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Device Checkups

Ordered checklists for the situations people actually arrive in — buying something secondhand, checking something new before the return window closes, or making sure nothing embarrasses you on a call.

Every other page on this site answers one question about one component. These pages answer a different kind of question — the one you actually arrive with. Nobody wakes up wanting to test a microphone in isolation; they want to know whether the laptop they are meeting a stranger to buy in an hour is worth the money, or whether the monitor that arrived yesterday should go back before the return window closes.

Each checkup below is an ordered checklist that chains together tests already on this site, in the sequence that makes sense for that situation. Every step tells you what a pass looks like, what a failure looks like, and which guide to read if it fails. They are designed to be run on the device being checked, in front of a seller if necessary, with nothing installed.

Your progress is saved as you go, so you can close the tab and come back. That progress is stored in your own browser and never leaves your device — there is no account and no server involved, which is the same promise every test on this site makes.

Choose your situation

Checking a Used Laptop Before You Buy

Screen, keyboard, trackpad, camera, audio and battery — the eight checks that decide the purchase.

8 steps · about 10 minutes

Checking a Used Phone Before You Buy

Panel, touch digitiser, audio and camera: the parts most often quietly broken or replaced.

6 steps · about 7 minutes

Testing a New Monitor Inside the Return Window

Pixels, backlight, refresh rate and resolution, while returning it is still straightforward.

6 steps · about 8 minutes

Checking Your Setup Before a Video Interview

Camera, microphone and audio confirmed the day before, so nothing is a surprise on the call.

5 steps · about 5 minutes

Checking a New Gaming Setup

Confirm the refresh rate, frame rate, controller, mouse and keyboard are all delivering what you paid for.

7 steps · about 12 minutes

Checking a Used Controller Before You Buy

Detection, buttons, triggers and the stick drift measurement that ends most controllers.

5 steps · about 6 minutes

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a device checkup?

An ordered checklist that chains several individual tests into the sequence that makes sense for one real situation — buying a used laptop, checking a new monitor, preparing for a video interview. Each step links to the tool that performs the check and tells you what passing and failing look like.

Do I need to complete a checkup in one sitting?

No. Your progress is saved in your browser as you tick steps off, so you can close the tab and resume later on the same device and browser. There is no account and nothing to sign into.

Where is my progress stored?

In your browser's localStorage, on the device you are using. It never leaves that device — there is no server receiving it, no sync between devices and no account attached to it. Clearing your browser data clears it.

Can I run a checkup on someone else's device?

Yes, and for the buying checklists that is the point — run it on the machine you are considering buying, in the seller's presence. Everything runs in a browser tab with nothing installed, nothing downloaded and nothing uploaded, which is usually enough to reassure a cautious seller.

What if I do not have internet where I am meeting the seller?

Open the checkup and the test pages you need in browser tabs before you leave. Once loaded, the tests run entirely inside the page and continue to work without a connection. Tethering to a phone also works.

Browse tests by category instead

Audio tests · Screen tests · Controller tests · Input tests · Performance tests · Camera tests

Checkups chain together tests that all run in your browser. Your progress is stored on your own device and never uploaded. See how we validate these tests.

Found an error on this page, or a result that does not match your hardware? Tell us and we will correct it.