HWiNFO

HWiNFO is a hardware information and monitoring tool for Windows that displays detailed specifications for every component in your computer and tracks sensor readings in real time. It supports more sensors than competing tools like HWMonitor, including VRM temperatures, SSD health metrics, and per-core power draw. Completely free for personal use.

What it does

On launch, HWiNFO offers three modes: Summary Only (a quick overview of CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage), Sensors Only (live monitoring), or both. The full system report lists everything from your motherboard chipset revision to individual RAM stick timings. You can export the entire report as HTML, TXT, or XML through File > Save Report.

The Sensors window is where most users spend their time. It shows current, minimum, maximum, and average values for every detected sensor. Temperatures for CPU cores, GPU hotspot, SSD controller, VRM phases. Clock speeds, voltages, fan RPMs, power consumption. Double-click any sensor to see a live graph of its readings over time, set a threshold alert, or add it to the system tray as a small icon showing the current value.

Logging (Sensors window > Logging button) writes all selected sensor readings to a CSV file at a configurable interval. This is particularly useful for diagnosing thermal throttling during gaming or stress tests. You run the log, reproduce the problem, then analyze the data afterward to see exactly when and where temperatures spiked.

Who it is for

I consider HWiNFO the go-to tool for anyone who needs to know what is happening inside their PC. Gamers use it to monitor temperatures during sessions. System builders use it to verify component specs. If you are troubleshooting crashes, thermal throttling, or instability, the sensor logging alone makes it worth installing.