Challenge accepted!!

[TIOAOA]

Recommend me some software that will run RAM and hard drive tests, preferable for free but I don't mind paying if its worth it.

 

GO...

[sonofsanta]

RAM: MemTest86+, burnt to a bootable CD.

HDD: CrystalDiskMark, use it on a healthy HDD to get a benchmark then run it on a suspicious HDD. Performance will be low it if's broken. You can see SMART data with SpeedFan, for what that's worth (won't always tell you if a HDD is faulty, though if it claims something is wrong it usually is).

CPU: Prime95.

System Info: CPU-Z.

 

All free.

[bald_pig]

I use the UBCD tools, always good to keep a copy around!

Ultimate Boot CD - Overview

[spookyspoof]

I use BurnInTest - free for 30days PassMark BurnInTest software - PC Reliability and Load Testing

[ICTDirect_Dave]

Download the Hiren's Boot CD

 

Full of useful programs! I wouldn't do a job without it

[Arthur]

You can see SMART data with SpeedFan

Better still, download CrystalDiskInfo (from the same website as CrystalDiskMark).

 

[plexer]

Not free but only £150 I've always used the PC Check suite for PC diagnostics.

 

Ben

[synaesthesia]

I always used to use PC CHeck (and have the dongles!) but so much of it became irrelevant in the last few years, I now prefer to use the utilities in Hirens Boot CD instead. Memtest x86 and the manufacturer's HDD diagnostics as well as HDD Sentinel/SMART UDM Viewer

[plexer]

The PC Check application is still a comprehensive test suite for memory, motherboard, cpu, hard drive and gfx testing and is regularly updated for new chipsets etc..

 

Ben

[Domino]

Download the Hiren's Boot CD

 

Full of useful programs! I wouldn't do a job without it

 

Or don't, because of all the stuff that's not licensed for business use on it....

[synaesthesia]

Hiren's is now entirely clean of anything nasty, and is still far better than the quite sparse UBCD.

[jonawd]

I use Hiren's too. I keep it on CD and a USB key tucked away for these kinds of things.

For this kind of thing I also use Pass marks - BurnInTest

[mac_shinobi]

Don't the computer manufacturer that you use have there own bootable cd or software to diagnose ram / hdd etc

 

Lenovo and Dell do, not checked other manufacturers

 

The lenovo disc auto generates a result code afterwards which the lenovo support rep can verify and send out a replacement part under warranty or whatever is required

[Arthur]

Hiren's is now entirely clean of anything nasty.

It still has a lot of applications that are free for personal non-commercial use only.

Edited August 7, 2014 by Arthur

[X-13]

It still has a lot of applications that are free for non-commercial use only.

 

Plus mini-XP which isn't free.

 

And [iIRC] the DOS tools aren't either.