PCI Diagnostic Card

Computer troubleshooting can be a lengthy and expensive process–especially when a computer is completely dead. Sometimes using diagnostic tools is the only way to truly reveal a hardware problem at the board level. We find that using tools such as multi-meters and PCI Diagnostic cards save time and quickly pinpoint the root problem. PCI diagnostic cards in particular can be helpful to diagnose problems with the CPU, RAM and other board-level devices that would be almost impossible to figure out without trial and error.

Fortunately, the cost of these cards has really come down in the past few years, so much so that normal users can afford them. If you have multiple PCs in the house and consider yourself an intermediate user, these cards can be useful for you. But certainly every tech should have this diagnostic tool in their computer tool case.

There are several good ones on the market, but our favorite cards are those that have the ribbon cable with the LED readout on the end. Since these cards plug into an open PCI slot, the ribbon cable allows you to easily see the error code. Some cards have the LED on the side of the card itself, which usually requires a tech use a mirror to read it.

If you have any questions about PCI diagnostic cards, be sure to visit our free computer forums and discuss this topic with other geeks and technicians that have experience using this valuable tool.