Software represents an important part of any PC Gaming, and today we are very lucky in this sense, since we can find a large number of free programs that offer fantastic value and which are, in general, essential to be able to get the most out of our new equipment, and also to check that everything works as it should.
In my case, there are five free programs that have become my favorites and whichand I always install after mounting a gaming PC. These programs allow me to monitor temperatures, check that all key components are present and recognized properly, and also help me monitor and assess the performance of the computer, as well as determine the stability of the computer.
Today I want to share with you those five free programs so that you can also enjoy them. In this article I am going to tell you how they work, what they can do for you and where you can download them safely. It is important to note that some of these programs may have a paid version with more advanced features, but even in these cases the free version is very interesting and offers excellent value.
As always, if after reading the article you have any questions, you can leave them in the comments. Keep in mind, yes, that all the free programs that we are going to see have been tested on Windows 10 and Windows 11 based PCs. Without further ado, let’s get started.
1.-CPU-Z: one of the best free programs for its lightness and its functions
Of all the free programs that exist to monitor the processor, this is undoubtedly my favorite, and for three reasons. The first is that it is very light and has a minimal impact on the computer, the second is that it allows us to monitor the status of other components, such as RAM memory, and the third is that it includes a simple performance test that we can use to compare, in a few seconds, the performance of our processor with that of other models, both new and old. In my case, it’s a Ryzen 7 5800X.
Thanks to CPU-Z we will be able to see the model and exact revision of the CPU we have, the instructions it supports and all its key specifications. We can also see other important equipment data, such as the type of RAM memory that we have installed, if we have activated the double channel, the speed at which it works and its latencies. In other tabs we can also see information about the motherboard and the graphics card.
To measure the performance of our processor we will only have to go to the “Bench” tab and click on “Bench CPU”. This test will perform a single-thread and multi-thread performance measurement that will allow us to get an approximate idea of the performance offered by our processor, and we will be able to compare it with other models that are listed by default.
How to get free CPU-Z: We just have to enter this link and click on the “Dowload Now!” option. Once downloaded we proceed to its installation. The entire process will only take a few seconds.
2.-GPU-Z: essential to see all the keys of your graphics card
The truth is that we can consider it as a version of CPU-Z designed for GPUs (graphics cores. GPU-Z maintains almost everything that made its “sister” great for processors, which means that it offers us a exhaustive listing of all key specifications of our graphics card or integrated GPU, including very important technical data, such as the GPU revision, the number of shaders, the amount of memory, the technologies it supports and the drivers we have installed.
In other tabs we can see information obtained from the sensors of the equipment, which goes from the working frequencies to the temperatures of the core and the graphics memory, as well as the speeds of the fans, the consumption and the voltage of both the graphics card and the connectors that we are using. If you look at the attached image you will see that, in my case, three additional 8-pin power connectors are listed, which are the ones I have connected to the NVIDIA 16-pin adapter that goes to the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti.
The list of information offered by this program is so huge and complete that it makes it totally worth it, and on top of that its impact on the system is minimal, since it weighs very little. It is frequently updated to support the new graphics cards released by AMD, NVIDIA and Intel, so we can rest easy, since it will always be supported.
How to get free GPU-Z: We have it available on the official TechPowerUp! website. We can download it by following this link and clicking on “Download”. You can choose the UK server without problem.
3.-HWiNFO64: all the information on your PC in a single program
Of all the free programs we have seen so far, this is undoubtedly the most recommended if we want to do a complete monitoring of the state of the equipment in generalincluding both the minimum, average and maximum resource consumption as well as the temperature values, the voltages and the working temperatures of each specific moment.
In the attached image you can see, for example, that HWiNFO64 shows the values of virtual memory and physical memory consumption, and also the status of the CPU, the current frequency and its minimum and maximum values, as well as the workload, the occupied cores and the minimum, maximum and current working temperatures. We can also see the frequency of RAM memory and latencies.
If we scroll through the sidebar of this program we will find much more information related to the main components of the equipment, such as the CPU voltage, power consumption, FCLK frequency (Infinity Fabric system clock frequency) and also about the motherboard VRM system, graphics card temperatures and even about the status of SSD drives and their useful life. Impressive, without a doubt.
How to get HWiNFO64 for free: We have it available through the official website, where we can download it with a simple click on “HWiNFO Installer”. Despite all the information it offers, it is very easy to use, and has little impact on the team.
4.-3DMark: ideal for measuring the performance of your new equipment
The 3DMark suite includes a lot of performance testsand yes, it has a paid version that is much more complete than the free version, but the latter offers excellent value and is more than enough to give us a pretty good idea of the potential that our new PC has for Gaming.
One of the star tests that it includes is the 3DMark Time Spy Benchmark, which allows us to measure the performance of a PC under DirectX 12, and that it is prepared to take advantage of very important functions, such as asynchronous computing and multithreading. Another very interesting proof is 3DMark CPU Profilewhich will help us to measure the performance of our CPU in different scenarios: 1 thread, 2 threads, 4 threads, 8 threads, 16 threads and maximum number of threads.
Other specific tests that this suite includes, and that are worth considering, are 3DMark Mesh Shader, which measures performance with meshed shaders, and 3DMark API Overheadwhich measures performance under DirectX 12 using “draw calls”, that is, drawing calls, one of the most important innovations that DirectX 12 introduced at its launch.
How can I get 3DMark for free: The best thing to do is to do it through Steam, since we have grouped together a complete selection of the tests that are free and those that are paid. We can easily differentiate them and get only those that interest us, without having to spend a penny.
5.-CrystalDiskMark: test the performance of your SSD with one click
One of the most important shortcomings that the free version of 3DMark has is that it does not have a performance test focused on the storage unit, something that we can solve without problems with CrystalDiskMark, everything a reference for its lightness, its ease of use and its precisionsince it allows us to obtain a wide variety of values that will help us to better understand what our SSD can give of itself.
With CrystalDiskMark we can measure the performance of any storage unit, either an SSD or an HDD, and also from external storage devices, such as flash drives, memory cards and USB-connected SSDs and HDDs. To do a performance test we only have to choose the unit we want to usethe size of the test and the number of these, as well as the unit that we want to be reflected in the final measurement (normally MB/s, which refers to megabytes per second).
This program will not only allow us to see the performance of our storage unit, but it can also be very useful to identify problems. Thus, for example, if we see that the score we obtain is far below what we should have achieved, the disk may have problems, or it is also possible that we have installed it incorrectly, and that this is limiting its performance. So, for example, if we install a PCIe Gen4 SSD in a PCIe Gen3 slot, we will be limiting its performance.
How to get CrystalDiskMark for free: we have it available through this link. We will only have to click on “Download” and that’s it, we will have it available in a few seconds, since it is a very light program. Keep in mind, however, that this tool should not be abused, since it performs quite heavy write cycles, and this can reduce the useful life of the SSD drive.
