10 Best Free System Information Tools (January 2021)

System information tools are software programs that gather all the important, but hard to come by, details about the hardware in your computer system. This sort of data is very helpful to someone helping you with a problem with your computer.

Magnifying glass imposed on computers and technical components — Miguel Co / Lifewire

There are other great uses for system information tools, too, like providing data on the type of RAM you have so you buy the right upgrade or replacement, creating a list of hardware when selling a computer, keeping tabs on the temperature of your important components, and lots more.

We've only included free system information tools in this list. Please let us know if one of these programs is no longer freeware and is now charging, and we'll remove it.

of 10

Speccy

What We Like

Shows detailed information on lots of components
Lets you copy text out of the program
Results can be shared via the web and exported to a file
Works as a regular and a portable program

What We Don't Like

A report can't be made of specific sections of information
Hasn't been updated since 2018.

Our Review of Speccy

Piriform, creators of the popular CCleaner, Defraggler, and Recuva programs, also produce Speccy, our favorite free system information tool.

Speccy's layout is nicely designed to provide all the information you need without being overly cluttered.

A summary page gives you brief, but very helpful information on things like the operating system, memory, graphics, and storage devices. A more detailed look at each category is organized in their respective sections.

Our favorite feature is the ability to send system specs from Speccy to a public web page to easily share with others. Exporting to a file, as well as printing, are additional options, making saving a list of all your hardware details really easy.

Speccy works with all versions of Windows from Windows 10 through Windows XP.

Download Speccy

of 10

PC Wizard 2015

What We Like

Lets you see a summary of everything in one section
Provides lots of detail
Supports copying and exporting results

What We Don't Like

Buttons aren't labeled, which can be confusing
It's often slow when scanning the computer
Setup tries to install another program

Another free system information tool that shows detail on a huge variety of components is PC Wizard 2015.

It's easy to save a report detailing any or all parts of the program, and you can even copy out single lines of data to the clipboard.

Out of all the system information tools we've used, PC Wizard 2015 is certainly the most informative. It includes not only the basic and advanced information on internal and external hardware but also useful operating system details.

PC Wizard 2015 can be installed on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.

Download PC Wizard 2015

of 10

ASTRA32

What We Like

Info from every category is summarized on one page
Reveals detailed information on computer hardware
It can be used without installation

What We Don't Like

Functions as a demo program
Some information gets truncated
Doesn't let you copy text out of the program
Shows ads to buy the full program

ASTRA32 is another free system information tool that shows amazing detail on numerous devices and other parts of the system.

There are several categories to separate the information it gathers on hardware, like that of a motherboard, storage, and monitor information.

A system summary section is perfect for seeing an overview of all the hardware and operating system details. Also, a dedicated section for live monitoring is included to show the temperature and current usage of various hardware components.

ASTRA32 works as a demo program, but it doesn't really mean much because it still provides lots of useful information.

ASTRA32 can be used on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000, and Windows Server 2008 and 2003.

Download ASTRA32

of 10

HWiNFO

What We Like

Easy to use
Results are detailed
Lets you copy specific results
A one-page summary of all the details is available
Supports extensions
Works in Windows, as a DOS program, and in portable mode
Supports alarms

What We Don't Like

Missing information found in some similar programs

Our Review of HWiNFO

HWiNFO shows nearly the same details as these other free system information tools, like for the CPU, motherboard, monitor, audio, network, and other components.

A sensor status window is included to monitor the current and average speed/rate of the memory, hard drive, and CPU. HWiNFO can also run a benchmark against these areas.

Report files can be created for some or all of the system components, and you can also set up automatic reporting that sounds an alarm when a sensor exceeds a particular threshold.

Unfortunately, we found that HWiNFO doesn't include as much information as some of the other applications from this list. Though the data it does display is still very helpful.

HWiNFO runs on Windows 10 through Windows XP.

Download HWiNFO

of 10

Belarc Advisor

What We Like

Runs quickly
Shows unique information not found in other programs
Includes basic information on lots of hardware components
The setup file is really small
Software information is shown, too

What We Don't Like

Doesn't have a summary page
You have to install the program to your computer

Our Review of Belarc Advisor

Belarc Advisor isn't as detailed as some of these other free system information tools. However, basic information on the operating system, processor, motherboard, memory, drives, bus adapters, display, group policies, and users are shown.

In addition to the above, a unique feature in Belarc Advisor is the ability to list all the security updates Windows is missing. You can also view software licenses, installed hotfixes, program usage frequency, and version numbers for select Microsoft products.

Results of a scan open in a web browser and can be viewed on a single web page.

Belarc Advisor is quick to download and doesn't try to install additional programs during setup, which is always nice.

Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP are supported.

Download Belarc Advisor

of 10

Free PC Audit

What We Like

Easy to read and use
Completely portable with a small download size
Supports making reports
Lets you copy text from the program
Includes features not found in other programs

What We Don't Like

Information on some components aren't included in reports
Isn't as detailed as similar tools

Our Review of Free PC Audit

Free PC Audit includes all the features you'd expect to find in any system information utility, including the ability for a report to be saved as a simple text file.

For example, you can see information on all the hardware, like the motherboard, memory, and printers. In addition, Free PC Audit displays the Windows product key and ID, a list of installed software, and all the currently running processes, among many other things.

Free PC Audit is completely portable, making it perfect for a flash drive.

We tested Free PC Audit in Windows 10, 8, and 7, but it should also work fine in older versions.

Download Free PC Audit

of 10

MiTeC System Information X

What We Like

Has a tabbed user interface
Free for personal and business use
Includes very detailed information on lots of components
It's portable
Supports copying and making reports

What We Don't Like

Reports don't include information on some hardware details

MiTeC System Information X is a free system information software program that's licensed for both private and commercial use. The tool is portable, easy to use, and can create a summary report.

Among many other categories, you'll find all the standard details like audio, network, and motherboard, information. More specific information can also be shown, such as drivers and processes.

The tabbed interface makes MiTeC System Information X really easy to navigate through if you're viewing more than one report at once.

MiTeC System Information X can be used with Windows 10 through Windows 2000, as well as with Windows Server 2008 and 2003.

Download MiTeC System Information X

of 10

EVEREST Home Edition

What We Like

Lets you favorite components for easier access
Condenses everything into several categories
It's a portable program
Reports can be made of some or all of the data

What We Don't Like

The program no longer gets updated
It's not as detailed as other similar tool

EVEREST Home Edition is a portable free system information tool that scans very quickly and organizes everything it finds into nine categories, including one for a summary page.

All the standard hardware details are included, like that of the motherboard, network, storage devices, and display, with the ability to create an HTML report of everything.

You can create favorites in EVEREST Home Edition to have instant access to any hardware component from the menu bar.

Unfortunately, EVEREST Home Edition is no longer being developed. This means if it's still not being developed in the future, the new hardware devices that are released will likely not be recognized by the program.

Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP users can install EVEREST Home Edition.

Download EVEREST Home Edition

of 10

System Information Viewer (SIV)

System Information Viewer v5.40 in Windows 10

What We Like

Shows detailed information
There's a summary page
Monitor system resources
Reports can be made for all the info or just some of it
No need for installation (it's portable)

What We Don't Like

Results are hard to read
The interface is cluttered
Searching doesn't work well

SIV is another free system information tool for Windows that runs as a portable program (i.e., no need to install).

In addition to USB, hard drive, adapter, and basic OS details, SIV also includes a live sensor to show CPU and memory utilization.

The interface is a bit hard to look at—the details are too difficult to read. However, if you have the patience to look closely enough, you'll find all the information you'd expect.

SIV is designed for Windows 10 back through Windows 2000, plus older versions like Windows 98 and 95. It also works with Windows Server 2019, 2016, 2012, 2008, and 2003.

Download SIV

of 10

ESET SysInspector

What We Like

Has lots of features that make it unique
Results are centered around security
It's portable
Can make reports about what the program finds

What We Don't Like

Isn't built to show as much info as similar tools

ESET SysInspector is dead simple to use because of its search utility and well-organized interface.

Results can be filtered to show information based on a risk level between one and nine. You can find basic information like available memory, system uptime, and the local time. More advanced details include things like environment variables, installed software, hotfixes, and an event log.

ESET SysInspector can also view a list of running processes and current network connections, active and disabled drivers, and a list of important registry entries and system files.

We like ESET SysInspector because it is the only program in this list that is centered around providing detail regarding the security of the computer. However, it doesn't show exhaustive details like the higher rated system information tools in this list.

ESET SysInspector can be used in 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, and 2000. Server operating systems are also supported, including Windows Home Server and Windows Server 2012/2008/2003.

Download ESET SysInspector

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