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Test Utilities
The following are a few free software and utilities that we find handy and useful
to have. We recommend the usage of these freeware. It may assist you in
answering some questions.
1. Memtest86+
2. CPU-Z
3. Prime95
4. ATTO
Memtest86+
Link: http://www.memtest.org
Memtest86+ is a free utility that we recommend anyone and everyone to use when you
suspect your computer memory is the cause of your system instability problems.
Memtest86+ is very handy and very easy to use. Its main purpose is to search for
problems and instability caused by your computer's memory subsystem. We strongly
recommend Memtest86+ to test your memory over any other Windows based memory tests.
The unique aspect of Memtest86 is that is a stand-a-lone program and does not
require an operating system to function. Since it runs independent of an operating
system, you can be certain that OS problems are not the cause of any stability problems.
OS based utilities like Norton Systemworks would often misidentify problematic hardware.
As a result, our service department has often received erroneous complaints from customers
claiming Windows based diagnostic utilities reporting problems with memory. But yet,
the memory are perfectly functional and error free when our engineers test them with
Memtest86+ as well as our strenuous hardware test equipment. As a result for a more
accurate, we strongly recommend Memtest86+ as a test of choice.
One important fact to note is not all errors reported by Memtest86+ is caused by
memory itself. Please be aware that Memtest86 tests the entire computer memory
subsystem which includes CPU, cache, memory controller (either on CPU or motherboard),
and the motherboard itself. If errors are reported Memtest86+, please bear in mind
that it is not necessarily mean problem with your memory. Other components mentioned
above as well as incorrect BIOS settings can also cause Memtest86+ to fail.
Overclocking far beyond specifications can also cause Memtest86+ to fail. It is
always a good idea to run all components including memory within manufacturer's
specifications to rule out other culprits to your stability problems.
CPU-Z
Link: http://www.cpuid.org/cpuz.php
CPU-Z is a useful utility software that will detect system configuration and output
information about your computer system in a very user friendly format. Information
such as CPU ID, Front Side Bus (FSB), System Bus, CPU Core Speed, Motherboard
information, Memory Frequency, Memory Timings, and other pertinent memory information.
Using this utility will allow you to determine the current speeds and configuration of
your main system components.
Prime95
Link: http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft.htm
Prime95 is a free utility that attempts to find large prime numbers that are more than
millions of digits. This program is so memory and CPU intensive that it can be
considered as one of the most intense stress test. Through its prime number calculations
and its intense usage of CPU process and memory, it can be a stressful test to ensure
stability for overclocked systems. It also has a built in benchmarking tool that will
enable users to produce benchmarks on their system and hardware components.
ATTO Disk Benchmark
Link: http://www.atto.net/products/product.php?scat=20&sku=Disk_Benchmark
The ATTO Disk Benchmark performance measurement tool is compatible with Microsoft Windows.
Measure your storage systems performance with various transfer sizes and test lengths for reads
and writes. Several options are available to customize your performance measurement including
queue depth, overlapped I/O and even a comparison mode with the option to run continuously.
Use ATTO Disk Benchmark to test any manufacturers RAID controllers, storage controllers, host
adapters, hard drives and SSD drives and notice that ATTO products will consistently provide
the highest level of performance to your storage.
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