notification.
Hard drives have a built in S.M.A.R.T.
(Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) feature.
This isn’t perfect, so your hard drive may fail even if SMART says everything is okay.
If you see any sort of “SMART error” message, your hard drive is failing.
You canuse SMART analysis toolsto view the SMART health status information your hard drives are reporting.
Test Your RAM
RAM failure can result in a variety of problems.
To test your memory and see if it’s working properly,use Windows' built-in Memory Diagnostic tool.
Check Heat Levels
How hot is is inside your rig?
Overheating can rsult in blue screens, crashes, and abrupt shut downs.
your setup monitors its own internal temperatures and you’re free to access this information.
Check your rig’s recommended temperature level and ensure it’s within the appropriate range.
Stress Test Your CPU
you might use a utility likePrime95to stress test your CPU.
If your CPU is becoming too hot, you’ll start to see errors or system crashes.
It’s a good way to verify if your CPU is stable under load.
Stress Test Your Graphics Card
Your graphics card can also be stress tested.
Swap it Out
Not every hardware problem is easy to diagnose.
It’s hard to tell if these components are causing problems unless you replace them completely.
Ultimately, the best way to determine whether a component is faulty is to swap it out.
If everything is working well, it’s likely that your previous graphics card was bad.
But the tips above should give you some places to start dealing with the more common problems.
Image Credit:Justin Marty on Flickr
