HWiNFO v7.72 Review

A free system information tool with alarms, add-ons, and tons of detail

By
Tim Fisher
Photo of Tim Fisher, Lifewire GM and Writer
Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University
Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.
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Updated on February 16, 2024

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HWiNFO is a free system information tool for Windows that gives a quick overview and a detailed look at hardware components. You can save complete or custom reports, monitor various hardware pieces in real time, and even do it all from a flash drive.

Memory information in HWiNFO64 7.02

This review is of HWiNFO version 7.72, which was released on February 5, 2024. Please let us know if there's a newer version we need to review.

HWiNFO Basics

While some system information tools also gather software information, HWiNFO focuses on hardware alone. It categorizes all the information it collects into ten sections: CPU, motherboard, memory, bus, video adapter, monitor, drives, audio, network, and ports.

The program works with Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. 32-bit and 64-bit versions are available; download the 64-bit version only if you're running a 64-bit version of Windows. Learn How to Tell if You Have Windows 64-Bit or 32-Bit.

The section at the bottom of this review details all the information you can expect to learn about your computer with this program.

HWiNFO Pros & Cons

There's much to like about this comprehensive tool.

What We Like

  • One-page summary, plus detailed results

  • Easy to read and navigate through

  • Create a full report of everything or select devices

  • Copy specific results out of the program

  • Can do more with optional HWiNFO extensions

  • DOS and portable version available

  • Releases program updates often

What We Don't Like

  • Doesn't include as much detail as similar programs

My Thoughts on HWiNFO

HWiNFO reminds me of the system information tool Speccy (my preferred option), but combined with something a bit more detailed like SIW. In other words, while it's super easy to use and navigate around in, it's also pretty detailed.

Most of the system information tools I've used included network information like the IP address. Unfortunately, HWiNFO simply shows the MAC address. This is a bit surprising considering the tons of detail it goes into with other sections.

However, this tool does have features that I don't find in most similar programs. Notably, the ability to display an alarm when a sensor exceeds a particular threshold, and support for extensions (these are your options).

I tried both the installable and portable versions of HWiNFO and they both seemed identical. There were no slow performance or hiccups in the portable edition. I also like that the portable version is so small—it produces just three files, that together are only around 10 MB, which is perfect for something like a flash drive.

What HWiNFO Identifies

  • Processor brand name, frequency, number of cores and logical CPUs, platform, thermal design power, MTRRs, bus type, maximum and current clock speed, and the L1 and L2 cache size; also shown is supported features, such as MMX technology, physical address extension, self-snoop, and many others
  • Number of open and used motherboard slots, the motherboard's brand name and model number, the supported USB version number (like v3.0), its chipset, and a list of ACPI devices
  • BIOS information, such as the manufacturer, release date, and version number. Also shows BIOS features, like ISA/MCA/EISA/PCI support and if you can boot from a disc or USB device
  • Processor manufacturer, version, current and maximum clock speed, voltage, and socket designation
  • General information and driver details for serial, parallel, and USB ports
  • The number of open memory slots left on the motherboard, the maximum supported size/speed/voltage of a memory module, maximum and installed cache speed, current SRAM type, serial number, module width and SPD revision number, a module's supported burst lengths, and the number of module banks
  • Video chipset information, such as the codename and memory; video card details, like its bus, BIOS version, and chipset revision number; performance information, such as processor and memory speed, bus width, and number of unified shaders; and driver information, such as its manufacturer, version number, date, and instance ID
  • Live activity and/or temperature monitor for the CPU, hard drive, motherboard, network card, graphics card, and RAM. Can also actively log this data to a CSV file
  • Detailed monitor information, including general data, like the name, serial number, date of manufacture, and hardware ID; screen information, like the maximum vertical and horizontal size and frequency, and the maximum pixel clock; as well as the supported video modes and DPMS modes
  • Floppy, internal, external, and disc drive information, like model numbers, serial numbers, capacities, drive geometry, transfer modes, and features; disc drive information details the type of discs they can read and write to, like CD-R, DVD+R, etc.
  • Audio adapter and driver details, such as the hardware id, codec, and driver version
  • General network information, including the MAC address, driver details, and vendor description; also included is the adapter's capabilities, like its maximum speed and buffer size
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