Cool Info FX for Windows

This comprehensive, though sometimes slow, system information program displays the facts without any attempt at dressing them up visually. Cool Info FX's very plain interface is the first indicator that fitting in information ranks above graphic design. The utility splits information over various individually-viewed themed screens. All the screens are easily chosen from the View pull-down menu, toolbar buttons, or an optional folder menu.

Some of our testers reported Cool Info FX was slow to perform its system summary scan. All agreed that the information collected was extensive, though there is no motherboard data gathered. Most information screens cover your system's hardware components. CPU, hard drives, memory chips, display adapters, and network cards are each covered with manufacturer and settings data. This utility takes an extra step over similar tools by presenting data for applications in memory and current environment variables. System administrators will appreciate a feature to manage Cool Info FX over a small network.

Reports are quickly saved, converted to SQL format, or e-mailed. However, all three features are available only to registered users. You can easily print out the full results of the system scan, but there is no feature to compare scans over time. Cool Info FX gathers comprehensive system data, displays it well, and is easily operated by most users.