As is the case with almost all devices, after prolonged usage of your system, it may start to feel sluggish. Do you suspect that the processing speed may be down or there is something wrong with some module? Here I will talk about how you can check your system’s CPU health using the Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool.
Before you take your system to the repair system, it might be helpful to know a little more about the system health and then talk to the repairing technician about exactly what’s wrong with your system.
Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool (IPDT)
The Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool is a testing kit provided by intel to check the performance of its processors. You can run this diagnostic test periodically to test the health, performance and reliability of your intel processor.
Download And Install
You can download the IPDT from Intel’s website here.
The tool is officially supported by Intel and comes in two variants. Users must download the correct variant according to the architecture of their processor (32-bit or 64-bit).
Setting the tool up is very easy. Install the tool once it is downloaded, and you can run it right away to start the execution of tests.
How To Find The Architecture Of My Processor
If you don’t know the architecture of your system’s processor, you can find that out using the following steps:
- Open your Settings You can use the keyboard shortcut (Win + I).
- Click on System.
- From the left pane, select About.
- From the right pane, locate System type.
Here you will find the architecture of your processor and the OS type as well.
Use this information to download the correct variant of Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool.
Running The IPDT
Before you run the tests, it is usually recommended to keep the device on a flat surface and close all other applications running on your system.
Once you run the test, you will see the computer go through some intensive CPU and GPU tests.
Note: During this time, you see some weird graphical imaging noise on your screen. You need not worry as these are a part of the tests as well. The device may slightly heat up as well.
The diagnostic tool will test your device for a variety of tests like CPU load, CPU frequency, GPU stress, Floating Point, Prime Number, Genuine Intel, Cache test, BrandString etc.
Apart from these tests, various technical details such as physical and logical cores, core speeds etc. There is another provision that lets you measure the real time CPU temperature during the test. You can use this to test for overheating CPUs.
You can also opt in to show the additional CPU features. Here it will show you what features your CPU can support and what it can’t.
Results And Export
When the test finishes, you can see all the tests that your CPU and GPU has passed and failed in the final report.
A healthy system should pass all the tests for that architecture without much hiccups. If your CPU fails some tests, it is advisable to take your system to a repair center and get it repaired. Now you know exactly what is wrong and you can communicate it better to the technician.
Alternatively, you can open or save the test results every time after you run a test.
Click on File>Save as and then select any location you like.
For AMD Users
If you happen to own an AMD CPU, you can use the ‘AMD System Monitor’ tool to record the CPU and GPU utilization, along with CPU and GPU frequency.
You can download the AMD System Monitor from their website here.
Wrapping Up
The Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool is a great versatile app that is a must have if you own a computer running an Intel processor. It is a great utility that can help you keep a check on the processor health and reliability before going to the tech support.
You also don’t need to worry about any voiding warranty as this does nothing illegal or harmful of sorts. It is used to run CPU and GPU intensive tests that will essentially provide you with the relevant information required about your system. It is compatible with all Intel CPU powered laptops and desktops. Tell us in the comments about the test results you got and how the tool helped you.