HWiNFO32: Computer Hardware Information Software
HWiNFO32 was briefly mentioned in the How To Update Hardware Drivers In Windows guide as a tool to identify hardware and devices. The program can display comprehensive hardware information and real-time system health information.
It is a portable application which means that it can be started from an external device without installation. Users who prefer to install the application can download an installer instead from the developer website. A beta version that includes the latest features and hardware support is available on that site as well.
HWiNFO32 displays a system summary window and its main user interface on startup. The system summary displays real-time system information, from the processor and video card clock to supported CPU features and motherboard interfaces.
Information that you can grab from the screen include the cpu, video card, computer memory and motherboard model and specification. This can for instance be handy to see if there are firmware updates for the bios version, or driver updates for the graphic card. While it is not possible to search for those from within the application, it makes it easier to find the right driver information online as you can make a detailed search for those updates.
The main application window lists hardware groups on the left, and detailed information about devices in that group on the right. The level of detail exceeds that of the Windows Device Manager and the Bios device listing.
Here is a short list of useful hardware information displayed by the program:
- The Ultra-DMA mode of every drive, TRIM support if the drive is a SSD, drive features, SMART information
- Memory command rates, speed, manufacturer and module part number. Memory type and size.
- Motherboard model and chipset, PCH features supported, BIOS version and date.
- Processor name and frequency, max temperature levels, operating points, caches and feature flags.
- Netword card, mac address, maximum link speed and buffers.
- Monitor name, serial number and dpms modes, supported video modes.
The program has a report option which can be used to save a detailed hardware report in various formats to the local PC. Reports can be saved as text, xml or HTML files among other options.
A click on Sensors displays sensor information, including thermal sensor readings. You see the cpu, pch, motherboard, video card and hard drive temperatures, fan speeds and core voltage information.
The program keeps track of max and min values for as long as it is running in the background. Handy to assess the temperature levels or voltages over time, for instance to see if crashes or lock-ups are caused by critical temperature levels.
Alerts and notifications can be configured if values reach critical levels. The program supports a wide variety of options in this regard, from playing a sound and running a program to displaying information on Logitech LCD keyboards or a sidebar gadget.
HWiNFO32 comes with a benchmarking tool to benchmark the cpu, memory and disk. It is recommended to disable all running applications before the benchmark is started for clearer results.
The developers have included an automatic update check in the application to keep the program up to date automatically. This is completely optional but handy if installed hardware is not recognized correctly or fully supported by the hardware information tool.
HWiNFO32 is packed to the brim with hardware and device related information. That, and the fact that it can be used as a portable application should be reason enough to include on a CD or USB stick full of system repair, maintenance and analysis tools.
Is there anything missing? Well, the application missed the cpu fan on our Windows 7 test system, but that was the only thing missing.
Update: We have reviewed HWiNFO 5.0 and HWiNFO 5.6 as well.
Vic,
DLd the Hwin 64 program. Impressive, yes. But like many programs of this ilk, it provides very little interpretation of the data (as in, here’s the data, here’s what it means, in plain english).
I’m looking for a utility that does that. My Gateway has developed problems (like a BSOD every day, and warnings from Win 7 that the machine has been infected with the Win32/Small.ca virus. But then, that warning has disappeared. The problems with the machine continue. Is there a reliable utility out there that can scan the computer and tell me in plain words, what it thinks is wrong? I thought the Tweak utility was the answer, until I ran it on my new Win 7 install and it screwed things up royally.
Haven’t tried this yet, so what I know about it is from CNET. It comes in portable version too, and it should also save you some space, as you can cut out the need to research on what drivers you need, as Martin covered last week. From my own research, this seems to pretty accurate too, whereas some driver scans can get it wrong. From last weeks articles i also downloaded SlimDrive, which is also another method of finding drivers. Can’t comment too much on it yet. Nice find.
I prefer Astra32, simply because it can interact with the hardware directly and imho is more accurate. I havent used hwinfo32 in…8 years or so though so..
ASTRA32? Come on.. nobody uses this tool anymore.. Dunno what you meant by “can interact with the hardware directly” but that’s exactly what HWiNFO32 does.
looks better then..
start-run-msinfo32