Most users who use computers, regardless of whether they are portable or desktop, do not know their PC hardware in detail. Or, if they do, they know what is fair, that is, the amount of memory, the type of processor, the hard drives and little else.
However, knowing in detail the hardware of our computer is vital when renovating some components or, in the event of a failure, being able to replace the damaged part with a compatible one. And to know all the details of our computer, the most complete program that we can find is AIDA64.
What is AIDA64
AIDA64 is a complete computer systems information, diagnosis and auditing program developed by FinalWire. In other words, this program allows us to know all the technical details about the hardware of our PC and about some of the software, such as the drivers and the operating system.
This program also allows us to carry out diagnostic tests on our computer and even perform benchmarks to measure the stability and performance of the entire PC. AIDA64 also has mobile versions that allow us to know all the details of the hardware of our smartphone and perform some performance tests on it.
Although it is true that there are other free programs to display information about our PC, AIDA64 is, without a doubt, the most complete. Its component database is unrivaled, and it also has excellent support that allows you to recognize all components, even those that have just hit the market (even before they arrive).
History
This program started its activities in 1995 as “ASMDEMO”, a software to analyze hardware from DOS. In 2000, this program evolved and became “AIDA”, a much more complete software with a database of more than 12,000 devices and components. A year later, in 2001, AIDA32, a much more comprehensive 32-bit diagnostic tool for Windows systems, was launched, with a database of more than 25,000 entries, which was in development until March 2004.
In March 2004 this show became “Everest”. This software, developed by Lavalys, succeeded AIDA32 as hardware analysis software that included a free version that was present until the end of 2005, when it disappeared. After the release of Everest 5.50, in 2010, this software disappeared, opening the door to AIDA64.
AIDA64 was born after FinalWire bought Lavalys. This software is already prepared to detect and analyze 64-bit software, it has a database of more than 200,000 components (and each update usually adds between 5,000 and 10,000 more to the list) and includes a large number of tools to check the performance and stability of the entire PC.
Following the line of Everest, AIDA64 does not have a free version , although it can be tried for free for 30 days.
What AIDA64 offers us
The operation of this software can be easily divided into several parts.
Know in detail the computer hardware
The main function of this software is to let us know everything about the hardware of our PC. As we can see, in its main window we can find a series of categories, within which we can find all the technical details about each of the components of the PC.
The “Summary” section, for example, allows us to see a summary with all the hardware we have installed on the computer. This does not go into detail about the components, but allows us to have an overview of it.
If we want to obtain more detailed information on certain components, then we must go to the different sections. For example, within the “Motherboard” section we will find detailed information about the processor, memory, motherboard, chipset, etc.
Within “Screen” we can see information about everything related to Windows image, especially on our graphics card and on the monitor that we have connected to the computer.
In the “Storage” section we will find everything related to our hard drives and other storage units connected to the computer. A very useful category here is SMART, which will help us to know the state of health of our hard drive.
And so the same with the other categories, looking for the component of which we want to know all the details. The information on each of the components is very complete.
Know everything about installed software
In addition to knowing everything about computer hardware, AIDA64 also allows us to know details about the configuration and software of our PC. For example, within the “Operating System” section we will be able to know everything about the version of Windows installed, the drivers, processes, services, DLL libraries and much more.
We will also be able to see a list with all the programs that we have installed, the licenses of the programs, the applications configured to run at Windows startup, etc.
We will also be able to have an overview of the Windows security settings (antivirus, firewall and other options) and, of course, data on the basic configuration of the operating system.
Control the temperature of your PC
Beyond the information that this software shows us, another of the most frequent uses of this software is to be able to control the temperature and voltage of all the components. Inside Team> Sensor we will be able to see the temperature values of all the components (processor, graphics, hard drives, etc.) so that we can know if they are working at their optimal values or they may have temperature problems (which, often , result in crashes, restarts and other failures).
We will also be able to control the speed at which the fans installed in the computer rotate, and the voltages of each channel. Very useful to detect problems with the power supply or if any component of the PC is not working properly.
AIDA64 can connect with smartphones and other devices to display your monitor settings on them in real time. In this way we will be able to always control the temperature, and many other elements, while we carry out other types of activities, such as playing on the PC.
Performance and stability tests
Finally, AIDA64 also allows us to perform all kinds of performance and stability tests on our PC. These tests are found in the “Performance” section, and in the “Tools” menu at the top.
From here we will be able to launch different tests to read, copy and write to RAM, different benchmarks to the CPU, measure the performance of the GPU and even measure the performance of hard drives.
We are also going to find a stability test that will be in charge of putting 100% all the PC hardware to see if the system is completely stable after a few hours or if any component causes errors that may be causing a PC malfunction.
Without a doubt, a complete collection of tools that will help us see how our computer works, how it behaves in stressful situations and help us debug and adjust the overclocking to the maximum.
Download AIDA64
This program does not have a free version, so to use it, in any of its editions, we will have to go through the box. The licenses for this program range from the “Extreme” edition that we can get for $ 39.95 to the Business and Engineer editions, which are priced at $ 199.90.
All editions have a free trial version that will allow us to test the program’s functions without having to check out. We can download the latest version of this program from the following link .
Extreme vs Engineer vs Business
AIDA64 offers users 3 different editions.
Extreme: the simplest, not suitable for commercial use, which includes:
- Hardware analysis.
- Information about software and Windows.
- Stability tests for the PC.
- Information about Overclock.
- Monitor diagnosis.
- Benchmarks for CPU, RAM, disk and GPU.
- Sensors and alerts.
- OSD panel and desktop gadgets.
- Support for external LCD panels.
- Smartphone integration.
- Optime and downtime statistics.
- Support for 256 logical processors.
Engineer: more complete than the previous one, recommended for commercial use, which includes:
- Everything from the Extreme edition.
- Allows automation by command line.
- ACPI Browser
- DRAM Timings
- Support for 2048 logical processors.
Business: the most complete edition, for commercial use, which includes:
- Everything from the Engineer edition.
- Network audits.
- Remote control functions.
- Alerts and other network functions for corporations.
Alternatives to AIDA64 to know the hardware of any PC
It is true that AIDA64 is one of the most complete programs that we can find to know everything about our PC. But it is also one of the most expensive, and if we are going to use it for personal purposes it may not be worth investing in.
Therefore, if we want to know everything about our PC but without having to pay so much for software of this type, we can try some of the following features:
- CPU-Z and GPU-Z : programs that allow us to know everything about the processor, the ram and the graphics. They are totally free programs and, although simpler, much easier to use.
- HWiNFO : a more faithful alternative to AIDA64 to know everything about computer hardware and to know its performance and operation in detail.
- Open Hardware Monitor : an open source alternative that will also allow us to know everything about the hardware of our PC, especially about the temperatures and voltage of the equipment.
