The web offers a vast number of programs designed to identify all the components of our computer and assess its overall condition. We have previously talked about HWiNFO, an excellent choice for measuring temperature and voltages on any PC, but it would be a grave mistake to forget CPU-Z, one of the best free hardware identifiers, which has just released its 2.0 build. The version change includes support for the latest Intel and AMD chips, the latest Radeon boards, and the new Ryzen 6000 series APUs.
Identifying the hardware of our computer is a basic process, but much more important than we think. If the computer was purchased through an OEM (Dell and HP come to mind) or bought on the second-hand market, it is essential to know the components more closely to verify that the specifications are correct and that there was no tampering or error during shipping.
The good news is that the web is full of options, and most of them are free. But if we have to talk about a true classic in hardware identification, it is CPU-Z. This program is more than twenty years old (in fact, it turned two decades in November 2019), but it works better than ever. In fact, its developers have just released version 2.0, and it is definitely worth downloading a copy.
Download CPU-Z 2.0 with support for new hardware
Fortunately, CPU-Z does not suffer from feature creep, and its interface remains intact, with seven tabs identifying the processor, motherboard, memory, SPD/XMP values, and graphics card, as well as a benchmarks section, and the about with app details. Among the most important new features is support for the new Intel Core i9-12900KS from the Alder Lake family, and the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, probably the last member of the Ryzen family we will see for the AM4 socket.
We also detected expanded support for many Intel mobile processors, from the five-core Celeron 7300 (no, that's not a mistake) to the Intel Core i7-1280P/1270P/1260P. Finally, CPU-Z 2.0 now detects the new Radeon RX 6500 XT graphics card (which comes factory-limited to 4x on PCI Express 4.0), and includes preliminary compatibility with the Ryzen 6000 series APUs, codenamed Rembrandt.
CPU-Z is available for Windows in 32-bit and 64-bit versions, with portable builds and traditional installers. At the same time, the official site also has custom editions with many manufacturers' logos, but when in doubt, I recommend getting the classic version. Link below!
Official site and download: Click here
