HWiNFO
Also called hwinfo64, hwi, realix hwinfo
A deep hardware inventory and sensor readout from REALiX. The 64-bit process is HWiNFO64.exe. Sensors-only mode is the light tray. It is not Speccy.
What you need to know
HWiNFO is the deep sensor inventory. Speccy is the prettier, thinner one.
REALiX HWiNFO reads firmware-exposed sensors and a full device tree. Get it from hwinfo.com. Sensors-only mode is the light tray. Speccy from Gen is a different, shallower inventory.
- What is it?
- A deep hardware and sensor readout
- Same as Speccy?
- No. Speccy is prettier and less deep
- Light mode?
- Yes. Sensors-only is the tray
What is HWiNFO?
HWiNFO is a deep inventory plus sensors. HWiNFO64.exe can open a full report or sensors-only. Speccy is Gen's simpler inventory. This app does not invent Feex sensors. It reads what the firmware exposes.
If you have never used it
If you want every sensor and a full inventory, HWiNFO is Martin Malik's REALiX tool. Download it from hwinfo.com. Sensors-only mode is the light tray without the huge report. It is not Speccy, not CPU-Z alone, and not a Feex sensor pack.
What is it used for?
Buses, drives, and devices in one tree. Speccy shows a friendlier subset, not this depth.
Skip the big report and watch temperatures. That mode is HWiNFO, not GPU-Z's single-GPU window.
Pro and current builds can log. That is still vendor sensors, not a Feex measurement.
Who is it for?
- People who need more sensors than Speccy shows
- Technicians dumping a full report
- Anyone who should not treat this as a driver or an overclock suite
Current status
HWiNFO (1999) is a current hardware inventory and sensors from REALiX. The vendor still points Windows users at https://www.hwinfo.com/download/.
How old is it?
HWiNFO dates to 1999. Speccy arrived in 2009 as a prettier Piriform inventory. Current HWiNFO still updates for new chips. A 2002 HWiNFO32 screenshot is history.
Versions
Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.
System requirements
Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.
Minimum
| Operating system | Windows 10 or Windows 11, per hwinfo.com's current download |
|---|---|
| RAM | Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more. |
Resource profile
- CPU demand
- Low in sensors-only. Higher while building the full report
- RAM demand
- The full inventory is larger than Speccy
Installed processes
These executables belong to this product when it is installed.
| HWiNFO64.exe | Inventory and sensors |
|---|---|
| HWiNFO32.exe | 32-bit build on older downloads |
Startup components
HWiNFO can start sensors-only in the tray. Turn that off in settings if you do not want it at logon.
File locations
| Typical install | C:\Program Files\HWiNFO64\ |
|---|
File formats
Common problems
The full report overwhelms a newcomer
Use sensors-only. Speccy is the simpler picture if you only needed a pretty summary.
A crazy voltage reading
Some boards expose junk sensors. Treat outliers as firmware noise, not a Feex measurement.
Getting unstuck
Download from hwinfo.com/download
A "HWiNFO crack" is not REALiX. Speccy is the CCleaner-family inventory if you wanted the pretty one.
Start in sensors-only if the report window is too much
The welcome dialog offers that mode. It is still HWiNFO, not GPU-Z.
Update HWiNFO after a new CPU or GPU launch
Unknown sensors usually mean a stale build, not a missing Speccy install.
Alternatives
Speccy for a simple picture. CPU-Z and GPU-Z for single-device identity. Manufacturer tools for official logs.
Official help and downloads
Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.
| Download | www.hwinfo.com/download/ Official installer or vendor page |
|---|---|
| Help | www.hwinfo.com/forum/ Vendor support |
| Official site | www.hwinfo.com/ Start here, not a random exe host |
Related hardware
HWiNFO displays sensors the motherboard, CPU, GPU, and drives already expose. It does not add Feex sensors.
Technical details
Technical details
Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.
Sources and verification
Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.
- HWiNFO official site · Vendor product page
- HWiNFO help · Vendor support
- HWiNFO · What REALiX documents
- Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.
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