User experience is often elevated by the use of third-party software. These software can give you anything from stats monitoring to productivity boosts.
In this article, we bring you the top five windows software/apps every user should have. Note that some power users might already be aware of them. The programs on this list are pretty common.
Rainmeter
Rainmeter is a program used to create perplexing windows desktops. Below is my own desktop, modelled after a Bumblebee theme.
Using Rainmeter can take your Windows Desktop to a whole new level. There are already hundreds of amazing skins available to download for a variety of resolutions. You can just download them and get started.
The program provides both utility and productivity. Most Rainmeter skins include stat monitors, custom program launchers, notes, weather updates and so on.
Not only this makes your desktop look infinitely cooler, but it also provides for a good, well-organised desktop.
The software is open-source and so are the skins. Anyone can create, modify and reuse the skins to their heart’s content.
Also read: How does Windows ‘Disk Cleanup’ work? 10 things it does
f.lux
f.lux is cross-platform software which changes your screen’s colour temperature according to the time.
During the daytime, computer screens look fine. They’re designed to look like the sun. But at night, when you’re busy blasting away at your desktop, it’s probably not a good idea to stare at a screen like that.
f.lux fixes this. Much like the night mode on many smartphones, f.lux controls the blue tint of computer screens according to the time of the day. Making it warmer as the night passes by.
This can save your eyes some serious strain.
AVG PC TuneUp
AVG PC TuneUp (previously TuneUp Utilities) is a software suite with a bunch of extremely useful utilities up its sleeve.
It is an all in one management suite for your PC. You can manage your storage, diagnose hardware issues, fix registry issues, fix broken/missing drivers, update firmware/drivers and what not.
The app also has anti-malware systems built in. The Game Mode in the app temporarily boosts your computer’s performance so that you can get better performance in your games.
As aforementioned, the app also has a bunch of excellent memory management apps. This is truly the one app you need for all your OS management.
You can get AVG PC TuneUp here
CPU-Z
CPU-Z is also another very useful hardware monitoring app. Essentially it’s a freeware system profiling and monitoring software for Windows.
Upon installation, it detects and shows the CPU, RAM, GPU, MotherBoard and other hardware components of a PC. It used by PC enthusiasts all over the world for monitoring basic hardware stats.
It is an extremely lightweight software too. Also, it barely needs any system resources to run and hence can be used on a wide variety of systems.
SpeedFan
If your PC runs hot, this software can save your life.
SpeedFan is a system monitoring app for Windows that monitors your PC’s temperatures, fan RPMs and voltages of various components.
Power PC users widely use to it monitor hardware temperatures and voltages especially during overclocking. The software displays system variables as charts and as an indicator in the system tray as well.
Depending upon your fan’s hardware, SpeedFan also lets you set fan speeds for various components.
Also read: How to manage app permissions on Windows 10?
