CPU-Z is a freeware system profiler application for Microsoft Windows that detects the central processing unit, RAM, motherboard chipset, and other hardware features of a modern personal computer, and presents the information in one window. CPU-Z is more in-depth in some areas than the features that Windows XP provides to identify various hardware components, and isthereforeneeded to identify certain components without opening the case, particularly the core revision and RAM clock rate. It has an unusual ability to directly detect hardware features, particularly the ability to access, read and display the SPD data from memory modules. The ability to document clock speed makes it an important tool for motherboard overclockers, as a way of proving the CPU speeds achieved by various experiments.

This software is a portable application - installation does not generate complex interdependencies with the operation system; the resulting executable file can simply be copied to any data storage device and executed on any Windows computer.

CPU-Z has also inspired W1zzard, the owner of techPowerUp! to create an application called GPU-Z, which gives information on the graphics card of a system.