hardware monitoring

AppWizard
December 27, 2025
Average Frames Per Second (FPS) is a common metric in PC gaming performance, but consistency in gameplay experience is equally important, highlighted by metrics such as 1% low and 0.1% low average FPS. CapFrameX is a tool used for capturing and analyzing detailed performance data, including frametimes, which provide a more accurate assessment of gaming performance than basic FPS counters. Key metrics generated by CapFrameX include: - Average FPS: Overall framerate averaged across the capture session. - 1% low average FPS: Average of the worst 1% of framerates, indicating sustained performance. - 0.1% low average FPS: Average of the worst 0.1% of framerates, highlighting rare but significant performance dips. To ensure accurate benchmarking results with CapFrameX, users should update their UEFI BIOS, operating system, and drivers, clear unnecessary applications, configure power settings for maximum performance, monitor temperatures, and conduct multiple benchmark runs under consistent conditions. The setup process for CapFrameX includes downloading the software, configuring capture options, and verifying the setup through test captures. After capturing benchmark runs, users can analyze the data using the Analysis and Comparison tabs in CapFrameX to evaluate performance metrics and identify potential issues. Common pitfalls in benchmarking include inconsistent scenes, overlooking frametime variance, and not preparing the system properly.
AppWizard
August 18, 2025
Valve's latest Steam Client Beta enhances GPU monitoring capabilities, providing more accurate utilization readings compared to the Windows Task Manager, which often under-reports GPU usage. The updated in-game overlay captures all related processes, reducing sampling errors and aligning statistics with third-party tools like MSI Afterburner. It aggregates GPU usage across multiple processes, offering a comprehensive view of a game's GPU demands. The overlay also distinguishes between native frames and those generated by technologies like DLSS and FSR, and provides real-time readings of CPU load, RAM usage, clock speeds, and frame timing graphs. Additionally, it includes a CPU temperature display on both Windows and Linux, enabled by a trusted CPUID-derived kernel driver. Users are cautioned about the stability of the updated GPU metrics, as this feature is currently in beta and may not be suitable for general use.
Winsage
March 18, 2025
PC gamers experienced false alarms from Windows Defender regarding the kernel-level driver WinRing0, which is essential for hardware monitoring applications. This misidentification caused issues such as fan control applications malfunctioning after being quarantined. WinRing0 allows applications to interact with hardware components, and its use is widespread among developers. Microsoft flagged WinRing0, complicating matters for developers due to the requirement for digital signatures on drivers, which can be costly for open-source projects. Some developers, like SignalRGB, are creating proprietary drivers as alternatives, though this requires significant resources. Microsoft is reviewing its detection logic to reduce false positives, while iBuyPower plans to provide a signed version of WinRing0 to aid developers. Users may need to update applications or adjust Windows Defender settings to maintain functionality, as Razer and SteelSeries have moved away from using WinRing0 in their software.
Winsage
March 16, 2025
A recent issue has arisen where Microsoft Defender is mistakenly flagging popular hardware monitoring applications from vendors like Razer and SteelSeries as malware. This is due to concerns regarding a driver called HackTool:Win32/Winring0, linked to the WinRing0x64.sys system driver, which is essential for these applications. The developer of the FanControl application acknowledged that the WinRing0x64.sys driver has a known vulnerability, CVE-2020-14979, that has not been addressed. Razer has implemented a patch to eliminate the use of this driver in its Synapse software. Users may need to contact vendors for updates or choose between ignoring Defender's warnings or discontinuing use of the applications.
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