Download a program to check unnecessary information. Diagnostics of all PC devices
Programs and utilities for diagnosing computers, laptops and netbooks.
EVEREST HOME EDITION Download for free and without registration. Free. Program language Russian. Operating systems: Windows 7, Vista, XP. PURPOSE – collecting information about the computer, system board, display, multimedia, data storage, network, Dirrect X, devices. Tests memory reading and writing as well as memory latency.
Archive size – 4Mb. DOWNLOAD from Yandex disk
Diagnostic and testing program EVEREST ULTIMATE EDITION Download for free and without registration. Trial version. Program language Russian. Operating systems: Windows 7, Vista, XP. PURPOSE – collecting information about the computer and software. It has a significantly more expanded set of diagnostic and testing functions for hardware and software compared to the previous version.
Archive size – 10Mb DOWNLOAD
Diagnostic and testing program PC Wizard Download for free and without registration. Free. Program language Russian. Operating systems: Windows 7, Vista, XP. PURPOSE – collecting information about the computer and software. It has a large set of tests for memory, processor, monitor, multimedia, disk drive and many other useful functions!
Archive size – 5Mb DOWNLOAD from Yandex disk
Program HW INFO 32 Download for free and without registration. Free. English language. Operating systems: Windows 7, Vista, XP. PURPOSE – collecting information about the computer and software. This program has a set of functions such as temperature measurement, battery status information, the ability to search for drivers and BIOS updates.
Archive size – 2.5Mb DOWNLOAD from Yandex disk
Program HDD Scan Download for free and without registration. Free. English language. Operating systems: Windows 7, Vista, XP. PURPOSE – testing hard drives (as well as USB flash drives connected to a PC). The asset includes functions for collecting information and conducting various tests.
Archive size – 3.7Mb DOWNLOAD from Yandex disk
Program Imtec Battery Mark Download for free and without registration. Battery testing of old laptops, a test that can display the current battery status and maximum power.
Archive size – 621kb Language Russian. Free. DOWNLOAD
Flash Doctor. The Flash Doctor program is designed to work with flash drives and HDDs. Checks for the presence of “bad” sectors, restores these devices in cases where they cannot be formatted. Creates images (Flash and HDD) of disks and writes them to media with the subsequent ability to restore from these images.
Archive size – 682Kb. Russian language. Free. DOWNLOAD
Download the program for free and without registration GPU-Z. A convenient and free program for displaying all kinds of information about a video card and its graphics processor. Supports NVIDIA and ATI cards. Provides information about the video card model, connection interface, graphics processor (BIOS version, chip revision number, frequency in 2D, 3D modes and overclocking, information about DirectX support), information about video memory, namely its type, size, bus width.
Archive size - 1.47Mb. Russian language. Free. DOWNLOAD.
Download the program for free and without registration SpeedFan to monitor CPU temperature and cooler rotation speed.
The program controls the temperature and fan speed. With its help, the speed of their rotation is adjusted in manual and automatic modes.
Archive size - 2.03Mb. English language. Free. DOWNLOAD.
Download for free and without registration Acronis Disk Director 11 Home with key.
Program Acronis Disk Director 11 Home is designed to work with PC or laptop hard drives. With its help, they edit (create, delete, merge, divide, rename, format, defragment, etc.) partitions and volumes on the hard drive.
To enter the license key, start the program installation. In the window that appears, click on “Serial Number”. Copy this key and click on “Install” to continue the installation, during which you will need to enter the copied key.
File size - 130 Mb. Russian language.Download from Deposit Files
Download for free and without registration Ashampoo HDD Control - software for monitoring the status of hard drives.
Supports IDE and serial ATA hard drives as well as various flash drives. Performs full diagnostics of hard drives and flash drives: serial numbers, manufacturers, cache, bad sectors, temperature, performance, total operating time, number of starts, speed, warns of overheating and possible failure.
Produces high-quality defragmentation of disks and flash drives, clears unnecessary files.
Installation: Run the installation. After the program is installed, run the Registration registry file from the archive.
Russian language. Medicine in the archive. Archive size – 14.6Mb Download from Deposit Files
Download the program for free and without registration Power Watts PC 2.1
to calculate the power of the computer power supply.
Calculates the computer's energy consumption taking into account installed devices and their parameters. Including their type, quantity and acceleration.
Russian language. Archive size - 1.19Mb DOWNLOAD from Yandex disk
Download for free and without registrationUnknown Division Identifier
a tool for identifying unknown devices and searching for drivers for them. The utility is designed to identify devices defined in Windows as Unknown Divice. Provides a detailed report about the device: manufacturer, OEM, type, model, name. Using this information, you can search for drivers for the device on the manufacturer’s website or on the Internet.
Installation: unpack the downloaded archive to any location on your PC, go to the folder with the program, launch the program by clicking on the Unknown Divice (application) file.
English language. Archive size - 1.10Mb DOWNLOAD from Yandex disk
Download for free and without registration OCCT Perestroika 4.4.0 (Over Clock Checking Tol). Test to check the stability of the central processor and RAM. The test results are displayed in the form of informative graphs. Supports testing of modern multi-core processors.
Language - Russian File size – 6.57Mb DOWNLOAD from Deposit Files
Note: Most programs are updated to the latest version manually or automatically after installation on the PC.
As practice shows, users are only satisfied with the capabilities of their own computer for the time being - sooner or later they have to resort to an upgrade. Everything is banally simple - new versions of the OS and applications used, as a rule, require more and more resources. The easiest way to update your PC is to purchase a new system unit with modern hardware, which is not difficult if you have the money. However, this is not always reasonable - often to increase productivity it is enough to resort to replacing individual components.
To choose an upgrade strategy, you need to find out what hardware is installed and understand what the computer lacks for faster operation - processor power, video system capabilities, memory capacity, hard drive read/write speed, etc. But this is only one side of the coin. After purchasing a new system unit or upgrading an old one, you will need to quickly find out whether the “filling” of the system unit corresponds to what was stated at the time of purchase (without opening the unit itself, since there may be a seal on it), evaluate how much the performance has increased, and understand whether the computer is really stable works.
Any professional assembler (and all overclocking enthusiasts) can easily solve the listed problems, since they have in their arsenal many diverse and highly specialized information and diagnostic tools. The average user has no need to acquire such solutions, but it is still necessary to install a simple comprehensive utility for obtaining information about the hardware and testing the computer. These are the programs we will consider in this article.
Retrieving Hardware Data
Theoretically, any information diagnostic utility is capable of recognizing the “stuffing” of a system unit. However, not every program is able to identify new models of processors, video cards and other hardware (it all depends on the completeness of the database and the regularity of its updates), and the amount of information on the identified components can vary - from minimal to exhaustive.
Among the solutions considered, the program has the most detailed information AIDA64, which knows almost everything about any hardware, including the latest innovations. For example, this utility will be able to recognize Intel 510 and 320 SSDs that have recently appeared on the market, AMD Radeon HD 6790 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M video cards, five new Quadro M series mobile video cards from NVIDIA, etc.
Using AIDA64, you can easily find out everything about the processor, motherboard, video card, network adapter, drives (including the latest SSDs) and input devices, multimedia, as well as ports, external connected devices and power management. The program is able to determine the type of flash memory, controller model (reading SMART information of controllers manufactured by Indilinx, Intel, JMicron, Samsung and SandForce is supported) and data transfer speed. Moreover, the utility recognizes USB 3.0 controllers and devices compatible with this new standard.
The volume of data provided by AIDA64 is impressive - access to it is provided from a tree-like menu of sections that combine the main modules of the program. Yes, through the section Computer it is easy to obtain aggregate information about hardware components, the system and BIOS, as well as data on processor overclocking, power supply features, the state of system hardware monitoring sensors, etc. (Fig. 1).
Rice. 1. Summary information about the computer (AIDA64)
Other “hardware” sections provide more detailed information - so in the section Motherboard there is detailed information about the central processor, motherboard, memory, BIOS, etc. In the section Display it is easy to obtain information related to the graphical interface of the system (in particular, information about the video adapter and monitor - Fig. 2), and in the section Multimedia learn about the multimedia capabilities of the system (multimedia devices and installed audio and video codecs).
Rice. 2. Video card information (AIDA64)
In chapter Data storage provides information about hard drives and optical drives, as well as the logical and physical structure of hard drives, the values and statuses of SMART parameters. You can find information about network adapters in the section Net, and about buses, ports, keyboard, mouse, etc. - in the section Devices. In addition, from the menu Service panel opens AIDA64 CPUID(Fig. 3), which displays data about the processor, motherboard, memory and chipset in a compact form.
Rice. 3. AIDA64 CPUID panel
Program SiSoftware Sandra It is also very informative and allows you to obtain comprehensive information about almost all hardware components of a computer system. In particular, the utility displays summary data about the computer as a whole (Fig. 4) - that is, basic information about the processor, motherboard, chipset, memory modules, video system, etc. (tab Devices, pictogram System information).
Rice. 4. Summary information about the computer (SiSoftware Sandra)
Along with summary information, in the tab Devices The utility also provides more detailed information about the motherboard and processor, display and video adapter (Fig. 5), memory, buses and devices installed in them, disks, ports, mice, keyboard, sound card, etc. As for the readings of various types of monitoring sensors, then to receive them you will need to launch not the information module, but the diagnostic module Environment Monitor(tab Tools). This module provides display of text and graphic information about processor temperature, fan speed, voltage, etc.
Rice. 5. Video system information (SiSoftware Sandra)
Utility PC Wizard provides access to information about the main hardware modules installed in the computer: motherboard, processor, video card, memory, I/O ports, drives, printers, multimedia devices, printers, etc. All this data is available on the tab Iron. By activating the icon on it General information about the system, you can determine in one click what exactly is in the system unit (Fig. 6) - which motherboard, which processor, etc. Other tab icons Iron will help you obtain more detailed information about components (Fig. 7); The amount of data provided is quite sufficient for the average user. In addition, through the menu Tools → Overclocking information you can find out whether any of the system components (processor, bus or memory) have been overclocked, and if so, to what limits, and also take readings from some sensors.
Rice. 6. General information about the computer (PC Wizard)
Rice. 7. Graphics subsystem data (PC Wizard)
Utility HWiNFO32 It will also allow you to learn a lot of interesting things about the hardware of your computer. Immediately after startup, it begins diagnostic tests and within seconds displays a window System Summary with compact display of data about the processor, motherboard, memory, chipset, disks, etc. (Fig. 8). This window can also be called up while working with the utility by clicking on the button Summary. In addition, HWiNFO32 displays detailed information about the processor, motherboard (Fig. 9), memory, video adapter, etc. in the corresponding tabs - Central Processors, Motherboard, Memory, Video Adapter etc. Data on the processor, memory modules, motherboard, buses and disks is quite detailed, information on other devices is more modest. If necessary, it is easy to obtain readings from the touch sensors installed on the motherboard (temperature, voltage, etc.) by clicking on the button Sensors.
Rice. 8. Summary information about the computer (HWiNFO32)
Rice. 9. Video card information (HWiNFO32)
Program Fresh Diagnosis allows you to find out information about any iron components, although not always detailed. For example, on the tab Hardware System you can find out about the motherboard, processor, cache memory, buses, BIOS, CMOS memory, etc. Section Device contains information about the video card (Fig. 10), peripheral devices (keyboard, printer, monitor, optical drives, etc.) and ports. In chapter Multimedia combines data on various multimedia devices, DirectX, audio and video codecs.
Rice. 10. Video card data (Fresh Diagnose)
Performance Evaluation
Before upgrading, you need to evaluate the performance of the computer and its individual components in order to understand which hardware needs to be replaced immediately, and which components can wait until better times (after all, in a crisis, not everyone decides to completely upgrade). This is quite simple to do by conducting a couple of specific benchmark tests in the environment of a suitable diagnostic utility. After buying a new computer or upgrading an old one, it also doesn't hurt to test it to make sure that the computer has become more productive. Of course, you can feel the effect of the upgrade while working normally in applications, but to complete the picture, it is better to verify the performance improvement using tools specifically designed for this purpose.
When conducting tests, to obtain a more objective assessment, it is better to close all applications, not use the mouse and keyboard, run the same test (in the same version of the utility) several times and focus on the average result. In addition, it is worth keeping in mind that the same synthetic tests in different utilities are implemented in a far from identical way, so the programs show different results. And you shouldn’t take the results obtained literally, since they do not reflect real performance, but only indicate the level of performance when performing strictly specific tasks. Nevertheless, conducting such testing makes it possible to understand how outdated the hardware components installed in your computer are in comparison with reference samples, as well as to evaluate the level of performance before and after the upgrade, which is what interests us in this article.
The programs of greatest interest from a testing point of view are AIDA64 and SiSoftware Sandra, some of whose benchmarks are used even by professionals in various hardware testing techniques. The capabilities of the other utilities discussed in the article are limited in this regard, although they also provide some test functionality.
In a programme AIDA64 a wide range of benchmark tests is presented. Yes, in the section Test 13 synthetic tests are combined, the first four of which evaluate memory performance - read/write/copy speed (Fig. 11), and also measure latency (testing the average time the processor reads data from RAM). The rest of the tests in this section evaluate processor performance in integer and floating point operations, when creating ZIP archives, when performing encryption using the AES crypto algorithm, etc. (tests CPU Queen, CPU PhotoWorxx, CPU ZLib, CPU AES, CPU Hash, FPU VP8, FPU Julia, FPU Mandel, FPU SinJulia). All tests compare performance with other systems, including the latest ones.
Rice. 11. CPU performance evaluation (CPU Queen test; AIDA64)
Via the menu Service Three more benchmark tests are available: Disk test, Cache and memory test And Monitor diagnostics. The disk test measures the performance of hard drives, solid state drives, optical drives, and more. The cache and memory test measures the bandwidth and latency of the processor cache and memory (Figure 12). In the test Monitor diagnostics The display quality of LCD and CRT monitors is checked.
Rice. 12. Cache & Memory Benchmark; AIDA64
In terms of testing for a wide range of users, the program is even more interesting SiSoftware Sandra, with which you can not only evaluate the performance of your PC in comparison with other reference computer configurations, but also test your computer to see if it needs an upgrade. Modules designed for testing the most important computer subsystems are combined on the tab Benchmarks. A whole group of synthetic tests is designed to test the processor - arithmetic and multimedia tests, multi-core efficiency tests, power efficiency tests, cryptographic performance and GPGPU cryptography. Several tests are responsible for testing physical drives - including a file system test, as well as modules for testing physical disks, removable/flash drives, CD-ROM/DVD and Blu-ray optical drives. Tests available to test memory include Memory Bandwidth Test, Memory Latency Test, and Cache and Memory Test. In addition, there are tests to evaluate visualization speed and video memory performance, an audio/video encoding/decoding test, a network bandwidth test, an Internet connection speed test, etc. When testing a number of components (processor, RAM, etc.), results are given in comparison with reference models that are more or less similar in characteristics. At the same time, it is possible to independently select standards for comparison, including the most modern ones (Fig. 13), which is very convenient and allows you to quickly understand how outdated the hardware components installed in the computer are and which models are best to replace them with.
Rice. 13. CPU performance evaluation
(arithmetic test; SiSoftware Sandra)
Two interesting test modules are presented on the tab Tools- these are modules Performance index And Analysis and recommendations. Using the test Performance index The overall performance of the computer is assessed during arithmetic and multimedia tests of the processor, determination of memory bandwidth, as well as testing of physical disks and a video card (Fig. 14). Reference models of components for comparison are selected by the program or the user. Module Analysis and recommendations provides a detailed analysis of the PC for possible upgrades. At the end of this analysis, the program produces a list of recommendations on which hardware components are best replaced in order to improve performance (Fig. 15), and draws attention to possible problems (for example, the difficulty of adding memory due to all slots being occupied, too high processor temperature (and suggests checking cooling), etc.).
Rice. 14. Assessing overall computer performance (SiSoftware Sandra)
Rice. 15. Computer analysis for upgrade (SiSoftware Sandra)
Utility PC Wizard also includes certain functionality for testing hardware (tab Test). With its help, you can clearly evaluate the overall performance of your computer (icon Global Performance) in comparison with other configurations and based on the test results, understand which of the subsystems in terms of performance significantly fall short of the selected (from a preset list) reference sample - that is, they need to be updated, and which are quite on par (Fig. 16).
Rice. 16. Assessing overall computer performance (PC Wizard)
PC Wizard also has a number of synthetic tests that allow you to evaluate the performance of the processor, L1/L2/L3 caches and memory in general (bandwidth, timing assessment), as well as the video subsystem, hard drive, optical drive, etc. In particular, for The processor is equipped with basic tests Dhrystone ALU, Whetstone FPU and Whetstone SSE2, which allow assessing its performance in integer and floating point operations. Test results are displayed in text and graphical form; in a number of tests, it is possible to compare the results obtained with the test results of the selected reference subsystem (Fig. 17).
Rice. 17. CPU testing (PC Wizard)
Utility HWiNFO32 is able to evaluate the performance of the processor (CPU, FPU, MMX), memory and hard drive during express testing (button Benchmark). Test results are presented in two versions - in numerical form and in the form of a comparative chart. The diagram contains many reference components, including modern ones, so it is easy to understand how the processor (or other component) installed in the computer is inferior in performance to modern models (Fig. 18).
Rice. 18. CPU performance evaluation (HWiNFO32)
Program Fresh Diagnosis has tools for determining the performance of individual system components. These are seven synthetic test modules in the section Benchmarks. With their help, you can evaluate the performance of the processor (Whetstone, Dhrystone and multimedia tests), memory, video system, hard drives, optical drives and network adapter. Test results are presented in comparison with basic systems and presented in the form of visual histograms. True, in our opinion, there is not much benefit from them, since outdated reference systems are selected for comparison (Fig. 19).
Rice. 19. CPU testing (Fresh Diagnosis)
Checking your computer for stability
Unfortunately, it is not a fact that the updated computer will be stable in operation. Why? There are many reasons - for example, the power supply may not cope well with the increased load due to the replacement of the processor or video adapter with newer models.
If such a picture occurs, then the situation should be dealt with as soon as possible - that is, before obvious signs of instability appear in the form of a blue screen of “death”, etc. This means that you need to find out the temperature of the processor, motherboard and other important hardware and understand whether any component is overheating under load, and also evaluate how the computer generally behaves under stressful conditions. This can be done by conducting stress testing.
Most stability tests place intense computational load on various units of the central processor, system memory, graphics processor and system logic set - that is, they force the computer to work under stressful conditions. Unfortunately, none of these tests by itself guarantees 100% system stability, but if the test reveals a failure in the system or was not completed, then this is a clear signal that you need to pay attention to the hardware.
Provided in AIDA64 system stability test (available through the menu Service) is intended for stress testing of the processor (testing cores separately is allowed), memory, local disks, etc. (Fig. 20). The test results are displayed on two graphs: the upper one shows the temperature of the selected components, the lower one shows the processor load level (CPU Usage) and the CPU Throttling mode. Mode CPU Throttling is activated only if the processor overheats, and it should be understood that activating this mode during testing is an alarm signal calling for attention to the operation of the cooling system. During testing, system heating is controlled by continuously monitoring the temperature.
Rice. 20. CPU stress testing (AIDA64)
In addition to temperature, the graphs of which are displayed on the first tab during stress testing, on other tabs the program presents other useful information - about fan speed, voltage, etc. It should be borne in mind that the system stability test in AIDA64 can last indefinitely, so it is stopped manually, making sure that everything is working normally (after 30 minutes), or when suspicious results are detected (for example, severe overheating of one of the components).
Using stability test SiSoftware Sandra(tab Tools), stress testing can also be performed (Fig. 21). It will allow you to navigate the stability of the system and identify its weak points by analyzing the operation of the processor, memory, physical disks and optical drives, energy efficiency, etc. Testing lasts for a specified period of time or without taking it into account - in this case, the number of times the run is indicated selected test modules. During testing, the utility monitors the system state and stops the process if errors occur or in case of overheating (critical temperatures are set by default or manually).
Rice. 21. Stability test (SiSoftware Sandra)
Utility features PC Wizard in terms of system stability testing (test System Test Stability from the menu Tools) are limited to CPU and motherboard testing. During testing, the processor is maximally loaded and operates under such conditions for a long time, during which the temperatures of the processor and motherboard are measured at certain intervals, and the results are displayed on a graph (Fig. 22).
Rice. 22. Testing the processor for stability (PC Wizard)
Brief overview of utilities
AIDA64 (Extreme Edition) 1.60
Developer: FinalWire Ltd
Distribution size: 11.7 MB
Price:$39.95
The AIDA64 program is an updated version of the well-known information diagnostic solution EVEREST, designed for diagnosing hardware and software computer resources and versatile computer testing. The utility can be launched from a hard drive, CD/DVD/BD disks, as well as from flash drives. The program is presented in two editions: AIDA64 Extreme Edition and AIDA64 Business Edition; the AIDA64 Extreme Edition is designed for home users. The utility is regularly updated and supports the vast majority of modern models.
SiSoftware Sandra 2011 (Lite)
Developer: SiSoftware
Distribution size: 53.3 MB
Price: free (for personal and educational use)
SiSoftware Sandra Lite is the best of the free information diagnostic programs. It provides detailed information about the computer and any of its hardware and software components, and also allows you to test the PC for performance, the need for an upgrade, etc. The utility can be used to analyze, diagnose and test a PDA or smartphone. The program is available in several editions; for home use, the free edition of SiSoftware Sandra Lite is sufficient. The utility is updated quite regularly and supports the vast majority of modern models.
PC Wizard 2010.1.961
Developer: CPUID
Distribution size: 5.02 MB
Price: for free
PC Wizard is an information diagnostic utility used to diagnose hardware and software components and conduct various testing. In the basic version, the program is launched from a hard drive; it can be loaded from portable devices, for example from a flash drive (a special version of Portable PC Wizard). The utility is not updated as often as we would like (the last update was from August 2010), although it supports many modern models (of course, we are not talking about new products).
HWiNFO32 3.71
Developer: Martin Malik
Distribution size: 2.26 MB
Price: for free
HWiNFO32 is an information diagnostic utility that allows you to obtain detailed information about PC hardware and test the performance of the processor, memory and hard drives. The program is updated monthly - as a result, all new products that appear on the market are included in its database in a timely manner. There is a special portable edition of the utility that can be launched from a removable USB drive or other portable device.
Fresh Diagnosis 8.52
Developer: FreshDevices.com
Distribution size: 2.08 MB
Distribution method: freeware (http://www.freshdiagnose.com/download.html)
Price: free (registration required; tests cannot be used in the unregistered version)
Fresh Diagnose is an information diagnostic utility designed to obtain information about all hardware and software components of a PC, as well as testing it. The program is regularly updated and supports many modern models, but its shortcomings include a poorly designed interface and poor-quality Russian-language localization (therefore, it is wiser to use it with an English-language interface).
Programs for checking a computer in Russian are collected in this section. All programs can be downloaded for free with activation keys.
System Mechanic is an excellent software product that will provide your computer with maximum performance and stability. This program uses patented technologies and effective tools that are used to correct errors in the registry, remove unnecessary files, and more. The application package is designed to increase the performance of your computer. It includes more than 20 applications, each of which is responsible for its own functionality. On our website, users can download the System Mechanic key absolutely free. Download for free System…
TechPowerUp GPU-Z is a practical, user-friendly application that helps you find out the technical data of your PC graphics card. Applicable for Windows 7, 8, 8.1, XP, Vista, for Windows 10. Works with ATI, NVIDIA, Intel graphics cards. The TechPowerUp GPU-Z (rus) program can be downloaded for free in Russian. Download for free GPU-Z 2.18 Eng Download for free GPU-Z 2.10 Rus Password for all archives: 1progs Using the program you can find out the following information: the creator and model of the video adapter (name in…
Many users often encounter the problem of a so-called “braking” computer. Not everyone can diagnose problems on their own, and spending money on service centers every time is, to put it mildly, expensive. To avoid advanced cases, sometimes it’s enough just to optimize your computer. You can optimize your computer absolutely safely at home using the simple and convenient Advanced SystemCare program. One of the advantages is that the basic version of this program is free. The license key will allow...
Before loading modern computer games or complex programs onto your computer, you need to find out whether it can cope with such a serious load. 3DMark is a convenient and popular utility today that performs a PC performance test. This program will help users find out the exact capabilities of the computer under different loads. 3DMark has gained great popularity among gamers and virtual entertainment enthusiasts. The program provides PC users only with reliable information. Download 3DMark Professional for free…
Computer program Advanced SystemCare Ultimate is a program for cleaning and optimizing the Windows operating system. This program is popular among confident PC users. There are 2 versions of this program: a simpler one for amateur use and one rich in more professional tools; to activate it you need an Advanced SystemCare Ultimate key. This program is very popular because it combines ease of use, quality and versatility. Many programmers note the good design of the program and clear interface...
CCleaner is a program developed by specialists from Britain. It is designed to clean your computer from unnecessary programs and files. It is free and takes up little space on your computer. This program can be used by both professionals and beginners. You must enter a license key before use. Also, after this application has been downloaded, you need to find CCleaner activation on the Internet. You should first read the instructions for installing and activating this program. The program consists of several sections. Registry,…
MSI Afterburner is a super functional application for optimizing the performance of NVIDIA and AMD video cards. It comes from MSI. If you need to download the program for free in Russian, you can do it on this site. The utility has: a developed step-by-step instruction system and a user-friendly interface; preventing movement between 2D and 3D modes; several options for interacting with video cards. Download for free the latest version of MSI Afterburner 4.6.0 in Russian Password for all archives: 1progs The application controls the voltage…
CPUID HWMonitor is a program from the developer CPUID for monitoring internal computer settings. It is possible to record the voltage level, fan speed, and collect information about the heating of air from different elements of the system. You can download the application for free on this website in just a couple of clicks. The main task is to observe the components of the computer for further summary and diagnosis. With a significant increase in air heating on the gadget, the potential for timely repair of all found errors is formed. Download CPUID HWMonitor for free…
Special programs, also called utilities, will help you find out what hardware is inside your laptop. There are quite a lot of them, let’s look at the most popular ones.
AIDA64 (or "Everest")
AIDA64 (or “Everest”) - providing information not only about hardware, but also programs and fan characteristics and much more.
In addition to information about computer components and monitoring their operation, Everest can also do tests (like SoftwareSandra). They are produced during an upgrade (modernization). There are several versions of the program (4). AIDA64 Extreme Edition is suitable for a home computer .
You can download the program (Russian language) from. The program is not free - it needs to be registered after 30 days (This “split” version is on the trackers - verified. http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4749469). Download the installation file and run it. After installation and launch, the interface appears. 
Click on the appropriate links and everything will be shown. For example, by clicking on the “System Board” on the left, icons of the board’s devices open, which, when clicked, will provide detailed information. 
A small utility called “Speccy” (4.9 MB) allows you to identify components inside your computer. For example, you can find out the type of processor, what motherboard is installed, video card, and so on.
After downloading the Speccy utility (free), install it on your computer in a folder, for example, Program Files. To do this, an executive file with the extension “exe” is launched. After installation, Speccy itself starts. Then you need to change the interface slightly - turn on the Russian language. This is done in the "Options" window. There is a “General” tab with a “Languare” item. 
It has a Russian-language version of the interface.
When installing, carefully look at what else is offered to install CCleaner. 
Click on the radio button “No thanks...” and click the “Next” button. After installation and launch you will see a window. 
Speccy will give detailed information about:
- Operating system.
- Random access memory.
- System board.
- Graphics devices.
- Data storage.
- Optical drives.
- Sound cards and devices.
CPU-Z
A special utility for laptops, BatteryinfoView, provides extensive information about the battery and all its characteristics. Download, for example, from this. 
SISoftwareSandra is considered the most informative program about computer hardware and its characteristics. It is distributed free of charge for now.
We can talk about the Sandra program for a long time. It is installed on the computer.
When you start, your eyes widen at the sight of the program's capabilities. It provides all the information about the computer's hardware and tests them.
Not all features are available, although the program is free. Some of them can only be obtained by activating a paid license. You can, of course, find the key to it on the Internet. SISoftwareSandra will show the compatibility of the hardware with the current operating system and complete information about it. Using the program comes down to selecting the required function with the mouse arrow, then launching it. Sandra acquired the Price Engine in the 2011 version, and in 2015 new improvements and fixes.
Short video
As practice shows, users are only satisfied with the capabilities of their own computer for the time being - sooner or later they have to resort to an upgrade. Everything is banally simple - new versions of the OS and applications used, as a rule, require more and more resources. The easiest way to update your PC is to purchase a new system unit with modern hardware, which is not difficult if you have the money. However, this is not always reasonable - often to increase productivity it is enough to resort to replacing individual components.
To choose an upgrade strategy, you need to find out what hardware is installed and understand what the computer lacks for faster operation - processor power, video system capabilities, memory capacity, hard drive read/write speed, etc. But this is only one side of the coin. After purchasing a new system unit or upgrading an old one, you will need to quickly find out whether the “filling” of the system unit corresponds to what was stated at the time of purchase (without opening the unit itself, since there may be a seal on it), evaluate how much the performance has increased, and understand whether the computer is really stable works.
Any professional assembler (and all overclocking enthusiasts) can easily solve the listed problems, since they have in their arsenal many diverse and highly specialized information and diagnostic tools. The average user has no need to acquire such solutions, but it is still necessary to install a simple comprehensive utility for obtaining information about the hardware and testing the computer. These are the programs we will consider in this article.
Retrieving Hardware Data
Theoretically, any information diagnostic utility is capable of recognizing the “stuffing” of a system unit. However, not every program is able to identify new models of processors, video cards and other hardware (it all depends on the completeness of the database and the regularity of its updates), and the amount of information on the identified components can vary - from minimal to exhaustive.
Among the solutions considered, the program has the most detailed information AIDA64, which knows almost everything about any hardware, including the latest innovations. For example, this utility will be able to recognize Intel 510 and 320 SSDs that have recently appeared on the market, AMD Radeon HD 6790 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M video cards, five new Quadro M series mobile video cards from NVIDIA, etc.
Using AIDA64, you can easily find out everything about the processor, motherboard, video card, network adapter, drives (including the latest SSDs) and input devices, multimedia, as well as ports, external connected devices and power management. The program is able to determine the type of flash memory, controller model (reading SMART information of controllers manufactured by Indilinx, Intel, JMicron, Samsung and SandForce is supported) and data transfer speed. Moreover, the utility recognizes USB 3.0 controllers and devices compatible with this new standard.
The volume of data provided by AIDA64 is impressive - access to it is provided from a tree-like menu of sections that combine the main modules of the program. Yes, through the section Computer it is easy to obtain aggregate information about hardware components, the system and BIOS, as well as data on processor overclocking, power supply features, the state of system hardware monitoring sensors, etc. (Fig. 1).
Rice. 1. Summary information about the computer (AIDA64)
Other “hardware” sections provide more detailed information - so in the section Motherboard there is detailed information about the central processor, motherboard, memory, BIOS, etc. In the section Display it is easy to obtain information related to the graphical interface of the system (in particular, information about the video adapter and monitor - Fig. 2), and in the section Multimedia learn about the multimedia capabilities of the system (multimedia devices and installed audio and video codecs).
Rice. 2. Video card information (AIDA64)
In chapter Data storage provides information about hard drives and optical drives, as well as the logical and physical structure of hard drives, the values and statuses of SMART parameters. You can find information about network adapters in the section Net, and about buses, ports, keyboard, mouse, etc. - in the section Devices. In addition, from the menu Service panel opens AIDA64 CPUID(Fig. 3), which displays data about the processor, motherboard, memory and chipset in a compact form.
Rice. 3. AIDA64 CPUID panel
Program SiSoftware Sandra It is also very informative and allows you to obtain comprehensive information about almost all hardware components of a computer system. In particular, the utility displays summary data about the computer as a whole (Fig. 4) - that is, basic information about the processor, motherboard, chipset, memory modules, video system, etc. (tab Devices, pictogram System information).
Rice. 4. Summary information about the computer (SiSoftware Sandra)
Along with summary information, in the tab Devices The utility also provides more detailed information about the motherboard and processor, display and video adapter (Fig. 5), memory, buses and devices installed in them, disks, ports, mice, keyboard, sound card, etc. As for the readings of various types of monitoring sensors, then to receive them you will need to launch not the information module, but the diagnostic module Environment Monitor(tab Tools). This module provides display of text and graphic information about processor temperature, fan speed, voltage, etc.
Rice. 5. Video system information (SiSoftware Sandra)
Utility PC Wizard provides access to information about the main hardware modules installed in the computer: motherboard, processor, video card, memory, I/O ports, drives, printers, multimedia devices, printers, etc. All this data is available on the tab Iron. By activating the icon on it General information about the system, you can determine in one click what exactly is in the system unit (Fig. 6) - which motherboard, which processor, etc. Other tab icons Iron will help you obtain more detailed information about components (Fig. 7); The amount of data provided is quite sufficient for the average user. In addition, through the menu Tools → Overclocking information you can find out whether any of the system components (processor, bus or memory) have been overclocked, and if so, to what limits, and also take readings from some sensors.
Rice. 6. General information about the computer (PC Wizard)
Rice. 7. Graphics subsystem data (PC Wizard)
Utility HWiNFO32 It will also allow you to learn a lot of interesting things about the hardware of your computer. Immediately after startup, it begins diagnostic tests and within seconds displays a window System Summary with compact display of data about the processor, motherboard, memory, chipset, disks, etc. (Fig. 8). This window can also be called up while working with the utility by clicking on the button Summary. In addition, HWiNFO32 displays detailed information about the processor, motherboard (Fig. 9), memory, video adapter, etc. in the corresponding tabs - Central Processors, Motherboard, Memory, Video Adapter etc. Data on the processor, memory modules, motherboard, buses and disks is quite detailed, information on other devices is more modest. If necessary, it is easy to obtain readings from the touch sensors installed on the motherboard (temperature, voltage, etc.) by clicking on the button Sensors.
Rice. 8. Summary information about the computer (HWiNFO32)
Rice. 9. Video card information (HWiNFO32)
Program Fresh Diagnosis allows you to find out information about any iron components, although not always detailed. For example, on the tab Hardware System you can find out about the motherboard, processor, cache memory, buses, BIOS, CMOS memory, etc. Section Device contains information about the video card (Fig. 10), peripheral devices (keyboard, printer, monitor, optical drives, etc.) and ports. In chapter Multimedia combines data on various multimedia devices, DirectX, audio and video codecs.
Rice. 10. Video card data (Fresh Diagnose)
Performance Evaluation
Before upgrading, you need to evaluate the performance of the computer and its individual components in order to understand which hardware needs to be replaced immediately, and which components can wait until better times (after all, in a crisis, not everyone decides to completely upgrade). This is quite simple to do by conducting a couple of specific benchmark tests in the environment of a suitable diagnostic utility. After buying a new computer or upgrading an old one, it also doesn't hurt to test it to make sure that the computer has become more productive. Of course, you can feel the effect of the upgrade while working normally in applications, but to complete the picture, it is better to verify the performance improvement using tools specifically designed for this purpose.
When conducting tests, to obtain a more objective assessment, it is better to close all applications, not use the mouse and keyboard, run the same test (in the same version of the utility) several times and focus on the average result. In addition, it is worth keeping in mind that the same synthetic tests in different utilities are implemented in a far from identical way, so the programs show different results. And you shouldn’t take the results obtained literally, since they do not reflect real performance, but only indicate the level of performance when performing strictly specific tasks. Nevertheless, conducting such testing makes it possible to understand how outdated the hardware components installed in your computer are in comparison with reference samples, as well as to evaluate the level of performance before and after the upgrade, which is what interests us in this article.
The programs of greatest interest from a testing point of view are AIDA64 and SiSoftware Sandra, some of whose benchmarks are used even by professionals in various hardware testing techniques. The capabilities of the other utilities discussed in the article are limited in this regard, although they also provide some test functionality.
In a programme AIDA64 a wide range of benchmark tests is presented. Yes, in the section Test 13 synthetic tests are combined, the first four of which evaluate memory performance - read/write/copy speed (Fig. 11), and also measure latency (testing the average time the processor reads data from RAM). The rest of the tests in this section evaluate processor performance in integer and floating point operations, when creating ZIP archives, when performing encryption using the AES crypto algorithm, etc. (tests CPU Queen, CPU PhotoWorxx, CPU ZLib, CPU AES, CPU Hash, FPU VP8, FPU Julia, FPU Mandel, FPU SinJulia). All tests compare performance with other systems, including the latest ones.
Rice. 11. CPU performance evaluation (CPU Queen test; AIDA64)
Via the menu Service Three more benchmark tests are available: Disk test, Cache and memory test And Monitor diagnostics. The disk test measures the performance of hard drives, solid state drives, optical drives, and more. The cache and memory test measures the bandwidth and latency of the processor cache and memory (Figure 12). In the test Monitor diagnostics The display quality of LCD and CRT monitors is checked.
Rice. 12. Cache & Memory Benchmark; AIDA64
In terms of testing for a wide range of users, the program is even more interesting SiSoftware Sandra, with which you can not only evaluate the performance of your PC in comparison with other reference computer configurations, but also test your computer to see if it needs an upgrade. Modules designed for testing the most important computer subsystems are combined on the tab Benchmarks. A whole group of synthetic tests is designed to test the processor - arithmetic and multimedia tests, multi-core efficiency tests, power efficiency tests, cryptographic performance and GPGPU cryptography. Several tests are responsible for testing physical drives - including a file system test, as well as modules for testing physical disks, removable/flash drives, CD-ROM/DVD and Blu-ray optical drives. Tests available to test memory include Memory Bandwidth Test, Memory Latency Test, and Cache and Memory Test. In addition, there are tests to evaluate visualization speed and video memory performance, an audio/video encoding/decoding test, a network bandwidth test, an Internet connection speed test, etc. When testing a number of components (processor, RAM, etc.), results are given in comparison with reference models that are more or less similar in characteristics. At the same time, it is possible to independently select standards for comparison, including the most modern ones (Fig. 13), which is very convenient and allows you to quickly understand how outdated the hardware components installed in the computer are and which models are best to replace them with.
Rice. 13. CPU performance evaluation
(arithmetic test; SiSoftware Sandra)
Two interesting test modules are presented on the tab Tools- these are modules Performance index And Analysis and recommendations. Using the test Performance index The overall performance of the computer is assessed during arithmetic and multimedia tests of the processor, determination of memory bandwidth, as well as testing of physical disks and a video card (Fig. 14). Reference models of components for comparison are selected by the program or the user. Module Analysis and recommendations provides a detailed analysis of the PC for possible upgrades. At the end of this analysis, the program produces a list of recommendations on which hardware components are best replaced in order to improve performance (Fig. 15), and draws attention to possible problems (for example, the difficulty of adding memory due to all slots being occupied, too high processor temperature (and suggests checking cooling), etc.).
Rice. 14. Assessing overall computer performance (SiSoftware Sandra)
Rice. 15. Computer analysis for upgrade (SiSoftware Sandra)
Utility PC Wizard also includes certain functionality for testing hardware (tab Test). With its help, you can clearly evaluate the overall performance of your computer (icon Global Performance) in comparison with other configurations and based on the test results, understand which of the subsystems in terms of performance significantly fall short of the selected (from a preset list) reference sample - that is, they need to be updated, and which are quite on par (Fig. 16).
Rice. 16. Assessing overall computer performance (PC Wizard)
PC Wizard also has a number of synthetic tests that allow you to evaluate the performance of the processor, L1/L2/L3 caches and memory in general (bandwidth, timing assessment), as well as the video subsystem, hard drive, optical drive, etc. In particular, for The processor is equipped with basic tests Dhrystone ALU, Whetstone FPU and Whetstone SSE2, which allow assessing its performance in integer and floating point operations. Test results are displayed in text and graphical form; in a number of tests, it is possible to compare the results obtained with the test results of the selected reference subsystem (Fig. 17).
Rice. 17. CPU testing (PC Wizard)
Utility HWiNFO32 is able to evaluate the performance of the processor (CPU, FPU, MMX), memory and hard drive during express testing (button Benchmark). Test results are presented in two versions - in numerical form and in the form of a comparative chart. The diagram contains many reference components, including modern ones, so it is easy to understand how the processor (or other component) installed in the computer is inferior in performance to modern models (Fig. 18).
Rice. 18. CPU performance evaluation (HWiNFO32)
Program Fresh Diagnosis has tools for determining the performance of individual system components. These are seven synthetic test modules in the section Benchmarks. With their help, you can evaluate the performance of the processor (Whetstone, Dhrystone and multimedia tests), memory, video system, hard drives, optical drives and network adapter. Test results are presented in comparison with basic systems and presented in the form of visual histograms. True, in our opinion, there is not much benefit from them, since outdated reference systems are selected for comparison (Fig. 19).
Rice. 19. CPU testing (Fresh Diagnosis)
Checking your computer for stability
Unfortunately, it is not a fact that the updated computer will be stable in operation. Why? There are many reasons - for example, the power supply may not cope well with the increased load due to the replacement of the processor or video adapter with newer models.
If such a picture occurs, then the situation should be dealt with as soon as possible - that is, before obvious signs of instability appear in the form of a blue screen of “death”, etc. This means that you need to find out the temperature of the processor, motherboard and other important hardware and understand whether any component is overheating under load, and also evaluate how the computer generally behaves under stressful conditions. This can be done by conducting stress testing.
Most stability tests place intense computational load on various units of the central processor, system memory, graphics processor and system logic set - that is, they force the computer to work under stressful conditions. Unfortunately, none of these tests by itself guarantees 100% system stability, but if the test reveals a failure in the system or was not completed, then this is a clear signal that you need to pay attention to the hardware.
Provided in AIDA64 system stability test (available through the menu Service) is intended for stress testing of the processor (testing cores separately is allowed), memory, local disks, etc. (Fig. 20). The test results are displayed on two graphs: the upper one shows the temperature of the selected components, the lower one shows the processor load level (CPU Usage) and the CPU Throttling mode. Mode CPU Throttling is activated only if the processor overheats, and it should be understood that activating this mode during testing is an alarm signal calling for attention to the operation of the cooling system. During testing, system heating is controlled by continuously monitoring the temperature.
Rice. 20. CPU stress testing (AIDA64)
In addition to temperature, the graphs of which are displayed on the first tab during stress testing, on other tabs the program presents other useful information - about fan speed, voltage, etc. It should be borne in mind that the system stability test in AIDA64 can last indefinitely, so it is stopped manually, making sure that everything is working normally (after 30 minutes), or when suspicious results are detected (for example, severe overheating of one of the components).
Using stability test SiSoftware Sandra(tab Tools), stress testing can also be performed (Fig. 21). It will allow you to navigate the stability of the system and identify its weak points by analyzing the operation of the processor, memory, physical disks and optical drives, energy efficiency, etc. Testing lasts for a specified period of time or without taking it into account - in this case, the number of times the run is indicated selected test modules. During testing, the utility monitors the system state and stops the process if errors occur or in case of overheating (critical temperatures are set by default or manually).
Rice. 21. Stability test (SiSoftware Sandra)
Utility features PC Wizard in terms of system stability testing (test System Test Stability from the menu Tools) are limited to CPU and motherboard testing. During testing, the processor is maximally loaded and operates under such conditions for a long time, during which the temperatures of the processor and motherboard are measured at certain intervals, and the results are displayed on a graph (Fig. 22).
Rice. 22. Testing the processor for stability (PC Wizard)
Brief overview of utilities
AIDA64 (Extreme Edition) 1.60
Developer: FinalWire Ltd
Distribution size: 11.7 MB
Price:$39.95
The AIDA64 program is an updated version of the well-known information diagnostic solution EVEREST, designed for diagnosing hardware and software computer resources and versatile computer testing. The utility can be launched from a hard drive, CD/DVD/BD disks, as well as from flash drives. The program is presented in two editions: AIDA64 Extreme Edition and AIDA64 Business Edition; the AIDA64 Extreme Edition is designed for home users. The utility is regularly updated and supports the vast majority of modern models.
SiSoftware Sandra 2011 (Lite)
Developer: SiSoftware
Distribution size: 53.3 MB
Price: free (for personal and educational use)
SiSoftware Sandra Lite is the best of the free information diagnostic programs. It provides detailed information about the computer and any of its hardware and software components, and also allows you to test the PC for performance, the need for an upgrade, etc. The utility can be used to analyze, diagnose and test a PDA or smartphone. The program is available in several editions; for home use, the free edition of SiSoftware Sandra Lite is sufficient. The utility is updated quite regularly and supports the vast majority of modern models.
PC Wizard 2010.1.961
Developer: CPUID
Distribution size: 5.02 MB
Price: for free
PC Wizard is an information diagnostic utility used to diagnose hardware and software components and conduct various testing. In the basic version, the program is launched from a hard drive; it can be loaded from portable devices, for example from a flash drive (a special version of Portable PC Wizard). The utility is not updated as often as we would like (the last update was from August 2010), although it supports many modern models (of course, we are not talking about new products).
HWiNFO32 3.71
Developer: Martin Malik
Distribution size: 2.26 MB
Price: for free
HWiNFO32 is an information diagnostic utility that allows you to obtain detailed information about PC hardware and test the performance of the processor, memory and hard drives. The program is updated monthly - as a result, all new products that appear on the market are included in its database in a timely manner. There is a special portable edition of the utility that can be launched from a removable USB drive or other portable device.
Fresh Diagnosis 8.52
Developer: FreshDevices.com
Distribution size: 2.08 MB
Distribution method: freeware (http://www.freshdiagnose.com/download.html)
Price: free (registration required; tests cannot be used in the unregistered version)
Fresh Diagnose is an information diagnostic utility designed to obtain information about all hardware and software components of a PC, as well as testing it. The program is regularly updated and supports many modern models, but its shortcomings include a poorly designed interface and poor-quality Russian-language localization (therefore, it is wiser to use it with an English-language interface).
