System diagnostics in Linux

[AusWolf]

Simple question: I use a combination of GPU-Z, HWinfo and Task Manager on Windows to monitor my system during gaming on my secondary display. Is there any similar software on Linux (preferably with GUI)?

Windows is giving me an increasing number of headaches (by installing Copilot without asking me, moving my desktop icons on every restart, etc.), so I don't think I'm gonna postpone my great switch a lot longer.

 

[_roman_]

Are you asking about a system monitor?

app-admin/conky – Gentoo Packages

Gentoo Packages Database

packages.gentoo.org

There are the usual stuff like top / htop / atop

sys-process/htop – Gentoo Packages

Gentoo Packages Database

packages.gentoo.org

In the past I had some system monitor integration with gnome 2 in the gnome panel.

It may be wise to check your desktop manager first what's supported.

--

I may suggest to boot from live linux isos to look at the desktop environment first.
I use a usb drive which I created with ventoy in windows to boot different isos.
e.g. sysrescue live, ...

 

[AusWolf]

Are you asking about a system monitor?

app-admin/conky – Gentoo Packages

Gentoo Packages Database

packages.gentoo.org

Yep, pretty much. Just something simple to watch CPU/GPU usage, clocks, power and temperatures. Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out.

 

[GerKNG]

KDE has in it's "Task Manager" the ability to create monitoring of GPU/CPU Clocks, temps, fan speeds etc.

 

[Solaris17]

KDE has in it's "Task Manager" the ability to create monitoring of GPU/CPU Clocks, temps, fan speeds etc.

Agree, there are replacements and things you can get that augment info given if you so choose, but really there isnt anything being asked that linux doesnt already have. Its a full featured OS just like Windows, its not like we're going back in time to steam engines lol.

 

[Super Firm Tofu]

If you're looking for an onscreen overlay, MangoHUD with Goverlay (as the GUI):

 

[qxp]

There are a number of GUI apps and widgets that display all kinds of interesting info, for example KDE plasma widgets. However, some of the most powerful tools are terminal based - and a lot of fun to use ! I suggest in addition to GUI widgets you open a couple of terminals and run in one "nvtop" which shows graphically utilization of NVidia GPUs and in the other "sudo perf top" which shows code level breakdown of CPU usage - if your game freezes you will be able to see what is hogging CPU - the game, the GPU driver, or maybe something else running in the background. A few other useful monitors: "iotop" shows storage I/O, "powertop" shows power consumption (very useful on laptop, but be careful changing settings), "iptraf" monitors network. If you have several computers install "zabbix" to monitor your servers.

 

[AusWolf]

KDE has in it's "Task Manager" the ability to create monitoring of GPU/CPU Clocks, temps, fan speeds etc.

That's good to know especially since I'm planning to use KDE when I switch.

I've managed to narrow down my choices to Bazzite and Manjaro, both with KDE. I'll have to try both, see which one works better with my games. I also wouldn't mind Mint, but it isn't a rolling distro which could be a problem when I swap PC parts (especially GPU).

 

[unwind-protect]

If you have an Intel CPU, then `i7z`.

 

[Wasteland]

That's good to know especially since I'm planning to use KDE when I switch.

I've managed to narrow down my choices to Bazzite and Manjaro, both with KDE. I'll have to try both, see which one works better with my games. I also wouldn't mind Mint, but it isn't a rolling distro which could be a problem when I swap PC parts (especially GPU).

I think KDE is probably your best option coming from Windows. That or Mint's Cinnamon. (Interestingly, I discovered just the other day that Mint now uses the Hardware Enablement Stack by default, so it should be much improved with respect to newer hardware.)

Here's my desktop using KDE Plasma 6. As you can see, I make heavy use of the system-monitoring widgets:

There's nothing quite like HWInfo, though. I do miss that app, probably more than anything else on Windows. Goverlay/Mangohud are great, though, arguably better than MSI Afterburner with RTSS. Then there's something called "GTKStressTesting," which is dead simple to grab via Flatpak. I like psensor too, but it might not be especially easy to install on your distro (you might have to build it from source or enable a non-standard repo). Then there's btop. And smartmontools. And HDDtemp.

In order to get full functionality out of the sensors on your motherboard, you'll most likely have to configure lm-sensors, first. Just accept the defaults if/when you cross that bridge. If you're still missing sensors, well, that's another bridge, but it shouldn't be a long one.