Do you have tools you can plug in to run scans?
Do you use software?
Do you swap out parts until the problem doesn’t happen anymore?
More of a server/networking guy than a hardware guy, but I get through the day most of the time.
The times I have problems is the sparatic issue. If something happens once a week, it can take a long time to know if you replaced the correct part if you do the swap out routine.
I don’t know about others out there, but we have probably 10 “dead” systems thrown in a corner because it is seen as more expensive to to get the diagnostics than it is to replace them. (sigh)
I have a system that I am working on, that will just out of the blue reboot, but only when playing higher end games. I thought it might be the video card, but after replacing it, it still happens.
Power supply worn or not enough output to handle system?
CPU overheating? (amd 1900)
I will be swapping out the power supply tonigh and then test. If it still happens, my intention will be to see what the motherboard (biostar) can handle and upgrade CPU (might was well not put in an older cpu than I have to.)
Is this the way you attack problems like this?
If you swap out a part and it is not the problem, do you generally put the original back in as not to charge the customer with a part that they didn’t need or do you explain this as a cost of the process, starting with the least expensive of parts?