50 MA XIMUMPC NOVEMBER 2004
TRAUMA KIT
2004
WESTERN DIGITAL
QUICK TESTER:
Take the pulse of any parallel IDE
hard drive. Besides being able to
conduct a full scan of the hard
drive’s media, the Quick Test can
also be used to detect a drive,
check the integrity of a parallel
data cable, and write zeros to every
sector of the hard disk.
$250, http://www.westerndigital.comD-LINK USB 2.0 FAST
ETHERNET ADAPTER:
This device comes
in handy when you
simply want to
get a box up on
the LAN without
cracking open the
case and facing The
Attack Of The Dust
Bunnies. Even better, D-Link’s
adapter is USB 2.0 capable so you
get zippy speeds for copying files
to and from the machine, and it’s
completely bus powered.
$25, http://www.dlink.comSEASONIC
POWER
ANGEL:
You can’t
use the
Angel to fix a
computer but
you can use it to
measure a PC’s wattage or amp
consumption, check its power
factor efficiency, and check its line
frequency—any of which could
be a contributing factor to your
PC problem. You can also use the
Power Angel to show mom that
plugging the PC, laser printer, mini
fridge, and stereo into one 10 amp
power strip isn’t such a good idea.
$34, http://www.seasonic.comULTRA-X RAM
STRESS TEST PRO 2:
A number of problems we run
into are the result of cheap RAM, which
is seemingly defenseless against static
shock, dust, and hard looks. And if you think the
RAM “test” your motherboard performs when you
boot the machine is enough to catch all errors, think
again. The R.S.T. Pro 2 slips into a PCI slot and works
the RAM over like Rosie O’Donnell at an all-you-can-
eat buffet. It’s superior to a stand-alone RAM tester
because the R.S.T. Pro 2 tests the RAM in its natural
habitat—the motherboard. (Sometimes it’s not the
RAM that’s bad, but the slot. )You can also use the
R.S.T. Pro 2 to test the integrity of the BIOS’ memory
timings. $700, http://www.ultra-x.comULTRA-X
P.H.D. PCI
2: We know
the average Emergency
Computer Technician won’t have Ultra-
X’s pricey new P.H.D. PCI 2 mobo
tester, but it sure can save you a lot of
time. The new version plugs into both
3.3 volt and 5 volt PCI slots and lets
you boot directly to the card so you
can run 150 motherboard diagnostics
including tests for the DMA controller,
interrupt controller, memory, and CPU.
The P.H.D. PCI 2 can also test most of
the peripherals hooked up to the PC. It
can even boot a system without system
RAM. $995, http://www.ultra-x.comMUST-HAVE ITEMS FLUKE NETWORKS
MICROSCANNER
PRO: Do you
have a friend or
coworker who just
tosses bad network
cables back into
the bin instead of the
garbage can? The MicroScanner Pro tells
you how long a cable is and the location of
a break, if any. It also will inform you how
a cable is wired, where the shorts are, and
test for continuity as well. Furthermore,
the MicroScanner Pro can generate a tone
that can be used to track down hidden LAN
cables (provided you have the optional probe
for detecting the tone.)
$450, http://www.flukenetworks.comARCTIC SILVER 5: This
has become our favorite
thermal compound
because it holds up so
well over time. (Many
thermal pastes eventually
dry out, which can
prevent you from running
your CPU at full steam.)
Take note, you need only
apply a super-thin layer
over the surface of the
CPU—too much compound can
actually impede performance.
$20 for a 12-gram tube,
http://www.arcticsilver.comSPARE CPUS: If you’re like us,
you’ve probably accumulated a small
tray of seemingly useless, low-speed
CPUs. Turns out, those suckers are
good for something—a simple swap
will tell you if the CPU in a sick
PC has died. We’ve press-ganged a
S478 Celeron, S370 Pentium III, Slot 1
Pentium II, and Duron into servitude for
king and country.MEMTEST 86: Not everyone can
afford a $700 memory tester. Memtest
86 makes an acceptable substitute. This
memory tester boots from a CD and lets
you run a basic pattern test on RAM.
It’s not as comprehensive as the R.S.T.
Pro 2, but its price can’t be beat: free.
Download it, burn an ISO to CD, and say
thanks to creator Chris Brady.
Free, http://www.memtest86.comWe consider these parts and tools the most
essential to successful repair and triage