CPU-Z vs lshw

Struggling to choose between CPU-Z and lshw? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

CPU-Z is a System & Hardware solution with tags like hardware-monitoring, system-diagnostics, cpu, memory, motherboard.

It boasts features such as Provides detailed CPU information like name, codename, process, socket, frequency, instructions, Shows RAM timings, frequency, size and channel configuration, Displays motherboard details like model, chipset, BIOS version, Reports graphics card details like GPU, memory, drivers, Monitors core voltages, temperatures and fan speeds, Can validate overclock settings and benchmark performance, Lightweight app with minimal impact on system resources, Available for Windows and Android platforms and pros including Comprehensive hardware profiling and monitoring, Simple and easy to use interface, Portable app requiring no installation, Completely free with no ads or upsells, Open source code with active development, Trusted utility used by enthusiasts and professionals.

On the other hand, lshw is a System & Hardware product tagged with hardware, system-information.

Its standout features include Displays detailed information about hardware configuration, Extracts CPU speed, memory size, firmware version, etc, Can output results in HTML, JSON or plaintext format, Works on Linux, *BSD, Solaris, GNU Hurd, MINIX 3, Mac OS X and other UNIX variants, Does not require root permissions to run, Modular design allows easy extensibility and customization, and it shines with pros like Lightweight and fast, Very detailed hardware reporting, Cross-platform support, Does not require root access, Output can be easily parsed programmatically, Actively maintained and updated.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

CPU-Z

CPU-Z

CPU-Z is a widely-used system information utility for Windows and Android platforms. Developed by CPUID, the tool provides detailed information about the hardware components of a computer or mobile device. It offers insights into the CPU, memory, motherboard, and other system details, aiding users in hardware monitoring and diagnostics.

Categories:
hardware-monitoring system-diagnostics cpu memory motherboard

CPU-Z Features

  1. Provides detailed CPU information like name, codename, process, socket, frequency, instructions
  2. Shows RAM timings, frequency, size and channel configuration
  3. Displays motherboard details like model, chipset, BIOS version
  4. Reports graphics card details like GPU, memory, drivers
  5. Monitors core voltages, temperatures and fan speeds
  6. Can validate overclock settings and benchmark performance
  7. Lightweight app with minimal impact on system resources
  8. Available for Windows and Android platforms

Pricing

  • Free

Pros

Comprehensive hardware profiling and monitoring

Simple and easy to use interface

Portable app requiring no installation

Completely free with no ads or upsells

Open source code with active development

Trusted utility used by enthusiasts and professionals

Cons

Lacks real-time graphing of sensor data

Minimal options for customizing or exporting reports

Requires technical knowledge to interpret some readings

Interface looks dated compared to more modern apps

Limited usage on non-Windows platforms


lshw

lshw

lshw is a small tool for displaying detailed information about the hardware configuration of a system. It can extract information such as CPU speed, memory size, firmware version, etc.

Categories:
hardware system-information

Lshw Features

  1. Displays detailed information about hardware configuration
  2. Extracts CPU speed, memory size, firmware version, etc
  3. Can output results in HTML, JSON or plaintext format
  4. Works on Linux, *BSD, Solaris, GNU Hurd, MINIX 3, Mac OS X and other UNIX variants
  5. Does not require root permissions to run
  6. Modular design allows easy extensibility and customization

Pricing

  • Open Source
  • Free

Pros

Lightweight and fast

Very detailed hardware reporting

Cross-platform support

Does not require root access

Output can be easily parsed programmatically

Actively maintained and updated

Cons

Text output can be hard to read for humans

Does not work on Windows

May fail to detect some hardware correctly

Not all information may be available without root access