Do I have bad hardware?

[SilverHaze420]

I have a Dell PowerEdge 2650 server that is acting very slowly and I suspect a hardware problem. Are there any tools that I can use run to do stress tests and such on the server to tell if there is any hardware problem? I would like to be able to test the hard drives the memory and espically the motherboard, the works. Anybody have any ideas?

[rjz]

I would run the dell diags from a special boot cd or even if the bios has them. You could also run the dx tests that ms has.

For others you can try thee ultimate boot cd it's free. Have you checked for any spies?

[tarquel]

Few questions to ask:

- What server OS is it?

- Have you been using the internet on it? If so, do you have some AV/Anti-Spyware stuff installed?

- Is it protected by a firewall? If so, how?

- How long have you had the system running for?

- Have you looked at the Dell support site and looked up the issue? Updated drivers, etc?

Just a few things to try along with rjz's suggestion of using Dell's diag tools/cd.

Regards and let us know how you get on.

Nath

[azagahl]

The best CPU / memory stress testing tool is Prime95, enter Advanced Password 9876 and choose Priority 10. Then choose Torture Test.

Hardware problems usually cause instability though, not slowdowns. Your slowdowns might be due to viruses or spyware, so check for those. Also try defragging your disks.

SiSoft Sandra can do benchmarking and it makes helpful suggestions about how to improve your configuration.

Edited June 14, 2005 by azagahl