CPU-Z

A necessary software addition to any hardcore PC user, CPU-Z is a feather-light and free utility that gathers system information in a single place.  It has been around for a pretty long time and, although it has not received a major update for a while, the app surpasses many other products dedicated to computer diagnostics, thanks to simplicity and efficiency.

Hassle-free installation and classical UI

Setting up CPU-Z takes little time and minimal effort. Those who want to bypass it and run the app directly from a pen drive may resort to its portable counterpart with identical features, named Portable CPU-Z.
In terms of interface, CPU-Z has always adopted a blunt look with no visual highlights. Considering the technical nature of the utility, appearance is not that important anyway, as long as information is neatly organized, and CPU-Z sticks to that rule.

View hardware details, create reports and validate data

At startup it may take a while to load all modules, separately classified into CPU, caches, mainboard, memory, SPD and graphics information. Some details are shown in real time, such as the current core and bus speed, along with rated FSB. All data can be exported to a plain text document or HTML file for closer examination and safekeeping. In addition, this info can be submitted online to the developer to validate it.
In addition, you can test out your computer's processor performance in the Bench tab. Here, you opt for either a single, or multi thread analysis, with test scenarios performing either a simple benchmark process, or stress testing the CPU.

Evaluation and conclusion

The tool has minimal impact on PC performance, since it runs on low CPU and memory. It shows accurate information and worked smoothly during our tests, without triggering Windows to hang, crash or pop up error messages, so users working on older OS versions shouldn't worry.
Although it does not come packed with advanced features such as benchmarks for various PC areas, CPU-Z offers a straightforward solution to find out valuable hardware information and even identify some unknown components.