HWiNFO v7.73-5370 Beta with OSD: Monitor receives overlay display with sensor data

The HWiNFO system utility is especially popular for reading clock speeds, temperatures, fan speeds or power consumption of computer components – also because it knows almost all hardware. What was still missing was an overlay to display values ​​during gameplay, for example. The new beta brings exactly that.

According to the developer, the new on-screen display (OSD) is based on Intel PresentMon and allows sensor data to be displayed as an overlay in the form of text or as a diagram. To do this, you must first activate the OSD in the settings (“Activate OSD”). In addition, the parameter you want to display must be selected from the list and the “Show in OSD as:” option must be selected. However, in the free version, only a maximum of 5 items are displayed, and each of them still needs to be set a position. If you want to offer more values, you should buy the HWiNFO64 Pro.

The overlay can be individually customized with different options. For example, transparency, line color, as well as position (top left, top right) can be specified. Items can also be named according to your own wishes. Any key combination can be selected to turn it on and off.

OSD still proves to be 'feisty'

However, not everything went smoothly in the short test conducted by the editorial team. The first thing to note is that the trial version of HWiNFO64 must be running in a “secure folder” like C:\Program Files for the OSD to work. However, the screen only worked after several attempts. The option was then deactivated several times in the settings menu without any action on your part. In the end, the entire program crashed. The problems occurred on two different systems.

Developer Martin Malík shows off what the whole thing could look like if it works on his forum, where he also provides more information on how to use it. If the teething problems are fixed in newer versions, the OSD may be a useful tool.

New trial version for download

The beta version of HWiNFO v7.73-5370 is only available for download as a portable version without an installer, which can be found at the end of the post. However, Windows XP is no longer supported.

The full release notes read as follows:

• Fully integrated OSD added.
• Windows XP support has dropped in HWiNFO64.
• Improved sensor monitoring on ASUS NUC Series.
• Improved health monitoring of some NVMe drives connected via Intel RST.
• Improved sensor monitoring on ASUS TUF GAMING Z790-PRO WIFI.