Keeping Your PC Healthy: A Guide to Free Checkup Tools
Maintaining a PC can sometimes feel like a tedious chore, akin to servicing a car. However, unlike car maintenance, keeping your computer in good shape is generally easier and doesn’t involve getting your hands dirty. Despite this, it can still feel like a drag. Luckily, numerous applications exist to simplify PC maintenance, automating the most demanding tasks and alerting you to potential issues you might otherwise overlook. The best part? Many of these applications are completely free! This guide explores some of the best free apps for performing a comprehensive PC health checkup.
Microsoft PC Manager: A Simple Starting Point
If you’re looking for a single, user-friendly application to get started with PC maintenance, Microsoft PC Manager is a great option. While not the most comprehensive tool available, it offers a clean interface and is readily accessible through the Microsoft Store. Its ease of use makes it an excellent choice for beginners.
After downloading and running the application, you’ll find that it can help you optimize your storage for better SSD performance, manage large files, and optimize your PC’s startup applications to improve boot times. While it might not offer extensive problem-solving capabilities, its ability to identify potential issues and offer basic optimizations makes it a valuable addition to any PC user’s toolkit.
AMD Ryzen Master and Intel XTU: Monitoring Your CPU’s Vital Signs
Directly checking the "health" of your PC’s processor isn’t entirely possible. However, you can gain insights into its condition by monitoring its performance under stress. Performance testing your CPU and observing how it responds to pressure is essential. Key indicators include running too hot, throttling speeds, or struggling with inadequate voltage.
For Intel CPUs, the Intel XTU (Extreme Tuning Utility) app is a valuable tool. For AMD CPUs, the AMD Ryzen Master app performs a similar function. Both applications allow you to monitor per-core temperatures, clock speeds, and voltages, helping you identify any anomalies, underperformance, or overheating issues. Intel XTU also provides power-related warnings, especially helpful for users with high-power-draw CPUs like the Intel Core i9-14900K.
Both apps feature built-in stability tests that allow you to stress-test your CPU, revealing its limits and potential weaknesses. These tools are also designed for overclocking. So if you want to experiment (or underclock to prolong CPU health), you can, but proceed with caution and research the subject.
CrystalDiskInfo: Keeping Tabs on Storage Drive Health
Monitoring the health of your storage drives is crucial. The unexpected failure of an aging drive can lead to costly data recovery efforts or, worse, permanent data loss. Fortunately, you can easily check the status of your storage drives using CrystalDiskInfo. This app provides detailed information about your drives’ condition.
Upon launching the app, you’ll gain access to a wealth of data about your storage devices, including SSDs, HDDs, USB flash drives, and SD cards. CrystalDiskInfo provides vital information such as the amount of data written, the total runtime, and the number of start-up cycles. All this information is compiled into a convenient percentage health status and associated rating, providing a clear picture of your storage drives’ condition.
Windows Memory Diagnostic: A Built-In RAM Check
Windows 10 and 11 include a built-in memory diagnostic tool to assess the health of your RAM modules. To access it, search for "memory diagnostic" in the Start menu and launch Windows Memory Diagnostic. You’ll be prompted to restart your PC, allowing the memory test to run during the boot process.
The test presents a basic blue screen interface, but rest assured, your system isn’t crashing. Once the test completes, your system will reboot back into Windows, and a pop-up window will display the results. If you don’t see the pop-up, you can find the results in the Windows Event Viewer under Windows Logs > System > MemoryDiagnostics-Results.
MemTest86: The Gold Standard for RAM Testing
For more comprehensive and reliable RAM testing, MemTest86 has been the industry standard for decades. If you suspect a problem with your RAM, MemTest86 is designed to pinpoint the issues. Upon completion, the test provides a detailed report indicating whether your memory passed or failed. If it fails, it may be time to consider a RAM upgrade.
MemTest86 can be installed on a USB drive, allowing you to carry it and run it on any device. It supports all recent generations of memory and works on both traditional BIOS PCs and modern UEFI-based systems.
HWInfo and HWMonitor: Comprehensive System Monitoring
For an in-depth view of your PC’s components, HWInfo is an excellent tool. HWInfo (short for "hardware info") collects data from nearly every sensor in your PC, displaying various voltages in your CPU, the performance of each core (including clock speed and temperature), motherboard temperature readouts, and GPU memory speed readings.
However, HWInfo might be overwhelming for some users. If you prefer a simpler alternative, HWMonitor is a great choice. For even simpler monitoring focused on the CPU, Core Temp provides a detailed view of your CPU’s temperature.
MSI Afterburner: GPU Health and Overclocking
Similar to Intel XTU and AMD Ryzen Master for CPUs, MSI Afterburner provides benefits for your graphics card.
While technically an overclocking tool, MSI Afterburner offers detailed information about your graphics card, including temperature, clock speed, fan speed, and voltages. If your GPU runs too hot, underperforms, or has voltage issues, you’ll find that in the information that MSI Afterburner displays.
MSI Afterburner is also a powerful tool for overclocking your graphics card for additional performance or undervolting and underclocking to lower temperatures and reduce noise levels.
WizTree: Visualizing and Managing Disk Space
When you’re freeing up space on a full SSD or hard drive, identifying the files to delete and the games to uninstall for the biggest impact can be difficult. WizTree allows you to analyze the storage you have used and find the largest files.
WizTree is a free app that scans all drives, visualizes the data organization, and highlights the largest apps, files, and folders for convenience.
WizTree is compatible with hard drives and SSDs. It analyzes drives of any size quickly and effectively and helps you prioritize the deletion of large games, apps, and folders. Freeing up space on an SSD can make it run faster.
AIDA64 Extreme: A Premium All-in-One Solution
While all the tools mentioned so far are free, AIDA64 Extreme offers a comprehensive suite of features for a price. It’s a popular memory and storage benchmarking tool that also provides a thorough PC health check.
AIDA64 Extreme includes benchmarks for various components, access to hundreds of sensors in your PC, and detailed monitoring capabilities. Additionally, AIDA64 Extreme can audit your software, diagnose hardware errors, and stress-test components. Its customizable sensor panel provides all the PC hardware information needed at a glance.
AIDA64 Extreme can replace several of the free apps listed above, but the price point makes it a less accessible option for some users. However, for those who need a comprehensive, all-in-one solution, the price is worth it.
By using these tools, you can keep your PC running smoothly, identify potential problems before they become major issues, and extend the lifespan of your hardware.
