System Testing

AIDA64 Extreme Edition
License: Shareware Last Reviewed: 2013-03-27
Version: 2.85 – Released: 2013-03-27 Windows: All, incl. 8 and Server 2012
File Size: 13.7 MB Both 32- and 64-bit compatible
“AIDA64 Extreme Edition is a streamlined Windows diagnostic and benchmarking software for home users. AIDA64 Extreme Edition provides a wide range of features to assist in overclocking, hardware error diagnosis, stress testing, and sensor monitoring. It has unique capabilities to assess the performance of the processor, system memory, and disk drives. AIDA64 is compatible with all current 32-bit and 64-bit Microsoft Windows operating systems, including Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012.
“Features include:
• Software and operating system analysis
• Hardware diagnostics
• Temperature, voltage and cooling fan monitoring
• CPU, memory and disk benchmarks”
Anchor Link BenchmarkHQ
Information Only Last Reviewed: 2009-07-14
Brief descriptions and links to many benchmark tools.
Anchor Link Browser Security Test
License: Free Online Last Reviewed: 2010-07-10
“Careful! The test will try to crash your browser! Close all other browser windows before starting and bookmark this page. If your browser crashes during the test, restart it and return to this page. It will show which vulnerability crashed your browser and offer you to continue the test or view the results.
“The test requires persistent cookies to be enabled. The cookie is used to restore your session after browser crash.”
Anchor Link BurnInTest
License: Shareware Last Reviewed: 2013-03-13
Version: 7.1.1001 – Released: 2013-03-12 Windows: XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7, 8
File Size: 7.2 MB Both 32- and 64-bit versions
“Passmark’s BurnInTest is a software tool that allows all the major sub-systems of a computer to be simultaneously tested for reliability and stability. What BurnIn Test does is thoroughly exercise the hardware in a PC in a short period of time, in the same way as normal applications use a PC over a long period of time. This takes advantage of the fact that computer hardware tends to fail either very early in its life or after many thousands of hours of use. BurnInTest will bring to the surface intermittent or hidden problems so that after a successfully run the computer can be used with a much higher level of confidence. BurnInTest can also be used by overclockers to verify system stability at high clock speeds.”
Anchor Link Coreinfo
License: Freeware Last Reviewed: 2012-08-04
Version: 3.05 – Released: 2012-08-03 Windows: XP SP3, 2003, and higher
File Size: 344 KB
“Coreinfo is a command-line utility that shows you the mapping between logical processors and the physical processor, NUMA node, and socket on which they reside, as well as the cache’s assigned to each logical processor. It uses the Windows’ GetLogicalProcessorInformation function to obtain this information and prints it to the screen, representing a mapping to a logical processor with an asterisk e.g. ‘*’. Coreinfo is useful for gaining insight into the processor and cache topology of your system.”
Anchor Link CPU Speed Professional
License: Freeware – Donations appreciated Last Reviewed: 2012-03-24
Version: 3.0.4.5 – Released: 2012-03-26 Windows: All
File Size: 1.47 MB Both 32- and 64-bit compatible
“Use CPU Speed Professional to test your Intel or AMD processor speed. This great little application will tell you the REAL speed of your Central Processing Unit (CPU). You can also submit your speed results to the CPU Speed online WORLD ranking tables and see how your computer compares with others around the world and in your own country. CPU Speed is the most accurate and most reliable tool for measuring your computer’s speed. Over one million people have downloaded this great program.”
Anchor Link EVEREST Ultimate Edition
License: Shareware Last Reviewed: 2010-12-20
“EVEREST is now discontinued. See AIDA64 the successor to EVEREST.”
Anchor Link Hidden Benchmarks in Vista
Information Only Last Reviewed: 2011-04-11
Windows: Vista
“There’s a utility built into Windows Vista used for benchmarking your system called the System Assessment Tool. What most people don’t know is that you can call this utility from the command line and view some cool 3D benchmarks.
“You should be able to use a regular command prompt, but you’d have best luck using an administrator mode command prompt. (Right-click and choose Run as Administrator.) You should also note that it will temporarily disable Aero before running the test, but don’t worry, it will re-enable it after.”
Anchor Link ModemTest
License: Freeware Last Reviewed: 2012-05-11
Version: 1.3.1013 – Released: 2012-05-09 Windows: All
File Size: 803 KB
“ModemTest is an easy to use Windows based application that allows users to test their dial up modem. ModemTest performs low level testing that is independent of your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the TCP/IP settings on the computer. It allows the modem to be tested in addition to the phone line the modem is connected to. ModemTest provides a method for system integrators and computer repair centers to test both internal and external modems. By a process of elimination home users can also use ModemTest to help isolate Internet connection problems to a faulty modem, or phone line or their ISP service. ModemTest logs any data corruption and incorporates a modem speed test which reports the initial connection speed and the actual throughput.
“The final release of ModemTest has removed the license requirements and turn it into free software. So while the software will now be free we don’t plan on providing any support for it.”
Anchor Link MonitorTest
License: Shareware – $24.00 Last Reviewed: 2012-03-18
Version: 3.1.1000 – Released: 2010-09-07 Windows: All
File Size: 1.7 MB Both 32- and 64-bit compatible
“PassMark MonitorTest is a tool that allows users to investigate the quality and performance of their computer monitor or LCD flat panel screens. With more people spending more time in front of computer monitors it is important to purchase a quality monitor that will provide crisp, bright images, while reducing the strain on your eyes. The MonitorTest software generates test patterns on the screen at a variety of different resolutions and color depths to test for optimum visual performance. Each of 35 different test screens have been created to test a particular aspect of the monitors performance.
“As a monitor is often the most expensive part of a computer system, this type of testing is essential for the adjustment and selection of a quality monitor. Users would include computer repair centers, system integrators, quality assurance personnel, graphic designers and anyone that cares about the quality of their monitor. MonitorTest runs in Windows and will work at any resolution, aspect ratio and color depth supported by your monitor and graphics card.”
Anchor Link PC Wizard
License: Freeware – Donations appreciated Last Reviewed: 2012-07-11
Version: 2.1 – Released: 2012-07-09 Windows: All
File Size: 6.3 MB Both 32- and 64-bit compatible
Portable version available on-site
“PC WIZARD is a powerful utility designed especially for detection of hardware, but also some more analysis. It’s able to identify a large scale of system components and supports the latest technologies and standards. This tool is periodically updated (usually once per month) in order to provide most accurate results.
“PC WIZARD is also an utility designed to analyze and benchmark your computer system. It can analyze and benchmark many kinds of hardware, such as CPU performance, Cache performance, RAM performance, Hard Disk performance, CD/DVD-ROM performance, Removable/FLASH Media performance, Video performance, MP3 compression performance.”
Anchor Link Performance Test
License: Shareware – $26.00 Last Reviewed: 2013-04-23
Version: 8.0.1020 – Released: 2013-04-23 Windows: XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7, 2012, 8
File Size: 23 MB Requires: DirectX 9.0c or higher
Both 32- and 64-bit compatible
“Passmark Performance Test is a fast, easy to use, PC speed testing and benchmarking tool. Twenty-seven standard benchmark tests are available in seven test suites plus there are five advanced testing windows for custom benchmarking.
Standard test suites:
¤ CPU tests (mathematical operations, compression, encryption, …)
¤ Tests of standard two dimensional graphical functions
¤ Reading, writing and seeking within disk files
¤ Memory allocation and access
¤ DirectX 3D graphics animation
¤ MMX / SSE and 3DNow! tests
¤ CD / DVD speed testing”
Anchor Link ProcessorFeatures
License: Freeware Last Reviewed: 2011-04-11
Version: 1.1 – Released: 2006-11-01 Windows: 98, Me, 2000, XP
File Size: 38 KB
“ProcessorFeatures is a no-frills applet that uses the Windows IsProcessorFeaturePresent API to determine if the processor and Windows supports various features such as No-Execute pages, Physical Address Extensions (PAE), and a real-time cycle counter. Its primary purpose is to identify system’s running the PAE version of the kernel and that support no-execute buffer overflow protection.
“The download includes source code.”
Anchor Link SiSoft Sandra Lite
License: Shareware Last Reviewed: 2013-04-27
Version: 2013.05.19.44 – Released: 2013-04-25 Windows: XP, 2003, Vista, 7, 2008, 8, 2012
File Size: 58.8 MB Both 32- and 64-bit versions
“SiSoftware Sandra is a 32- and 64-bit Windows system analyser that includes benchmarking, testing, and listing modules. It tries to go beyond other utilities to show you more of what is really going on under the hood, so you draw comparisons at both a high- and low-level in a single product.
“You can get information about the CPU, chipset, video adapter, ports, printers, sound card, memory, network, Windows internals, AGP, ODBC Connections, USB2, and FireWire. You can save, print, fax, e-mail, post, upload, or insert into ADO/ODBC databases reports in text, HTML, XML, SMS/DMI, or RPT format. This version supports multiple sources of information gathering including: remote computers, PDAs, smart phones, ADO/ODBC databases, or saved system reports. All benchmarks are optimized for both SMP and SMT (Hyper-Threading), up to 32/64 CPUs depending on the platform.
Anchor Link Sun Java Test
Information Only Last Reviewed: 2012-03-05
“The Version page of this site verifies that your browser is capable of running Java applets in web pages by running a very simple applet that displays the version of Java. The source code for the applet is on the About page.