System Spec is a free utility that will retrieve extremely detailed information about your computer and let you control various functions like the Control Panel in a single package.
Installation & Requirements
There is no installation for the application. You can download the application in either an executable form or in a zip file. If you download the zip file you will need to extract it to a folder of your choice and then run it from there. The application has been fully tested with Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7. It might work on other iterations on Windows but it is not supported.
Interface
The main interface of the application is very well made, something that is surprising for a hardware information utility. In the main window you will be able to see a summary of your system’s details but the list will not be exhaustive. However, you can easily access more detailed information in a variety of ways. The first and most obvious way is to choose any icon from the top toolbar. When you roll your mouse over them you will be able to get a short description on what each of the icons will display. Of course, you can also get an idea of what they are about by the icon they represent. For example, information about the date and the running time of your computer is represented by a clock.
The other way to see more details is to click on the View menu and then choose an option from the drop down list. You can even check out the shortcuts so that you can use them without opening the menu again. Unfortunately those cannot be changed so you will have to get used to them. The hardware information that you are viewing can be copied to the Clipboard, printed or even exported to an HTML document that you can then upload and display to your website. You can also save the data as a CSV file.
The other menus are equally interesting. System Spec is not merely a hardware information utility but it is also a convenient package that will let you control various aspects of Windows. For example, you can easily access all aspects of the Control Panel by going to the appropriate menu. You can also access various Windows tools like the System Defrag and the System File Checker directly from the application. Finally, you can shut your system or just your monitor down without ever having to leave the screen.
Pros
-No installation required
-Very easy to navigate due to the clean interface
-Seamless integration with Windows utilities
-A ton of various settings and options
Cons
-Can be slow at times
Conclusion
System Spec might just be one of the best hardware information utilities available. You will be able to access detailed information about anything related to your system as well as control various aspects of your PC all from the same program.
