A100-SK9: methods of burning-in

Hi,

After reading the forum here and some of the online reviews, I decided to buy an A100-SK9. I've been waiting a little while and just snagged one for CDN$899.99 plus tax at Staples. The great price was due impart to the fact that it was a demo model and that the line is being discontinued by Staples. So, I have 14 days to get a full refund if I find anything wrong with it. It's my first notebook and I need help with this.

There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the case, screen or hinges - not a scratch or blemish. It doesn't even look like it was touched, which is a good start.

What other things should I be looking for? I'm mainly concerned about the battery - how can I check it's integrity? What about the video, ram, and harddrive? I there any other hardware that can be checked?

Thanks in advance.



edit: just read over the review again and saw some software that I can use to bench mark some of this stuff but please let me know if there's anything more I can do.

 

Check that the laptop you have has specs exactly as advertised and as outlined on the Toshiba website.

To verify that the screen is OK, use Dead Pixel Buddy.
For memory, use memtest86 or Microsoft's Windows Memory Diagnostic tool.
Run SuperPi and calculate 32 million digits to put the CPU on full load. At the same time, check temperatures to see that CPU and HDD temperatures are acceptable.

Run a few games and stress the hell out of the system... also to take a break.

Open up the memory and HDD port to visually inspect the inside... make sure its not tampered with, no dust build-up, failing parts, etc.

That's all I can recommend for the time being.

Oh yeah, run the battery into the ground a couple of times and make sure it lasts as long as claimed and charges properly. I wish I knew how to pick out a faulty power supply, as it is a part that fails often. I guess the best you can do is lean close and listen for any high-frequency sounds coming from near the AC plug. Good luck.

 

Thanks bc135. I'll let you know how this all turns out over the next few days.

 

Good Score!!! I was eyeing those up, nice nice comp for the $1199 they were advertising, nevermind $899 - I ended up buying an M60 refurb from bestbuy for about the same price, with less ram, single core M processor, slow HD, and slower GPU. ****, almost makes me wish I had held out... but the 17" screen on the M60 was a big draw for me.

Good luck, I'm sure other than a few greasy fingerprints it will be a good item for you!