Sidebar Diagnostics

What Sidebar Diagnostics is

Sidebar Diagnostics is a free Windows desktop sidebar for viewing hardware diagnostic information. It monitors CPU, RAM, GPU, network, and logical drives, and can graph those metrics. The display can also show a clock and support alerts, hotkeys, and monitors with different DPI settings. The project describes the sidebar as extensively customizable, with hardware data provided by Libre Hardware Monitor. The README lists Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 as supported systems. Its GitHub repository identifies the software as GNU General Public License (GPL-3.0). The releases page offers an installer and a standalone ZIP, though the standalone build does not update itself automatically. The README says the application must be run as administrator. The repository provides an issue template for reporting problems, and the author says the software will always be free on GitHub and invites donations. The Free plan is listed as free for the Windows desktop app. Remote monitoring is not supported.

Who it suits

Sidebar Diagnostics suits Windows users who want hardware metrics visible in a desktop sidebar. It may fit users who need local monitoring and customization rather than remote monitoring.

Limits

The Free plan is listed as free for the Windows desktop app. The app requires administrator privileges, and the standalone ZIP does not auto-update.

Getting started

1. Visit the GitHub project at https://github.com/arcaderenegade/sidebardiagnostics.
2. Open the releases page and choose the installer or standalone ZIP.
3. Install or extract the chosen release.
4. Run the application as administrator.
5. Use it on a supported Windows version: Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10.

Verdict

Sidebar Diagnostics provides a customizable desktop view of several hardware metrics on listed Windows versions. It is free, but requires administrator privileges and does not support remote monitoring.