How to identify a faulty one. How to identify a faulty motherboard. Checking the motherboard battery

Electronics accompanies a modern person everywhere: at work, at home, in the car. Working in production, and no matter in which specific area, you often have to repair something electronic. Let us agree to call this “something” a “device”. This is such an abstract collective image. Today we will talk about all sorts of intricacies of repair, having mastered which, you can repair almost any electronic "device", regardless of its design, principle of operation and field of application.

Where to begin

There is little wisdom to re-solder the part, but finding the defective element is the main task in the repair. You should start by determining the type of malfunction, since it depends on where to start the repair.

There are three types of such:
1. the device does not work at all - the indicators do not light up, nothing moves, nothing buzzes, there are no responses to control;
2. any part of the device does not work, that is, some of its functions are not performed, but although glimpses of life are still visible in it;
3. The device generally works properly, but sometimes it makes so-called failures. It is impossible to call such a device broken yet, but still something prevents it from working normally. Repair in this case is just about finding this interference. This is considered to be the most difficult repair.
We will analyze examples of repairing each of three types malfunctions.

Repair of the first category
Let's start with the simplest one - breakdown of the first type, when the device is completely dead. Anyone will guess that you need to start with nutrition. All devices living in their world of machines necessarily consume energy in one form or another. And if our device does not move at all, then the probability of the absence of this very energy is very high. A small digression. When searching for a malfunction in our device, it will often be about "probability". Repair always begins with the process of determining possible points of influence on the malfunction of the device and assessing the magnitude of the likelihood of each such point being involved in this particular defect, with the subsequent transformation of this probability into a fact. At the same time, make the right one, that is, from the very high degree The most complete knowledge of the device, the algorithm of its operation, the physical laws on which the operation of the device is based, the ability to think logically and, of course, his Majesty's experience, will help to assess the likelihood of assessing the influence of any block or node on the problems of the device. One of the most effective methods conducting repairs is the so-called elimination method. From the entire list of all blocks and assemblies suspected of involvement in the device defect, with varying degrees of probability, it is necessary to consistently exclude the innocent.

It is necessary to start the search, respectively, from those blocks, the probability of which may be the culprit of this malfunction is the highest. Hence, it turns out that the more precisely this very degree of probability is determined, the less time will be spent on repairs. In modern "devices" the internal nodes are strongly integrated with each other, and there are a lot of connections. Therefore, the number of points of influence is often extremely large. But your experience also grows, and over time you will identify the "pest" with a maximum of two or three attempts.

For example, there is an assumption that the “X” block is most likely to blame for the disease of the device. Then you need to carry out a number of checks, measurements, experiments that would confirm or refute this assumption. If after such experiments at least the slightest doubts remain about the unit's non-involvement in the “criminal” influence on the device, then this unit cannot be completely excluded from the number of suspects. It is necessary to look for such a way to check the alibi of the suspect in order to be 100% sure of his innocence. This is very important in the elimination method. And the most reliable way to check a suspect is to replace the block with a known good one.

Let's return all the same to our "patient", in whom we assumed a power failure. Where to start in this case? And as in all other cases - with a complete external and internal examination of the "patient". Never neglect this procedure, even when you are sure that you know the exact location of the breakdown. Always inspect the device completely and very carefully, without haste. Often, during the inspection, you can find defects that do not directly affect the desired malfunction, but which can cause damage in the future. Look for burnt electrical components, swollen capacitors, and other suspicious-looking components.

If the external and internal inspection did not bring any results, then pick up a multimeter and get to work. I hope there is no need to remind about checking the presence of mains voltage and about fuses. But let's talk a little about power supplies. First of all, check the high-energy elements of the power supply unit (PSU): output transistors, thyristors, diodes, power microcircuits. Then you can start sinning on the remaining semiconductors, electrolytic capacitors and, last of all, on the rest of the passive electrical elements. In general, the value of the probability of failure of an element depends on its energy saturation. The more energy an electrical element uses for its functioning, the more likely it is to break.

If mechanical components wear out by friction, then electrical ones - current. The higher the current, the greater the heating of the element, and heating / cooling wears out any materials no worse than friction. Temperature fluctuations lead to deformation of the material of electrical elements at the micro level due to thermal expansion. Such variable temperature loads are the main reason for the so-called material fatigue effect during the operation of electrical elements. This must be taken into account when determining the order in which items are checked.

Do not forget to check the power supply unit for output voltage ripples, or any other noise on the power buses. Although infrequently, such defects are the reason for the inoperability of the device. Check if the food actually reaches all consumers. Maybe because of problems in the connector / cable / wire, this "food" does not reach them? The power supply unit will be in good working order, but there is still no energy in the units of the device.

It also happens that a malfunction lurks in the load itself - a short circuit (SC) is not uncommon there. At the same time, in some "economical" power supplies there is no current protection and, accordingly, there is no such indication. Therefore, the version of the short circuit in the load should also be checked.

Now a breakdown of the second type. Although here everything should also start with the same external-internal examination, there is a much greater variety of aspects that should be paid attention to. - The most important thing is to have time to remember (write down) the whole picture of the state of the sound, light, digital indication of the device, error codes on the monitor, display, the position of alarm indicators, flags, blinkers at the time of the accident. Moreover, it is obligatory before its reset, acknowledgment, power off occurs! It is very important! Miss some important information- means without fail to increase the time spent on repairs. Inspect all available indications - both emergency and operational, and remember all indications. Open the control cabinets and remember (write down) the state of the internal indication, if any. Shake the boards installed on the motherboard, in the device case, loops, blocks. Maybe the problem will go away. And be sure to clean the cooling radiators.

Sometimes it makes sense to check the voltage on some suspicious indicator, especially if it is an incandescent lamp. Carefully read the readings of the monitor (display), if any. Decipher the error codes. Look at the tables of input and output signals at the time of the accident, write down their state. If the device has the function of recording the processes occurring with it, do not forget to read and analyze such an event log.

Don't be shy - smell the device. Is there a characteristic smell of burnt insulation? Pay particular attention to carbolite and other reactive plastics. Not often, but it happens that it breaks through them, and this breakdown is sometimes very hard to see, especially if the insulator is black. Due to their reactive properties, these plastics do not warp when heated, which also makes it difficult to detect broken insulation.

Look for darkened insulation of relay windings, starters, electric motors. Are there any darkened resistors and changed the normal color and shape of other electrical radio elements.

Are there any swollen or "blown" capacitors?

Check if there is water, dirt, foreign objects in the device.

See if the connector is skewed, or the block / board is not fully inserted into its place. Try removing and reinserting them.

Perhaps a switch on the device is in the wrong position. The button is stuck, or the moving contacts of the switch have become in an intermediate, not fixed position. Perhaps a contact has disappeared in some toggle switch, switch, potentiometer. Touch them all (with the device de-energized), move them, turn them on. This will not be superfluous.

Check the mechanical parts of the actuators for seizure - turn the rotors of the electric motors, stepper motors... Move other mechanisms as needed. Compare the effort applied at the same time with other similar working devices, if, of course, there is such a possibility.

Inspect the insides of the device in working condition - you may see strong sparking in the contacts of relays, starters, switches, which will indicate an excessively high current in this circuit. And this is already a good lead for troubleshooting. Often the fault of such a breakdown is a defect in a sensor. These intermediaries between the outside world and the device they serve are usually carried far beyond the borders of the device body itself. And at the same time they usually work in a more aggressive environment than the internal parts of the device, which, in one way or another, are protected from external influences. Therefore, all sensors require increased attention to themselves. Check their performance and do not be too lazy to clean them from contamination. Limit switches, various blocking contacts and other sensors with galvanic contacts are high priority suspects. Anyway, any "dry contact" ie. not soldered, should become an element of close attention.

And one more thing - if the device has served for a long time, then you should pay attention to the elements that are most susceptible to any wear or change in their parameters over time. For example: mechanical assemblies and parts; elements that are exposed to increased heating or other aggressive effects during operation; electrolytic capacitors, some types of which tend to lose capacity over time due to the drying out of the electrolyte; all contact connections; device controls.

Almost all types of "dry" contacts lose their reliability over time. Pay special attention to silver-plated contacts. If the device has been operated for a long time without Maintenance, I recommend that before proceeding with an in-depth search for a malfunction, do preventive maintenance on contacts - lighten them with an ordinary eraser and wipe with alcohol. Attention! Never use abrasive cloths to clean silver-plated and gold-plated contacts. This is certain death to the connector. Plating with silver or gold is always done in a very thin layer, and it is very easy to abrade it to copper with an abrasive. It is useful to carry out a self-cleaning procedure for the contacts of the socket of the connector, in the professional slang of "mom": connect and disconnect the connector several times, the spring contacts are slightly cleaned from friction. I also advise, when working with any contact connections, not to touch them with your hands - oil stains from fingers negatively affect the reliability of electrical contact. Cleanliness is the key to reliable contact work.

The first thing is to check the operation of any blocking, protection at the beginning of the repair. (In any normal technical documentation There is a chapter on the device with a detailed description of the interlocks used in it.)

After inspecting and checking the power supply, figure out what is most likely to break in the device, and check these versions. You shouldn't go straight into the jungle of the device. First, check all the periphery, especially the serviceability of the executive organs - perhaps it was not the device itself that broke, but some mechanism controlled by it. In general, it is recommended to study, albeit not to the subtleties, the entire production process, in which the ward device is a participant. When the obvious versions are exhausted - then sit down at your desk, brew some tea, lay out diagrams and other documentation on the device and "give birth" to new ideas. Think about what else could have caused this device disease.

After a while, you should have a certain number of new versions. Here I recommend not to rush to run to check them. Sit down somewhere in a relaxed atmosphere and think about these versions on the subject of the magnitude of the likelihood of each of them. Train yourself in assessing such probabilities, and when you gain experience in such a selection, you will begin to make repairs much faster.

The most effective and reliable way to check a suspected unit, a device assembly for operability, as already mentioned, is to replace it with a known good one. Do not forget at the same time to carefully check the blocks for their complete identity. If you connect the unit under test to a device that is working properly, then, if possible, make sure - check the unit for excessive output voltages, a short circuit in the power supply and in the power section, and others. possible malfunctions which can damage the working device. The opposite also happens: you connect the donor work board to the broken device, check what you wanted, and when you return it back, it turns out to be inoperative. This doesn't happen often, but keep this point in mind.

If in this way it was possible to find a faulty unit, then the so-called "signature analysis" will help to further localize the troubleshooting to a specific electrical element. This is the name of the method in which the repairman conducts an intelligent analysis of all signals with which the tested unit "lives". Connect the unit under study, node, board to the device using special extension adapters (these are usually supplied with the device) so that there is free access to all electrical elements. Lay out the circuit, measuring instruments nearby and turn on the power. Now check the signals at the control points on the board with voltages, oscillograms on the diagram (in the documentation). If the diagram and documentation do not shine with such details, then strain your brains. Good knowledge of circuitry will be very useful here.

If you have any doubts, you can "hang" a working model board from the working device on the adapter and compare the signals. Check all possible signals, voltages, oscillograms with the diagram (documentation). If a deviation of any signal from the norm is found, do not rush to conclude that this particular electrical element is faulty. It may not be the cause, but just a consequence of another abnormal signal that forced this element to issue a false signal. During the repair, try to narrow the search circle, to localize the malfunction as much as possible. When working with a suspected node / unit, come up with such tests and measurements for it that would exclude (or confirm) the involvement of this unit / unit in this malfunction for sure! Think seven times when you exclude a block from the number of unreliable. All doubts in this case must be dispelled by clear evidence.

Always do experiments meaningfully, the “scientific poke” method is not our method. Say, let me put this wire here and see what happens. Never be like such "repairmen". The consequences of any experiment must necessarily be thought out and carried useful information... Pointless experiments are a waste of time, and besides, you can still break something. Develop the ability to think logically, strive to see clear cause-and-effect relationships in the operation of the device. Even a broken device has its own logic, there is an explanation for everything. If you can understand and explain the non-standard behavior of the device, you will find its defect. In the matter of repairs, it is very important to clearly imagine the algorithm of the device's operation. If you have gaps in this area, read the documentation, ask everyone who knows at least something about the question of interest. And do not be afraid to ask, contrary to popular belief, this does not diminish the authority in the eyes of colleagues, but on the contrary, smart people will always appreciate it positively. It is absolutely unnecessary to memorize the scheme of the device; for this, the paper was invented. But the algorithm of its work must be known by heart. And now you have been “shaking” the device that day. We studied it in such a way that it seems like nowhere else. And they have repeatedly tortured all the suspected blocks / nodes. Even the most fantastic options have been tried, but the malfunction has not been found. You are already starting to get a little nervous, maybe even panic. Congratulations! You have reached the pinnacle of this renovation. And here only… rest will help! You are just tired, you need to get distracted from work. As experienced people say, your eyes are blurred. So quit your job and completely disconnect your attention from the ward device. You can do other work, or do nothing at all. But forget about the device. But when you rest, you yourself will feel the desire to continue the battle. And as often happens, after such a break, you suddenly see such a simple solution to the problem that you will be indescribably surprised!

But with a malfunction of the third type, everything is much more complicated. Since device malfunctions are usually random, it often takes a lot of time to catch the moment of the failure. The peculiarities of the external examination in this case consist in combining the search for a possible cause of the failure with preventive maintenance. Here is a list of some possible reasons the occurrence of failures.

Bad contact (first of all!). Clean the connectors all at once throughout the device and carefully inspect the contacts.

Overheating (as well as overcooling) of the entire device, caused by an increased (low) ambient temperature, or caused by prolonged operation with a high load.

Dust on boards, assemblies, blocks.

Dirty cooling radiators. Overheating of the semiconductor elements that they cool can also cause malfunctions.

Interference in the power supply. If the power filter is missing or out of order, or its filtering properties are insufficient for the given operating conditions of the device, then failures in its operation will be frequent guests. Try to associate the failures with the inclusion of any load in the same mains as the device is powered from, and thereby find the culprit of the interference. Perhaps it is in the neighboring device that the mains filter is faulty, or some other malfunction in it, and not in the device being repaired. If possible, power the device for a while from an uninterruptible power supply with a good built-in surge protector. The crashes will disappear - look for the problem on the network.

And here, as in the previous case, the most effective repair method is the method of replacing blocks with known serviceable ones. When changing blocks and nodes between identical devices, carefully monitor their full identity. Pay attention to the presence of personal settings in them - various potentiometers, tuned inductance loops, switches, jumpers, jumpers, program inserts, ROMs with different firmware versions. If they are available, then make the decision to replace it after considering everything. possible problems, which may arise in connection with the danger of disrupting the operation of the unit / node and the device as a whole, due to the difference in such settings. If, nevertheless, there is an urgent need for such a replacement, then reconfigure the blocks with the obligatory recording of the previous state - it will come in handy when returning.

It so happens that all the boards, blocks, nodes that make up the device are replaced, but the defect remains. So, it is logical to assume that the malfunction stuck in the remaining periphery in the wiring harnesses, inside any connector the wiring came off, there may be a defect in the backplane. Sometimes a jammed connector contact is to blame, for example, in a circuit board box. When working with microprocessor systems, it is sometimes helpful to run test programs multiple times. They can be looped back or configured for a large number of cycles. Moreover, it is better if they are specialized test ones, and not working ones. These programs are able to fix the failure and all the accompanying information. If you can, write such a test program yourself, targeting a specific failure.

It happens that the periodicity of the manifestation of a failure has a certain pattern. If the failure can be related in time to the execution of a specific process in the instrument, then you are in luck. This is a very good lead for analysis. Therefore, always carefully observe device failures, notice all the circumstances under which they appear, and try to connect them with the performance of any function of the device. Long-term observation of the malfunctioning device in this case can provide a clue to the mystery of the malfunction. If we find the dependence of the appearance of a failure on, for example, overheating, increase / decrease in the supply voltage, on vibration exposure, this will give some idea of ​​the nature of the malfunction. And then - "let the seeker find".

The control substitution method almost always brings positive results. But the block found in this way may contain many microcircuits and other elements. This means that it is possible to restore the operation of the unit by replacing only one inexpensive part. How to localize the search further in this case? Here, too, not all is lost, there are several interesting tricks. It is almost impossible to catch a failure with signature analysis. Therefore, we will try to use some non-standard methods. It is necessary to provoke the block into a failure with a certain local impact on it, and at the same time it is necessary that the moment of the failure manifestation can be tied to a specific part of the block. Hang the block on the adapter / extension cord and start tormenting it. If you suspect a microcrack in the board, you can try to fix the board on some rigid base and deform only small parts of its area (corners, edges) and bend them in different planes. And while watching the operation of the device - catch a failure. You can try to knock on parts of the board with the handle of a screwdriver. We decided on the section of the board - take the lens and carefully look out for the crack. It is not often, but sometimes it is still possible to find a defect, and, by the way, a microcrack is not always the culprit. Soldering defects are much more common. Therefore, it is recommended not only to bend the board itself, but also to move all its electrical elements, carefully observing their soldered connection. If there are few suspicious elements, you can simply solder everything at once so that in the future there will be no more problems with this unit.

But if any semiconductor element of the board is suspected of the cause of the failure, it will not be easy to find it. But here, too, you can speak, there is such a somewhat radical way to provoke a failure: in working order, heat each electrical element in turn with a soldering iron and monitor the behavior of the device. The soldering iron must be applied to the metal parts of electrical elements through a thin plate of mica. Warm up to about 100-120 degrees, although sometimes more is required. In this case, of course, there is a certain degree of probability to additionally spoil some “innocent” element on the board, but whether it is worth the risk in this case, it is up to you to decide. You can try the other way around, chill it with an ice piece. Also not often, but you can still try in this way, as we say, "pick out the bug." If it's really hot, and if possible, of course, then change all semiconductors on the board in a row. The order of replacement is according to the descending energy saturation. Change blocks of several pieces, periodically checking the operation of the block for failures. Try to thoroughly solder all the electrical elements on the board, sometimes this procedure alone returns the device to a healthy life. In general, with this type of malfunction, complete recovery of the device can never be guaranteed. It often happens that during troubleshooting you accidentally moved some element that had weak contact. In this case, the malfunction has disappeared, but most likely this contact will manifest itself again over time. Repairing a rare failure is a thankless task, it takes a lot of time and effort, and there is no guarantee that the device will be necessarily repaired. Therefore, many craftsmen often refuse to take on the repair of such capricious devices, and, frankly, I do not blame them for this.

Content

Computers are devices for simple computing and before processing audio and video materials, launching demanding gaming products. To display the processed data on the screen, a video card is required. It fails more often than other components, and sometimes so that it is not always possible to determine it the first time. Explore a number of measures to self-diagnose the health of the graphic element and the causes of visual defects.

How to check the performance of a video card visually

One of simple ways how to check the video card for serviceability is visual inspection devices and checking the computer (PC) assembly. A clear sign, which helps to find out that the video card is faulty, is a dark monitor screen, stripes, a transition to a poor color palette. Check if the monitor itself is turned on, if it is functional. This requires:

1. See if the indicator on the corresponding button is on, if not, then click on it.
2. For additional diagnostics, connect another monitor to the PC (already tested, exactly working): if the image remains unchanged, then the graphics card is faulty.

Alternative visual signs that help to judge the incorrect performance of a video card include:

• Correct operation of the monitor with periodic appearance of unusual image distortions, artifacts:
  1. long horizontal stripes of light gray, dark gray;
  2. horizontal, alternating with vertical stripes;
  3. sometimes - supposedly "broken" pixels in different places.
• The appearance of a blue "screen of death" is a message about a critical error of the Windows operating system (OS) during the process of reinstalling drivers.
• A special sound signal coming from the BIOS, which informs about the incorrect operation of the video card. In this case, the type and tone of the signal will depend on the BIOS version.

To check if the video card is working on the computer (PC) and to make sure that it led to a malfunction, you need to check the functioning of the rest of the PC. Work order:

1. Check the power supply. Connect the computer to the network, listen to if the cooling system - the fan - has turned on.
2. Listen to the presence of the familiar sound signal, informing about the OS loading, look at the state of the monitor. Is there a normal picture or is the screen still dark?
3. Press the power button (turn on the computer), see if the LEDs flicker. This blinking indicates the initialization of a test check of the hardware of the computer before loading the operating system.
4. Check the performance of the monitor by connecting it to a donor (another system unit).

If all the equipment (both the system unit and the monitor) functions normally, but when connected together, the screen still does not respond, then 99% of the problem lies in the video card. In this case, you can contact the service center if the warranty period has not expired, and the protective seals are intact. The second option is to clean the card yourself. If you decide to carry out additional diagnostics of the video card and cleaning it, you must:

1. Disconnect the computer from the network, unscrew the fasteners (bolts, screws) of the system unit and clean the internal elements from dust.
2. Unfasten the latch, disconnect the video card from the motherboard. If there is no experience in parsing and knowledge of the device of computers, then the card can be found along the wire that connects the monitor to the unit.
3. Thoroughly inspect the video card for burnt and damaged elements, traces of combustion, damaged contacts and soldering deformation, by which you can find out if the video card has burned out.
4. The presence or absence of other effects can be detected with a tester and a screwdriver. Examples - the presence of a short circuit in a section of the circuit, a drop in resistance on a donut - a converting transformer. These negative processes and the presence of a small layer of thermal paste (verified by smooth disconnection of the microcircuit) can lead to overheating of the processor with the video adapter.
5. If all the elements are intact, it is necessary to wipe the contacts, the junction of the elements with a cotton swab dipped in dissolved industrial alcohol.
6. It's time to assemble the computer, re-launch it.

You need to be especially careful when buying a used device, because previous owners could use it too intensively, try to overclock it. The most common problems are:

• low performance due to the fact that it was used in the process of mining cryptocurrencies, performing super-complex computing operations or using powerful, demanding computer games;
• the device was subjected to other serious stress;
• overheating, sudden temperature changes due to incorrect installation and operation of the card, for example, in a cramped case with insufficient ventilation and high dust content;
• the presence of hardware failures, for example, kinks of fan blades;
• loss of original performance - this can happen as a result of improper recovery and reballing of the GPU (graphics processing unit).

You can check the video card for operability at the time of purchase in two ways:

1. Test the graphics card on the retailer's computer by running powerful games and checking the performance while playing videos using a benchmark (benchmark test) in specialized programs, such as Furmark. This option is available if the video card is purchased at the seller's apartment. If the meeting is scheduled on neutral territory, then the second option will do.
2. Visual inspection of the board. Here you need to use a flashlight and carefully check the device for broken and burnt elements, blackened or damaged parts of the board.

How to find out if a video card is working on a computer using Windows services

There is another way how you can check the video card for serviceability. It consists in using the built-in services of the Windows operating system (OS), but only if it is installed on the computer. To check the technique, you need:

1. Use the key combination "Win + R" and bring up a window to perform tasks that require administrator rights.
2. In the pop-up list of the panel, select dxdiag or enter it manually, and then click on the "OK" button.
3. Go to the "Display" tab and view information about the device, downloaded drivers, information about faults in the "Notes" field.

Testing a video card for performance using a computer game

You can also check the performance of the device using the CPU-Z program, which monitors one of the critical parameters devices - temperatures, in combination with a powerful computer game that can load a computer or laptop well. To carry out this test you need:

1. Download and run CPU-Z, and then select the video adapter model in the lower left corner, for example, Radeon rx 480.
2. Go to the "Sensors" tab, pay attention to the "GPU Temperature" field - this parameter shows the current temperature of the graphics adapter. Double click on it to display the maximum value.
3. Without closing the program, start any game with high demands, play for 30–40 minutes, and then quit the game and check the temperature reading: it should be within 90–95 ° C. If the temperature exceeds 100 ° C, then the resources of the device will soon be running out.

Check the video card for operability using special programs

Device performance testing is carried out using special software products, which include:

• FurMark;
• 3DMark;
• Aida 64;
• OCCT;
• ATITool.

FurMark app is in a great way checks the performance of the graphics card, which uses a special animation - "fluffy" torus. Thanks to this graphic element, the device is heavily loaded, which helps to obtain the maximum amount of information about the adapter's operation. At the same time, due to the heavy workload, damage to the video card is possible. To carry out the test, you must perform the following steps:

1. Go to the official website of the program, download the latest version of the application, and then install it on your computer.
2. After opening the program, click on the Settings button and in the window that appears, check the items: "Dynamic background" and "Burn-in".
3. In the main menu, click on "Burn-in test" and in the pop-up check the box, agreeing to a possible emergency restart of the system, and then click the "Go" button.
4. Test the performance of the video card for 20 minutes and complete the procedure. Extending the test duration may lead to a malfunction of the device.

FurMark can be paired with CPU-Z, which monitors the processor. To use the utility, you need to launch CPU-Z, select "Graphics Card" in the main menu, then you can load the video card, and then check the stability of its operation, view the main functionality with the value of the main parameters.

3DMark

3DMark is a well-known program for diagnosing video adapters, used not only by gamers, but also by device manufacturers. The benchmark results obtained with this program are considered benchmarks and performance ratings are based on them. The application is released in a paid version, but you can also download a free one with a limitation on the number of tests performed to check the video card.

With the help of 3DMark, diagnostics can be performed on personal computers with any version of Windows, laptops, to test the graphic functions of smartphones, tablets on Android and iOS. To start testing the device, you must:

1. Run the program, watch the testing progress.
2. Wait 15 minutes before the end of the diagnosis and on the site compare the indicators with the data of other users.

Aida 64

The Aida 64 program is designed to test the overall performance of a computer: parameters of the video adapter, processor (temperature, number of cores, and so on) and hard disk... To check the stability of the application, the functionality of the application includes the ability to conduct stress tests. To check the video card for serviceability, you need:

1. Open the application and go to the "Tools" menu.
2. Run "System stability test" and check the box next to "Stress GPU" to test the video device.
3. Test the card for 10 minutes and monitor the temperature change.

OCCT

The OSST program is designed to assess the stability and possible damage to the video card from overloads, and is also used to overclock the device's parameters. The application displays the values ​​of frequency, voltage, temperature readings, builds graphs of parameter changes. It is compatible only with DirectX 9 and 11. To check the device is working properly, you need to open the program and go to the "GPU" tab, and then write the settings:

• test duration - 14 minutes;
• permission;
• complexity of shaders;
• checking for errors.

ATITool

A simple and easy-to-use software product is the ATITool application, which performs a comprehensive check of the device's performance using the main tool - the "hairy cube". This animation is very voluminous and heavy for a computer, so all processor malfunctions, including overheating of contacts, will be found, and information will be displayed on the screen.

After downloading and installing the program, you need to enter the main menu and click on the "Show 3D view" button, which will launch a rotating cube. After that, testing will start, similar to the previous programs to check the temperature of the processor. This test does not provide for time limits, so you need to make sure that the processor does not overheat.

Using the "cube", in addition to overheating, you can view the errors of the video card. The program displays them as yellow dots. If after the end of testing up to three points were found, then the graphics card has normal functionality. The 10 point value is also not very critical, it shows only minor problems with power or power supply. More than 10 dots indicate that there is a serious problem inside the device.

The device memory can be checked using the "Video Memory stress" utility. This program is able to determine the amount of memory that is consumed when executing a particular process. In addition, the utility is able to check several cards at once. Application management is simple. To use the program, you just need to open it and click on the "Start" button. After launching, two screens and data on the device will appear on the monitor. Nuances:

• The top one will show the test time, and the bottom one will show the total check time.
• Below the bottom screen is a window with a list of errors that occurred during the test. If there are no errors in this window, then the video card is working in normal mode, and its functions are not violated.
• Additional information about the device can be found in the "Log" item, which is located below the window with errors.

How to find out if a video card is working on a laptop

Today, two types of personal computers are widely used: stationary and laptop. By virtue of large sizes checking the operation of the graphics card on a stationary device is not difficult. But how to check if a video card is working on a laptop? There are two ways:

• Download and run a large program designed for graphics processing - Photoshop, or a game with high demands, for example, latest version NFS series - Need For Speed. If there are problems with the video card, their visual display will appear on the screen in the form of lags, stripes or freezes.
• Use specialized programs for testing devices, special programs, for example, FurMark, OCCT and 3D Mark.

How to test a video card for a malfunction online

Video adapters can be tested on the Internet - online. The check method is not suitable for troubleshooting, but is only intended to determine the compliance of the computer settings with the requirements of the games. More often, the behavior and correctness of the device is checked at the time of launching a certain game, for example, Fifa, a football simulator. An example of a service is the NVIDIA online test. In order to use it you need:

1. Go to the official website of the company and select the item "Is your computer ready for new games?" In the menu on the left.
2. Select a game and then click on the "Inquire Now" button under the icon.

Video

After I published the article, questions about the rest of the nodes rained down on my blog. Namely, how to determine this or that malfunction. And now several people are asking a question about a wheel bearing, namely how to understand that it is faulty. Today I will also try to explain simply and clearly how to determine a breakdown with my own hands ...

The wheel bearing is a very important element, without it the car wheel would not spin. It undergoes really high loads, and therefore must be made of durable high quality materials. However, from time to time, from high mileage or simply improper operation of the car, this part may fail. You need to change it - MANDATORY, otherwise you can provoke a big accident.

Breakdown reasons

To be honest, the bearing is a very durable part of the hub. And to "kill" him you need to try! Most likely, you will fail all kinds of racks, rubber bushings and other hinged parts, but if you "try" you can disable this element too.

1) High mileage ... No matter how trite it may sound, the high mileage of the car wears out all the components, and the bearing is no exception. This is the main cause of the malfunction, the rest are secondary. After about 70 - 120,000 kilometers, different manufacturers have different ways. You will hear a characteristic crunch. Says that this part needs to be changed.

2) Loss of tightness ... The bearing has a little grease, which is covered with special covers made of rubber or plastic. If they break down, then the grease comes out and the wear becomes much greater. After a couple of thousand kilometers, you can hear a characteristic hum, which indicates a malfunction.

3) Sloppy driving ... If you constantly fly into holes at high speeds, this will also wear out this knot a little. Although, as I wrote above, other suspension elements will fail faster.

4) Incorrect fitting ... This is a secondary reason, during repair, a new bearing may be incorrectly pressed in, for example, obliquely. Thus, when driving, it will not stand correctly, which will wear it out quickly enough, after about a couple or three thousand kilometers, it will again need to be changed.

5) If pulled too tight ... This happened especially on our domestic cars, the bearing was overtightened during replacement, thus, it heated up more than usual, which also contributes to a decrease in resource and subsequent breakdown. So you need to take into account the twisting force, usually it is indicated in the instructions.

These are all the main reasons, but as you can see the last two are "crooked hands" of the car service. So we change only at proven stations that give a guarantee for work. Sometimes it is more profitable to look at the official stations.

Breakage symptoms

Here is the most interesting thing - how to determine the malfunction, there are several hundred percent methods.

1) "Dry" crunch ... When the wheel bearing fails, there is a crunching sound when driving. These are rolling spherical elements. They broke the clip they were in and are now not evenly spaced. You will not confuse this sound with anything, believe me, this sound is perfectly heard in the cabin. This is the very first symptom - how such a sound appeared, we immediately go to the service station.

2) Vibration ... If the bearing is already well worn, then vibration should appear, both in the steering wheel and in the body. This suggests that the spherical elements have already worn out the bearing cage well, a little more and a "wedge" may come. We are urgently changing.

3) The car is pulled to the side ... It is also possible that the part with the faulty element does not work normally - if I may put it that way, it locks up a little, and therefore the car will pull in one direction or another, as if it were wrong.

What will happen if you do not change

Many car enthusiasts ride with faulty wheel bearings, and even accelerate under 100 and more kilometers per hour - guys, this is very dangerous, remember this is the connecting element of the wheel, which is responsible for its rotation. If it is broken, then at any moment it can jam. And this is an abrupt stop of one of the front wheels. Now imagine if you have a speed of 100 km / h - at this speed you will simply fly to the side of the road, at best, but you can also fly into the “oncoming lane”, and here you are not far from the accident. There have been cases when the cars overturned. So guys, the hub bearing is very dangerous, if you don't want to change it, drive at low speeds, up to 40 km / h, otherwise everything may end up very badly.

We determine the malfunction ourselves (at home)

In general, in addition to the crunch that you will constantly hear when driving. You can determine by the signs yourself literally near the house.

1) We put the car on a flat, preferably asphalt area.

2) Check the vertical axis backlash. To do this, we take the wheel at the top point and try to swing it with all our might. If you hear clicks and there is a backlash, then this is definitely a "hub".

3) For full confidence, you can lift the wheel on a jack and rotate it. If a crunch is heard, it is a malfunction.

4) There is one more method (works only on front wheel drive), but it is advisable to do it on a lift. You need to raise the car, start, turn on the gear and accelerate the wheels, then turn off the engine and listen. The side that will make noise, crunch and vibrate is faulty.

Now a small video version of the article

About replacement

What I want to say - change the bearing correctly, it is quite difficult to do it yourself. You need at least a couple of pullers and knowledge of the car's suspension. It is not for nothing that many automakers completely change the wheel hub.

When replacing, it is important:

1) It is possible to press in the bearing only with special smooth cages (ideally, use the housing from the old one). Pressing in with "rolling elements" is not allowed.

2) Do not press in with sharp tools, which can damage the O-ring, which will then lead to lubricant leakage.

Troubleshooting PC- some useful tips, which will allow you to correctly diagnose and repair computers yourself at home.

• You can carry out diagnostics of a very high quality, without resorting to the services of professionals for money. Each computer breakdown manifests itself in a different way, and sometimes it is not so easy to identify it.

For example, the mouse does not respond when you click Start, and all attempts to turn off the computer are in vain. Or, at startup, some important functions remain unavailable, the browser does not work, there is no Internet or a blue screen, and so on.

One way or another, you first need to try to figure out the causes of the malfunction yourself. Check the elementary functions, inspect the motherboard visually for swollen capacitors, whether all the parts of the system unit are tightly inserted, whether it is possible to enter the BIOS, and so on.

See my pc diagnostics services —

If something does not work out, go to another diagnostic procedure, and you will return to the one that did not work out later. This will help you to more accurately understand what exactly does not work and, if necessary, tell in more detail about the malfunction to the foreman upon arrival, so that he understands where to start considering the problem.

1.Does not respond to the power button on the system unit.

• The computer simply does not turn on, there are no signs of health. In this situation, it is necessary check all batteries, the entire chain, from the power supply to the motherboard.

Check all cables and loops, inspect the power supply for a burning smell. And it is important to check the button on the power supply that supplies and disconnects electrical current to the power supply.

Perhaps it's just turned off (this happens sometimes). If the visual inspection did not reveal any obvious defects, then we proceed to inspect the motherboard. Usually the connectors that power the motherboard and processor are checked. If the plugs are disconnected or torn off, they must be carefully connected to the desired sockets and connectors.

• If this diagnosis did not give tangible results, then you should disconnect all the plugs from the motherboard. Then you need to bridge the contacts on the motherboard with a screwdriver, which are responsible for starting, usually this is power sw.

If after closing the computer started up then this means that the power button may be faulty on the case. To get out of the situation, you can do this. For example, your case has a second button - Reset (reboot).

You can assign the start of the computer with this button. We connect the Reset sw connectors to the Power sw connectors. Now you can use the Reset button to turn on the computer. Since we are talking about this button, I want to remind you that during normal computer operation, using this button is highly discouraged, as it harms the hard drive.

• You can check the case in the power supply or not. To do this, you guessed it, you just need to connect another power supply. If everything worked, then the problem was in the PSU.

If the above activities did not help, this may indicate motherboard malfunction... In this case, PC diagnostics and repairs on their own will not help. You need to diagnose the motherboard in a service center or replace it.

2.The image does not appear on the monitor of your computer.

If an image is not displayed on the monitor, but it is clear from the operation of the LEDs on the motherboard and the operation of the fans that the computer is working, then you should deal with the devices responsible for displaying the image on the monitor.

• In this situation, you need to check the monitor itself for performance. Connect it to another working device.

Very often, when the video signal stops coming to the monitor, the system reports this with appropriate signals. In this case, you need to have with you decoding of BIOS signals for your motherboard.

This symptom also appears if there is a short circuit inside the Reset button itself.

• Also, the absence of a picture on the monitor also happens due to incorrect settings of the BIOS itself... To do this, you need to reset the settings to factory settings. This can be done with a jumper or in the BIOS itself. The motherboard usually has a Clear Cmos jumper. You just need to close and return it to its normal position. You can also take out the battery for 1-2 minutes.

• Sometimes it happens that the image disappears due to non-working RAM... You need to try to start the computer alternately with one or the other bar (if there are 2). If there is only one bar, then you need to try to insert another bar of the same type and try to start with it.

• A faulty video card can be identified by replacement for another... If everything works with another card, then the problem was in it.

• Sometimes the image is not displayed on the monitor due to the processor. This also happens sometimes. Therefore, you can still try as an option replace processor.

Now you know how to navigate troubleshooting pc... If you have done all of the above and the picture has not appeared, then most likely there is a problem with the computer's motherboard. More detailed diagnostics only in a service center.

The most common case of knocking is an increase in technical clearances in the mates of parts. Most often, with an increase in engine speed, the knocking becomes more intense, but it also happens vice versa - it can depend on the engine temperature and the intensity of the lubrication.

If the knock remains unchanged as the vehicle is operated (in fact, almost unchanged), this is due to wear of parts made of hard materials (for example, the gas distribution mechanism), if the sound progresses, the pair "soft material + hard" is worn out (for example, a crank mechanism).

A uniform knock with the frequency of the crankshaft usually occurs precisely as a result of an increase in technical clearances in the mating of parts: pistons, camshaft, crankshaft, cylinder block.

If the knock increases under load and its intensity progresses while driving, it is likely that the crankshaft bearings and crank mechanism are damaged.

A knock at a frequency lower than that of the crankshaft usually indicates a problem with the camshaft.

Loud thuds - crank mechanism malfunction (wear connecting rod bearing or main bearing). This sound could also be the result of a cracked drive disc in an automatic transmission.

A knock at a frequency higher than the crankshaft speed is often the result of foreign objects entering the oil pan or exhaust tract.

Rhythmic tapping, increasing with increasing speed, - the valve mechanism is incorrectly adjusted or the oil level in the engine is too low.

Irregular knocking occurs when the thrust bearings of the shafts are worn, the seating is loose, or defects in the pulleys and flywheels.

Clattering sounds are a sign of wear on the timing belt or accessory drive belts.

Whistling under the hood is usually a result of loosening or slipping of the alternator belt or pump drive.

Metal clanking from the bottom of the cylinder block - piston malfunction. A loud clanking sound from the top is a sign of wear on the camshaft cams.

A booming sound that turns into a hum is a sign of a generator malfunction.

The characteristic hiss is a common sign of depressurization of any system due to loosening of the clamps or a break in one of the hoses.

The uneven sound of the engine in the rhythm "3 through 1" (they say - "engine troit") means that one of the cylinders does not work (skips a stroke), for example, one of the spark plugs does not ignite the mixture. Other signs of a malfunction are instability in operation. idle, drop in power, increase in fuel consumption.

So, a uniform knock with the frequency of the crankshaft (and, even more so, an increasing one) is in most cases a sign of a breakdown, further movement with which will lead to the need overhaul engine or its replacement. Those. when sounds of this kind appear, you should immediately stop and get to the service station already on the tow truck.

With fading or uneven knocks, in most cases it is possible to get to the service station on its own.

In any case - upon occurrence extraneous knocks- you should visit the service station as soon as possible.