What are the best system diagnostic tools for Windows?

Whether it is simply knowing a hardware configuration, detecting errors and failures, or seeing the effectiveness of settings in theoverclocking or undervolting, it is always interesting to exploit software of diagnostic computer science. In this selection, we make the choice to present a complete analysis software (HWiNFO) and other more specialized programs like CPU-Z (processor), GPU-Z (graphics card) and CrystalDiskInfo.

HWiNFO – For accurate diagnosis of all computer components.

HWiNFO is the most complete diagnostic software of this selection. It displays information about all hardware components such as motherboard, the processor, the RAM, the Graphic card, ports, network adapters, HDDs, the screens and the battery of the Laptops. The data presented relate to the technical characteristics as well as the names and serial numbers.

By clicking on the “Sensors” button, HWiNFO displays in real time the information of the sensors equipment. The data is grouped by category:

• RAM: amount used and available, charge of the virtual memory and the pagination file
• CPU: temperature, voltage, frequency and load of the different cores
• Hard disk: temperature, number of writes and reads, errors and percentage of duration remaining life
• GPU (graphics card): temperature, voltage, frequency and GPU load
• Network adapters (Wireless, Bluetooth, Ethernet, 3G / 4G, etc.): total data exchanged and speed global download in real time

To facilitate the maintenance remote computer, a user who has problems with his machine can use HWiNFO to automatically generate a full report in HTML, TXT or XML. By sending it to a specialist, the latter can analyze the document and identify if a hardware problem is detected.

Benefits of HWiNFO:

• The software is regularly updated to support newer hardware.
• In one window, it gathers all the information on the components and the peripherals.
• Generates comprehensive and detailed reports on the entire system.
• Despite the richness of the content collected, it consumes few resources.

Cons of HWiNFO:

• It does not integrate benchmarking tools and is dedicated to monitoring sensors.
• Reports create white areas at deselected items.
• By offering data on the wholecomputer, HWiNFO is not always as detailed as the programs dedicated to a particular component.

CPU-Z – Learn all about your processor and test its performance.

CPU-Z is processor-specialized computer diagnostic software. It indicates its name, its family, its TDP, the socket used, the smoothness of engraving, the number of cores and threads, the voltage and frequency in real time as well as the characteristics of the cache.

In other tabs, CPU-Z also retrieves some basic information about the motherboard, RAM and graphics card. From any tab, you can generate a report using the “Tools” button.

We particularly appreciate CPU-Z for its benchmark tool (in the “Bench” tab). It allows you to test the performance of the processor by operating on a single or multiple cores. The results can then be compared with other references known to the software. It even has a ” Stress CPU ”which pushes the processor to its maximum capacity.

Advantages of CPU-Z:

• The software is regularly updated to support newer hardware.
• There are special versions of the software, tailor-made for the biggest brands of PC gamer.
• It allows you to benchmark and stress the processor and compare it to other references.

Cons of CPU-Z:

• The interface looks like it came straight out of Windows 98.
• Very little information on the motherboard, RAM and graphics card.
• Does not give any information on the temperature of the CPU.

GPU-Z – Find out all about your graphics card.

GPU-Z is a computer diagnostic software specialized in the GPUwhether it is part of an integrated system in the CPU or a dedicated graphics card. It indicates the brand, name, date of creation, engraving fineness, BIOS version, bus interface, frequency, number of shaders, quantity and type of memory.

In the “Sensors” tab, GPU-Z displays data from certain sensors in real time. These include the frequency and temperature of the GPU, the amount of graphics memory and RAM used as well as the temperature of the CPU. To better visualize changes over time, very basic graphics are drawn to the right of the window.

We only regret that GPU-Z does not offer, like CPU-Z for the processor, a tool to check the performance of the graphics card.

Advantages of GPU-Z:

• The software is regularly updated to support newer hardware.
• It gives complete and detailed information, both on the graphics chip integrated in the processor and on the dedicated graphics card.
• It gives the temperature of the CPU and GPU in real time

Disadvantages of GPU-Z:

• The graphic representation of the sensors is not very readable.
• One special edition for Pc gamer exists: it concerns the ASUS ROG
• It does not integrate any benchmark or comparison tool like CPU-Z does for the processor.

CrystalDiskInfo – For precise data on hard drives.

CrystalDiskInfo is a computer diagnostic software specialized in the Hard disk. Unlike previous programs, it displays no data on other components and focuses on storage devices. It indicates the name, capacity, firmware version, serial number, interface, drive letters corresponding to the sheet music and therotation speed for mechanical hard drives.

CrystalDiskInfo allows you to know in real time the temperature of the disk and its state of health. It also offers statistics on the number of ignitions, the total operating time and the number of writes.

Even though CrystalDiskInfo is available in French, it displays some very technical data that will only be understood by storage specialists.

Advantages of CrystalDiskInfo:

• It allows you to set alerts to notify the user when the drive reaches a temperature limit.
• The interface is clear and offers all the information in one page.
• It displays the serial number of the hard drive.

Cons of CrystalDiskInfo:

• There is no explanation of the designations used. This software is dedicated to those who know the technical vocabulary of computer storage.
• No benchmarking or disk surface examination tool is present.
• For notifications to appear, the program must run automatically when the system starts up and remain minimized in the taskbar.